EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team had a fierce late-game rally fall just short as it fell to Missouri University of Science and Technology, 85-82, Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center.
USI (14-11, 6-9 GLVC) trailed 82-72 with 2:33 left to play on the clock, but a 10-1 run that lasted less than two minutes cut the Miner's advantage to a single tally with 47 seconds left to play in the game.
The Screaming Eagles, who led by as many as 16 in the first half, had the opportunity to gain possession of the ball trailing but just one point with 20 seconds to play, but Missouri S&T senior guard/forward Lauren Dubbert corralled a missed free throw by teammate Katie McElrath.
After a USI foul, Missouri S&T junior guard Kylee Grant sunk a pair of free throws to give the Miners an all-important three-point edge with 18 seconds to play.
The Eagles got a pair of three-pointers off in the final seconds of the game, but neither found pay dirt as USI's comeback bid came to an end.
Sophomore guard
Amie Newhart (Mulberry, Indiana) scored a career-high 21 points, 16 of which came in the second half, to lead the Eagles. Freshman guard
Rinesha Soaper (Henderson, Kentucky) added 16 points, while senior forward/center
Brittany Neuman (Huntingburg, Indiana) racked up 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Eagles also got 10 points and a game-high six assists from sophomore guard
Ellen Young (Salem, Illinois) in the setback.
Senior forward Tamara McCaskill led the Miners with 22 points and five assists, while senior center Katie McElrath chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds.
USI can still clinch the third seed in the GLVC West Division and a spot in the conference tournament with a victory at either Drury University or Rockhurst University next week. USI travels to Springfield, Illinois, to take on Drury Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. and finishes the regular season with a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to face Rockhurst next Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Eagles also would clinch a GLVC Tournament spot with a Missouri S&T loss to the University of Missouri-St. Louis next weekend.
