at UW-Parkside (18-3, 10-2 GLVC): 74
Southern Indiana (15-5, 6-3 GLVC): 64
Box Score
SOMERS, Wis.—The first 13 minutes and the final 10 minutes of Thursday evening's University of Southern Indiana-University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's basketball game belonged to the Screaming Eagles; but it was the 17 minutes in between that ultimately sent the Eagles to a 74-64 setback to the Rangers at the DeSimone Gymnasium.
USI (15-5, 6-3 GLVC), which came into Thursday's game as the sixth-ranked team in the NCAA II Midwest Region, traded baskets and leads with the host Rangers early in the contest, but a 7-0 run gave the Eagles a 28-19 advantage with seven-and-a-half minutes to play in the opening period.
UW-Parkside (18-3, 10-2 GLVC), however, charged back, using a 15-4 push to take a 34-32 lead late in the first half. The Rangers, who are ranked third in the latest NCAA II Midwest Region rankings, scored 10 straight points in the run that saw them turn a nine-point deficit into a two-point advantage with two minutes to play before the intermission.
Despite ending the run with a pair of Ellen Young free throws to go into the break in a 34-34 tie, momentum clearly had fallen out of the Eagles' hands and into the Rangers' possession heading into the final period of play.
UW-Parkside, which improved to 11-0 at home this season, scored the first 10 points of the second half to build a 44-34 lead with 17 minutes to play.
The Rangers concluded what turned out to be a 38-11 run nearly seven minutes later as they extended their advantage to 57-39 with 10 minutes to play in the contest.
Young scored four straight points from that juncture to jump-start a 6-0 run that got the Eagles to within 12 points. The junior guard scored 19 of her game-high tying 27 points in the final period to bring the Eagles to within striking distance.
USI, however, could not get any closer than eight points as the Rangers shot 26-of-30 from the free throw line, 26-of-29 in the second half, to keep USI at bay and hand the Eagles their second straight loss.
UW-Parkside, which out-rebounded USI 43-34, got 27 points from senior guard Amanda Gibson as well as 22 points and 11 rebounds from junior center Brittany Hogen. Young led the Eagles with seven rebounds.
The Eagles conclude their six-game road swing Saturday at 1 p.m. when they travel to Romeoville, Illinois, to take on Lewis University. The Flyers defeated Kentucky Wesleyan, 68-55, Thursday to improve to 11-9 overall and 7-4 in the GLVC.
