Game Notes
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team wraps up the 2009-10 regular season with three games in a five-game stretch, starting with Northern Kentucky University Thursday at 4:30 p.m. (CST) in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
USI's (19-7, 10-5 GLVC) also visits Bellarmine University Saturday at 4:45 p.m. (CST) in Louisville, Kentucky, before closing the regular season by hosting Quincy University Monday at 5:15 p.m. for Senior Night.
Game coverage, including audio, video, and live stats, can be accessed at www.gousieagles.com.
The Eagles, who are eighth in the latest NCAA II Midwest Region rankings, are looking for their third straight win when they take on Northern Kentucky in a game that will carry GLVC and NCAA II Tournament implications. USI is looking for the regular-season sweep of Northern Kentucky after defeating the Norse, 85-76, at the Physical Activities Center in December.
Junior guard Ellen Young scored a career-high 30 points in the win and enters Thursday's game having averaged 24.5 points per contest in the Eagles' last two games.
Northern Kentucky (19-6, 13-3 GLVC), which is seventh in the latest regional rankings, is red-hot and is in the hunt for the GLVC East Division title, having won 10 straight games. The Norse can secure the top spot in the GLVC East Division with a win over USI and a victory over No. 4 University of Indianapolis Saturday.
The Eagles, however, could still move ahead of the Norse in the GLVC East Division standings if they can win their final three games and get help from Indianapolis. If that scenario plays out, the Eagles would earn a first-round bye and the chance to host a first and second-round cluster in the GLVC Tournament, which begins February 27.
For the Eagles to be successful, they must slow down Northern Kentucky's sophomore guard, Chase Mogan, who leads the team with 17.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Mogan had 15 points in the Norse's 57-54 win at Kentucky Wesleyan College last Saturday.
The Eagles, who cannot finish any lower than third in the GLVC East Division, also are looking for the season-sweep over Bellarmine after defeating the Knights 89-63 in December. Young led the Eagles with 24 points in the win as she went 8-of-9 from the field including a perfect 4-of-4 from the arc.
Bellarmine, which host Kentucky Wesleyan Thursday, is coming off a 66-64 upset win at Indianapolis Monday evening. Senior forward Brittany Edelen, the team's leading scorer and cousin to USI senior forward Anaris Sickles, scored 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds against the Greyhounds. She is averaging 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest this season.
USI will honor Sickles and senior guard/forward Abby Williams as part of its Senior Night festivities prior to Monday's make-up game with Quincy. The Hawks (19-6, 10-6 GLVC) are the highest scoring team in the GLVC (81.0 ppg) and have won three straight games and seven of their last eight.
Junior forward Courtney Shuman and senior forward Lindsey Stellflue lead the Hawks, who visit Lewis University Saturday, with 14.4 and 14.2 points per game, respectively.
