at Southern Indiana (11-8, 7-4 GLVC): 60
Lewis (9-10, 5-6 GLVC): 58
Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana women's basketball Head Coach Rick Stein earned his 200th career victory Thursday evening as his Screaming Eagles picked up a hard-fought 60-58 victory over visiting Lewis University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference tilt at the Physical Activities Center.

Despite trailing by as many as 11 in the opening period, the Eagles came roaring back behind the play of senior guard Amie Newhart, the reigning GLVC Player of the Week. Newhart scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the first half as USI cut the Flyers' advantage to 26-23 heading into the intermission.

USI (11-8, 7-4 GLVC) carried that momentum in the second period where it used an 8-1 run to build a 47-40 lead with just over 10 minutes to play in the game. Junior guard Cootie Leeberg started the run with a free throw; then had an assist on a fast-break layup by junior forward/center Ashton Mertens after corralling a loose ball.

Leeberg drove into the paint for a layup and a 45-40 lead with just under 11 minutes to play; then forced the Flyers into an offensive foul on the ensuing inbounds play. She capped the run off by hitting a running layup as the shot clock expired on the Eagles' next possession, giving USI its largest lead of the game.

Lewis (9-10, 5-6 GLVC), however, got back-to-back three-pointers to cut USI's advantage to a single digit before eventually taking a 52-51 lead with just over six minutes to play on a pair of free throws by senior forward Jenny Turpel.

Following an exchange of possessions, junior guard/forward Kristin Raker drained a three-pointer to give the Eagles a 54-52 lead a minute later. Raker finished the game with nine points, while Mertens added a season-best eight points off the bench.

Lewis sophomore forward Sam Rinehart's free throws with just under four minutes to play tied the contest at 54-54. Her old-fashioned three-point play a couple minutes later answered USI senior guard Ellen Young's three-pointer, tying the game at 57-57 with 1:30 to play.

Young, who scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half, gave the Eagles a 59-57 lead with a minute to play when her shot-fake on a three-pointer opened up an easy layup. Rinehart, who was one of three Lewis players to finish with a team-high 10 points, missed one of two free throws with 31 seconds to play, allowing the Eagles to gain possession of the ball with a 59-58 lead.

Leeberg hit the first shot of a one-and-one free throw visit, but her miss on the second attempt gave Lewis a chance to tie or win in the final possession. Lewis freshman guard Alexus Grayer, though, missed a long three-pointer in the closing seconds as Newhart grabbed the rebound to seal the victory for USI.

The Eagles, who find themselves in a two-way tie for first in the GLVC East Division, host the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Saturday at 1 p.m. for Homecoming. The Rangers (16-4, 10-2 GLVC), who are sixth in the NCAA II Midwest Region rankings, defeated the University of Indianapolis, 66-47, Thursday evening in Indianapolis.