at Southern Indiana (8-5, 4-1 GLVC): 70
Maryville (5-7, 0-4 GLVC): 62
Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Maryville University, 70-62, Thursday evening in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at the Physical Activities Center.

With the Screaming Eagles trailing 48-36 with just over 12 minutes to play, senior guard Amie Newhart hit a three-pointer to jump start a 12-1 USI run that got the Eagles to within a single digit with just under nine minutes remaining on the clock.

After a Maryville free throw gave the Saints a 49-39 advantage, senior guard Ellen Young drained another three-pointer to bring the Eagles to within seven. Newhart, who scored nine of her 12 points during the momentum-changing run, hit three straight jumpers from that juncture to close the Eagles' deficit to 49-48.

Still, the Eagles found themselves reeling after the Saints, who erased a 12-point deficit during the first half to take a 33-30 lead at the break, went on an 11-5 run to forge a 60-53 lead with just under five minutes to play.

USI (8-5, 4-1 GLVC), however, used its inside game to cut the deficit to three points with buckets by senior forward/center Courtney Perry and junior guard/forward Kristin Raker. Young's trifecta with 3:39 to play tied the contest at 60-60.

The Eagles hit three of their next six free throw attempts during the following two minutes to extend their run and take a three-point advantage; then got a three-point play from Young to take a 66-60 lead.

USI ended what turned out to be a 15-0 run when Newhart hit a pair of free throws with 27.4 seconds remaining in the contest, giving the Eagles' an insurmountable eight-point lead.

The Eagles' defense held the Saints, who were shooting better than 50 percent at one point in the second half, to just two points throughout the final five minutes of the contest as USI avoided the upset bid and won its season-best third straight game.

Young led the Eagles with 20 points, going 7-of-18 from the field and 4-of-9 from long range, while Raker added 11 points and matched Young with a team-high seven rebounds.

Freshman guard/forward JoAnn Thompson led the Saints (5-7, 0-4 GLVC) with a game-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

USI returns to action Saturday at 1 p.m. when it hosts Missouri University of Science and Technology at the PAC. The Miners (11-2, 5-0 GLVC), who have won nine straight games, defeated Kentucky Wesleyan College, 71-66, Thursday evening in Owensboro, Kentucky.