at Southern Indiana (1-0): 76
Saginaw Valley State (0-1): 62
Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Senior guard Cootie Leeberg scored a career-high 17 points and freshman forward Brooke Valentine had 13 points and nine rebounds as the new-look University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team debuted with a 76-62 home victory over Midwest Region foe Saginaw Valley State University Saturday evening at the Physical Activities Center.

The Screaming Eagles (1-0), who led 9-2 early in the contest, used an 11-0 run in the closing minutes of the opening period to take a commanding 42-31 advantage into the break. Leeberg began the run with a bucket to give the Eagles a 33-29 advantage with just over two minutes to play in the period. Her trifecta with 15 seconds to play in the first half ended the spurt and gave the Eagles a 42-29 lead.

Leeberg, who went 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from downtown, drained a three-pointer a minute into the second period to give the Eagles a 14-point cushion.

Saginaw Valley State (0-1), which was held to just 7.1 percent shooting from behind the arc, used a 7-0 run later in the half to trim the Eagles' advantage to seven points.

USI, however, countered with a bucket by Valentine and a pair of baskets by sophomore forward/center Nicole Hazemi to reclaim a double-digit lead heading into the final seven minutes of regulation.

The Cardinals got back to within eight points with 3:19 to play, but Leeberg, freshman forward/center Anna Hackert, and sophomore guard Stephanie Carpenter went a combined 8-of-8 from the charity strip in the final three minutes to help the Eagles secure the victory.

Prior to the last three minutes of the game, the Eagles had gone 8-of-17 from the free throw line.

In addition to Leeberg and Valentine, senior guard/forward Kristin Raker finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Hackert added nine points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Ariel Barnes chipped in nine points and five rebounds for the Eagles, who shot 44.8 percent from the field.

USI returns to action Tuesday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Principia College at the PAC.