Southern Indiana (15-8, 11-4 GLVC): 60
at Indianapolis (13-10, 8-7 GLVC): 58
Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team rode a strong first-half effort to a 60-58 road victory over Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division foe University of Indianapolis Thursday evening.

USI (15-8, 11-4 GLVC), which used runs of 10-0 and 10-2 in the opening period to grab a 32-18 halftime advantage, shot 46.4 percent from the field in the opening half while holding the host Greyhounds to just 4-of-26 (.154) shooting.

Junior guard/forward Kristin Raker started USI's 10-0 run with a bucket and finished the run with an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Eagles an early 13-4 cushion.

Junior forward/center Ashton Mertens scored six of her eight points in the Screaming Eagles' 10-2 run that put USI up 29-13 with less than three minutes to play in the first half.

“You can see from top-to-bottom that we had good balance,” USI Head Coach Rick Stein said in his WPSR 90.7 FM post-game interview with Michael Robertson. “Our bench was good and we got contributions from everyone.

“Ashton has put together strong performances in back-to-back games,” Stein continued. “Her nine minutes were huge for us today.”

Despite the 14-point cushion at the break, the Eagles found themselves on their heels as Indianapolis bounced back, scoring on its first three possessions to cut the deficit to six points with less than 19 minutes to play.

The two teams went back-and-forth throughout the next 14 minutes of the game with the Eagles pushing their advantage back to double-figures only to see the Greyhounds trim the deficit to three points with less than five minutes on the clock.

Clinging to a 49-46 lead with 4:44 to play, the Eagles came up with a big stop on the defensive end to keep the Greyhounds from potentially tying the contest. Senior forward/center Courtney Perry (Crown Point, Indiana) drained a pair of free throws in the ensuing possession to stop a 5-0 Indianapolis spurt and give USI a five-point edge.

Senior guard Amie Newhart, who had a game-high 16 points, found junior guard Cootie Leeberg for an easy back-door layup on the Eagles' next possession to answer a pair of Indianapolis free throws and give the Eagles a 53-48 advantage.

Following the layup, Leeberg drew an offensive foul by Indianapolis freshman guard Katy McIntosh, giving the Eagles a chance to add to their lead. Perry, who had seven points and four rebounds, used a pass from Newhart on the ensuing possession to give USI a seven-point edge with less than three minutes left in the game.

Indianapolis (13-10, 8-7 GLVC) could get no closer than five points throughout the next two minutes, 30 seconds, as the Eagles held on for their fifth straight victory.

“I'm proud of how we fought and topped off the win,” Stein said. “We weren't perfect tonight, but we made plays when we needed to.”

In addition to Newhart, the Eagles got 10 points and eight rebounds from senior guard Ellen Young as well as nine points and nine rebounds from Raker. USI, which had an uncharacteristic 23 turnovers, outrebounded Indianapolis 41-28 and outscored the Greyhounds 30-12 in the paint.

With the Eagles' win and Northern Kentucky University's 53-52 setback to Kentucky Wesleyan College Thursday in Highland Heights, Kentucky, USI has taken a commanding three-game lead in the GLVC East Division with three games to play in the regular season.

USI can clinch the Division title and a first-round GLVC Tournament home game with a victory over Kentucky Wesleyan Monday in Owensboro, Kentucky. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. at the Sportscenter.