Southern Indiana (14-8, 10-4 GLVC): 72
at Missouri-St. Louis (8-14, 3-11 GLVC): 56
Box Score

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—Senior guard Ellen Young scored a game-high 22 points as the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team cruised to a 72-56 road victory over the University of Missouri-St. Louis Sunday in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest.

The Screaming Eagles (14-8, 10-4 GLVC), who had an 8-1 run to begin the game, never trailed as they won their fourth straight contest to increase their lead in the GLVC East Division to two games.

Despite opening the game with a seven-point lead, the Eagles had work to do after the host Tritons tied the contest at 12-12 with 12 minutes to play in the opening half.

The Eagles answered Missouri-St. Louis's challenge late in the half, using a 10-4 run to end the period and take a 40-32 lead into the intermission. USI opened the second period the same way it did in the first half, going on an 8-1 run to take a commanding 15-point advantage with 17 minutes to play.

Missouri-St. Louis (8-14, 3-11 GLVC), which was outrebounded 46-28, never got any closer than 11 points throughout the remainder of the game while the Eagles increased their lead to as many as 19 points before settling on the 16-point win.

USI, which held the Tritons to just 30.8 percent shooting in the second half and 36.8 percent for the game, shot 46.7 percent in the opening period and 44.4 percent for the game.

“I was pleased with how we guarded today,” Head Coach Rick Stein said in his WPSR 90.7 FM post-game interview with Michael Robertson. “When you are guarding on the road, you have a chance to win.”

Including Young, who scored 11 points in both halves, the Eagles had three players finish in double figures. Junior forward/center Ashton Mertens recorded her first double-double in a USI uniform as she finished with a season-best 10 points and 11 rebounds in just 11 minutes of work. Senior forward/center Courtney Perry added 10 points, three blocks, and seven rebounds.

USI also got six points, seven rebounds, and four assists from senior guard Stephanie Gehlhausen as well as nine points from junior guard/forward Kristin Raker.

“I was really pleased with our bench today,” Stein said. “From top-to-bottom, everyone contributed.”

USI, which is 2-0 to begin its five-game road trip, returns to action Thursday at 4:30 p.m. (CST) when it visits the University of Indianapolis. “If you want to compete in the league, you have to win games on the road,” Stein said. “I am really happy to get this road sweep. Now we have to go on the road again and keep it going.”