Game Notes (pdf.)
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Fresh off its first Great Lakes Valley Conference win of the year, the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team is preparing for its version of rivalry week as it gets set to take on East Division rivals Bellarmine University Thursday at 4:45 p.m. (CST) in Louisville, Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky University Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Physical Activities Center.
Both games can be heard on the radio at WPSR 90.7 FM, while game coverage including audio, video, and live stats can be accessed at gousieagles.com.
The Screaming Eagles (7-10, 1-8 GLVC) ended their seven-game losing streak this past Saturday with a 58-55 triumph over Saint Joseph's College. Sophomore forward/center
Nicole Hazemi scored 11 points to lead the Eagles, while three other players, including sophomore guard
Stephanie Carpenter, finished with nine points.
Carpenter, who is averaging 12.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in the last seven games, scored her first points of the game against Saint Joseph's when she drained a three-pointer at the end of the first half to give the Eagles a 27-24 lead. Carpenter, who is sixth in the GLVC with a .421 three-point field goal percentage, connected on two more three-pointers in the second period as the Eagles held off a late Saint Joseph's rally.
For the season, Carpenter is third on the team with 9.4 points per game, while senior guard/forward
Kristin Raker, who had nine points and a pair of late free throws to help the Eagles clinch their victory over Saint Joseph's, is second on the team with 9.5 points per appearance.
The Eagles are hoping for the healthy return of their leading scorer in freshman forward/center
Anna Hackert, who missed the last game with an ankle injury. Hackert, who is averaging 10.1 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds per contest, scored 29 points and pulled down 12 rebounds against Coker College at the MetroMedical Thanksgiving Classic in Bellarmine's Knights Hall earlier this season.
Bellarmine (8-9, 2-7 GLVC) saw its seven-game conference losing streak come to an end last Thursday with an 80-74 win over Lewis University. The Knights overcame a 22-point deficit on Saturday to win their second straight game, this time an 82-79 upset over nationally-ranked University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Junior guard Kylie Brady, who had 21 points against UW-Parkside, leads the Knights with 14.4 points per game, while senior guard Allison Matheis, who also had 21 points against the Rangers, is second on the team with 11.5 points per appearance.
USI trails the all-time series with the Knights, 39-19, and is 8-13 in the series since 2000 despite winning the last four meetings. The Eagles defeated Bellarmine, 76-59, last year at the PAC before handing the Knights a 76-53 setback in Louisville.
The Eagles also trail the all-time series with the Norse of Northern Kentucky, 35-19, and are 8-13 in the series since 2000 after losing both meetings a year ago. Northern Kentucky, which is receiving votes in the latest USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll, claimed a 73-38 win last season in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and a 73-63 victory at the PAC.
Northern Kentucky (13-4, 6-3 GLVC), which hosts Kentucky Wesleyan College Thursday in Highland Heights, is coming off a 59-44 win over Lewis this past Saturday in Highland Heights. Senior guard Casse Mogan, who leads the team with 16.6 points per game, had a game-high 19 points, while senior forward Sadie Bowling collected a game-high nine rebounds. Bowling leads the Norse with 8.2 rebounds per outing this year.
