Game Notes (pdf.)
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team begins the 2013 calendar year with its Great Lakes Valley Conference opener Thursday at 5:15 p.m. against the University of Missouri-St. Louis at the Physical Activities Center. The Screaming Eagles also host Maryville University Saturday at 1 p.m. as they wrap up their season-long eight-game homestand.
USI (8-0, 0-0 GLVC) puts the GLVC's only undefeated record on the line Thursday when it welcomes the Tritons into the PAC. The Eagles, who play their first game in more than two weeks and just their third game since November 29, are coming off a strong 75-59 victory over Midwest Region foe Cedarville University.
Junior guard
Stephanie Carpenter drained five three-pointers and finished with a team-high 17 points in the win, while sophomore forward/center
Anna Hackert finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Hackert played a crucial role for the Eagles in the second half against the Yellow Jackets as she scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds in the final 20 minutes.
The Eagles, who have displayed a well-balanced scoring attack throughout their first eight games, had five players score in double figures against Cedarville. Six different players this season have led the Eagles in the scoring column, while USI has had eight players reach double figures in the scoring column multiple times.
Hackert, the GLVC-leader in field goal percentage (.583), leads the Eagles with 13.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per outing. Carpenter, who is first in the GLVC with 3.1 made three-pointers per appearance, is second on the team with 12.6 points and 3.1 assists per contest.
Junior guard
Ariel Barnes, who is third in the GLVC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4), is chipping in 10.3 points and a team-best 4.3 assists per game.
Missouri-St. Louis (5-4, 0-1 GLVC), which opened league play with a 73-64 home loss to Maryville on December 5, is coming off an 82-69 win over Midwest Region foe Northwood University this past Saturday.
Senior forward Devonna Smith and sophomore guard Alexis Lawrence each had 17 points to pace the Tritons. Smith leads the Tritons with 14.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per appearance, while junior guard/forward Hazaria Washington is chipping in 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest. Lawrence leads Missouri-St. Louis with 4.0 assists per game.
USI leads the all-time series with the Tritons, 27-10, and is 18-4 in the series since 2000 after posting a 62-49 win in the last meeting on February 6, 2011. The Eagles are 2-0 all-time against Maryville after defeating the Saints, 70-62, on January 6, 2011.
Maryville (5-4, 1-0 GLVC), the defending GLVC Tournament champion, saw a four-game win streak come to an end Sunday in a 66-58 road loss to Florida Southern College. Senior forward/center Abby Duethman led the Saints with 16 points in the setback.
Duethman leads Maryville with 15.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while senior guard Brittnye McSparron is chipping in 11.3 points per game for the Saints, who visit Kentucky Wesleyan College Thursday evening.
This weekend's games will be broadcast on WPSR 90.7 FM, while live stats and audio can be accessed at gousieagles.com.
