Game Notes (pdf.)
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team still has post-season aspirations as it enters the final three games of the regular season, starting with its home finale against Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division rival Bellarmine University Thursday at 5:15 p.m. at the Physical Activities Center.
USI, which will honor senior guard
Cootie Leeberg and senior guard/forward
Kristin Raker as part of its Senior Night festivities immediately following Thursday's game against the Knights, travels to Highland Heights, Kentucky, Saturday at noon (CST) to battle Northern Kentucky University at the Bank of Kentucky Center.
The Screaming Eagles (8-15, 2-13 GLVC) are two games back of the 11th and 12th seeds in the GLVC Tournament, which begins with the first round February 26 on campus sites. Post-season play is within reach if the Eagles win two of their final three games and get help, though it is more likely that USI needs to win its final three games to and get help to have a chance.
USI needs to win its remaining games and get help in order to qualify for the league's post-season tournament for the third straight season—there is a slim chance that two wins in the last three games could get the Eagles into the post-season.
Directly in front of the Eagles, who close the season at Kentucky Wesleyan College February 23, are Lewis University, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and the University of Illinois Springfield, all of which enter the last three games of the regular season sporting 4-11 marks in league play.
USI is coming off a 72-62 come-from-behind win over Lewis this past Saturday. Sophomore guard
Stephanie Carpenter led the Eagles with a career-high 22 points, while Raker chipped in 15 points, 12 of which came in the last 20 minutes.
For the season, freshman forward/center
Anna Hackert leads the Eagles with 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest, while Carpenter is averaging 10.2 points per appearance after averaging 16.3 points in USI's last three contests. Freshman forward
Brooke Valentine, who grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in USI's win over Lewis, leads the Eagles with 6.3 rebounds per outing, while Leeberg is dishing out a team-best 2.6 assists per game.
Thursday's game is the second meeting between the Eagles and the Knights, who hold a 40-19 advantage in the all-time series. Bellarmine, which is 14-8 since 2000 against USI, defeated the Eagles 78-70 last month in Louisville, Kentucky, behind an 18-point performance from junior guard Kylie Brady. Raker, who is averaging 9.6 points per game, led the Eagles with 14 points in their first meeting with Bellarmine.
The Knights (12-11, 6-9 GLVC), who are coming off an impressive 86-67 victory over the University of Indianapolis this past Saturday in Louisville, have won two straight games and six of its last eight after opening GLVC play with seven straight losses. Brady, who averaged 21.0 points per game last week, leads the Knights with 14.5 points per contest.
Barring a post-season meeting with the Norse, Saturday's game will be the final GLVC meeting between USI and Northern Kentucky in women's basketball as the Norse will make the move to Division I in 2012-13.
Northern Kentucky (18-5, 11-4 GLVC) leads the all-time series, 37-19, and is 15-8 in the series since 2000 after dealing the Eagles a 64-52 setback at the PAC last month. Senior guard Maria Bennett and junior center Ellen Holton led the Norse with 18 points apiece, while Hackert had 12 points to lead the Eagles.
The Norse, which has won six of its last seven games, visits Kentucky Wesleyan Thursday in Owensboro, Kentucky, before hosting USI. Senior guard Casse Mogan, the reigning GLVC Player of the Week, leads the Norse with 17.1 points per contest.
Both games this week will be aired on WPSR 90.7 FM, while live stats, audio, and video can be accessed at gousieagles.com.
