Southern Indiana (8-2, 2-0 GLVC): 84
at William Jewell (7-4, 2-1 GLVC): 81
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LIBERTY, Mo.—Junior forward/center
Mary O'Keefe came up with a game-clinching steal in the closing seconds of the contest Sunday as the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team held on for an 84-81 road win over Great Lakes Valley Conference foe William Jewell College.
Fellow classmate
Anna Hackert dominated the contest, finishing with a career-high 36 points and 14 rebounds for the Screaming Eagles, who led by as many as 12 in the first half and 42-35 at the break. Hackert, who recorded her second straight double-double and third of the season, went 11-of-17 from the floor and 14-of-17 from the free throw line as she posted the Eagles' first 30-point outing since Ellen Young scored 34 against Indianapolis in 2011.
Junior guard
Libby Ogden added a career-high 17 points and five assists for USI, which needed a stop in the final seconds to preserve the win after holding the lead since the early stages of the contest.
Ogden's three-pointer with 2:46 to play gave the Eagles an 82-75 advantage. William Jewell, however, chipped away at the Eagles' cushion with baskets by senior guard Chelsea Meeks and freshman guard Maddie Nelson.
Clinging to an 82-79 advantage with less than a minute to play, the Eagles got a big play out of junior guard
Autumn Miller, who swatted away a potential game-tying three-pointer by Nelson with 36 seconds left and the shot clock set to expire.
USI (8-2, 2-0 GLVC) failed to score on its ensuing possession as senior guard
Stephanie Carpenter was whistled for an offensive foul on an inbounds play with 23 seconds left. William Jewell (7-4, 2-1 GLVC), however, failed to capitalize as junior forward Hayli Jo Smith missed an open three-pointer with 16 seconds on the clock.
After Hackert, who added three steals, connected on a pair of free throws to give USI a five-point edge, junior guard Aerial Smith scored on a layup to bring William Jewell back to within three points with 10 seconds remaining.
Carpenter was fouled on the ensuing USI possession, but the senior missed both free throws to give the Cardinals a chance in the final eight seconds of the game. Aerial Smith, however, had her pass intercepted by O'Keefe, who dribbled passed the time line as time expired.
"We thought about fouling in that situation," USI Head Coach
Rick Stein said of the last William Jewell possession, "but we felt good about them having to go the length of the floor. I thought the pressure up front got us a good steal by Mary."
O'Keefe finished with six points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles, who shot 46.2 percent (30-65) from the field and held a 45-34 edge on the glass.
"It was a team effort," Stein said. "Anna stepped up big with a double-double and three steals. They had a hard time dealing with her down low."
USI returns to the Physical Activities Center Thursday when it hosts Missouri University of Science & Technology to begin a four-game homeastand. Tip-off is slated for 5:15 p.m.
