EVANSVILLE, Ind.---Scorching the nets in the opening half while forcing 33 turnovers, the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team extended its winning streak to five on Saturday afternoon, in the first game of the USI Thanksgiving Classic, dismantling Harris-Stowe State University 88-51.
The homestanding Screaming Eagles (6-1) led wire-to-wire, using a 13-0 run to separate themselves from the visiting Hornets (0-4) and never looked back.
USI, which led by as much as 30 points in first 20 minutes, enjoyed a 46-24 advantage at the halftime intermission after shooting 42.9 percent (15-for-35) from the field.
Following the break, the Eagles used runs of 12-0 and 11-0 to keep the Hornets at bay while extending its lead to 48 points.
Four Eagles finished in double figures while all ten players who checked in for USI tallied at least four points. Freshman guard/forward
Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) paced all scorers with 19 points going five-for-eight from the floor while freshmen guard
Randa Harshbarger (Philo, Illinois) along with seniors
Mary O'Keefe (Edwardsville, Illinois) and
Anna Hackert (Evansville, Indiana) each added 10 points. Hackert led the squad on the glass, collecting 11 rebounds while dishing out four assists.
Shanique Buford and Lorraine Pitchford led Harris-Stowe, finishing with 14 and 12 points, respectively, while Pitchford tallied a team-high eight rebounds.
The Eagles finished the afternoon shooting 47.7 percent (31-for-65) from the field while limiting the Hornets to shooting 37.5 percent (18-for-48). USI owned a 41-19 edge in points off turnovers while the Eagles bench outpointed the Harris-Stowe bench by a 38-23 margin.
USI returns to action Sunday, closing out the Thanksgiving Classic with Newberry College at 2:30 p.m. The Eagles then host Salem International University Tuesday at 6 p.m., before flying out to Las Vegas the following week to compete in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic.
