Maryville (14-9, 7-6 GLVC): 89
at Southern Indiana (14-8, 8-6 GLVC): 79
-Box Score:
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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team coughed the ball up 24 times as it suffered an 89-79 Great Lakes Valley Conference setback to visiting Maryville University Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center.
Maryville (14-9, 7-6 GLVC), meanwhile, drained 13 shots from three-point range as the Saints handed the Screaming Eagles their third straight loss and their second defeat in 12 games at the PAC.
USI (14-8, 8-6 GLVC) scored eight consecutive points to grab an early 8-3 advantage, but the Saints answered with a 9-3 spurt to take a brief 12-11 lead with 12:28 to play in the opening period.
The two teams battled back-and-forth throughout the next four minutes, but a 7-2 push by the Saints that was capped off with a three-pointer by junior guard Shelby Miller put the Eagles into a 28-23 deficit.
Miller scored 17 of her game-high 35 points in the first half as Saints outscored the Eagles, 23-11, throughout the final nine minutes of the frame to forge a commanding 44-32 halftime cushion.
USI cut the deficit to seven five minutes into the second period, but a 13-3 Maryville outburst that included a trio of three-pointers and a layup from Miller stopped the Eagles' surge and put USI into a 65-48 hole with 10 minutes to play. Miller drained 9-of-13 from three-point range.
The Saints would extend their advantage to as much as 20 on a pair of occasions later in the period before settling on the 10-point win.
Senior guard
Stephanie Carpenter and junior forward/center
Mary O'Keefe paced the Eagles with 25 and 23 points, respectively. Carpenter drained seven three-pointers to pull within three of the program's all-time career record of 184, currently held by Deb Pope.
Junior forward/center
Anna Hackert pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, but was held to a season-low five points on 1-for-9 shooting.
The Eagles return to action Saturday at 1 p.m. when they host the University of Missouri-St. Louis for Homecoming and their "Play4Kay" game. The Tritons (17-5, 10-5 GLVC) defeated Bellarmine University, 68-65, Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Fans attending Saturday's game are encouraged to join the Eagles by wearing pink as USI helps raise breast cancer awareness.
