at Southern Indiana (19-8): 63
Missouri S&T (9-18): 50
-Box Score:
HTML |
Sortable |
Photos
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team earned its first post-season win since 2004 as it defeated Missouri University of Science & Technology, 63-50, in the opening round of the Deaconess Great Lakes Valley Conference Basketball Championship Tournament Sunday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center.
USI (19-8) used first-half runs of 10-0 and 8-0 to build a commanding 39-18 halftime advantage. The Screaming Eagles, who forced three shot clock violations in the first 16 minutes of the game, held the visiting Miners to just five field goals and a .217 shooting percentage in the opening period as they built what turned out to be an insurmountable lead.
Senior guard
Stephanie Carpenter, who finished with a game-high 20 points, five rebounds, and three steals, sank a three-pointer five minutes into the second period to stake the Eagles to a 47-23 lead, the largest margin of the contest.
Missouri S&T (9-18) charged back, eventually trimming USI's cushion to just nine points with eight minutes to play, but a basket by junior guard
Libby Ogden and a pair of free throws by
Anna Hackert ignited a 10-2 USI run that took the wind out of the Miners' sails.
USI benefitted from Missouri S&T's offensive miscues throughout the contest as the Eagles turned 23 Missouri S&T turnovers into 26 points. The Eagles took care of the ball on their end as they coughed the ball up just nine times.
In addition to Carpenter, USI got 13 points, a game-high tying 10 rebounds, and three steals from Hackert. Junior forward/center
Mary O'Keefe added 10 points, while senior forward/center
Nicole Hazemi chipped in seven points, all of which came in the first 20 minutes.
USI, the No. 6 seed in the GLVC Tournament, advances to play the No. 3 seed, Quincy University, Thursday evening in the quarterfinals at the Ford Center in Evansville. Quincy (21-5), ranked No. 16 in the latest USA Today Sports Top 25 Coaches' Poll, defeated the Eagles, 90-87, last month in Quincy, Illinois.
