DAYTON, Ohio – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball earned its second straight win on the road Saturday afternoon, picking up a 76-66 win at Wright State University to begin the weekend trip to Ohio for the Screaming Eagles.
 
Southern Indiana (5-4) and Wright State (1-9) went back and forth in the first five minutes of the opening quarter Saturday. USI's first 11 points were scored by five different players. Senior guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) cashed in on her only three of the game at 6:38 mark off an assist from senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri), her third assist within the first four minutes of the contest.
 
Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) shot the ball well in the first quarter, knocking down a pair of triples and a mid-range jumper for eight points. USI built a 20-11 lead with 44 seconds left in the first, but the Raiders scored five points in the last 30 seconds to cut USI's lead down to four, 20-16, after one.
 
After a solid start on the offensive end for both teams in the first quarter, the shooting numbers cooled off in the second quarter. Southern Indiana and Wright State shot near the 25 percent mark with only four makes for each school in the second.
 
For the Screaming Eagles, graduate forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) made a pair of layups in the period, including one deep under the basket with under six minutes remaining until halftime to give USI a 29-22 lead.
 
Southern Indiana had a chunk of its scoring in the second quarter come at the charity stripe, hitting seven of ten attempts at the line. Before the end of the first half, USI pushed its advantage to ten on a couple of occasions, once after a three by Shafford to place her into double figures, and then again after a bucket by senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio).
 
USI led 36-27 at the intermission with Shafford pacing the Screaming Eagles in the opening 20 minutes with 13 points.
 
After being subbed out in the second quarter due to injury precautions, junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) returned to the game in the third quarter and did not miss a beat. A minute and a half into the third, Raley converted a basket and a foul to extend USI's margin to 39-27.
 
Southern Indiana's advantage grew on a big run late in the third. Consecutive makes by Haithcock gave USI a 17-point lead, 49-32, with 4:18 remaining in the quarter. Raley nailed a three-pointer at the 3:34 mark to make it 52-34 USI, putting Raley into double digits for the ninth straight game to start the season. Haithcock also made it to double figures before the end of the third frame with a pair of makes in the last minute and a half. USI carried a 57-39 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The Screaming Eagles scored a quick six points in the first minute of the fourth, which was capped off by a layup from Robbe to give USI its largest lead of the game of 22 points.
 
Wright State responded to make the game interesting down the stretch, chipping away on a 9-0 run to bring the score down to a 63-49 lead for USI. Raley snapped WSU's run with her 16^th and 17^th points of the game.
 
Wright State continued to make a push in the fourth, as senior guard Bryce Nixon led the charge. With 3:49 remaining, Nixon reached the 20-point plateau in the game and trimmed USI's lead down to ten, 67-57. Following a three-pointer by Shafford to make it a 12-point game for USI, Nixon answered with a trey of her own to cut the deficit down to nine and 1:39 left in the fourth period.
 
With a little over a minute left, WSU made it an eight-point game, but the Screaming Eagles never let the Raiders get any closer than that. Clutch free throws by Shafford, Robbe, and Raley secured the victory for Southern Indiana.
 
USI was led on the day by Shafford and Raley, scoring 20 points each. Both reached the 20-point mark for the second time this season. Raley was 6-10 shooting in the game with seven made free throws and eight rebounds. Shafford went 6-11 overall, 3-3 from three, and 5-6 at the line with four rebounds. Haithcock finished with 14 points on 6-10 shooting with six boards.
 
USI shot 26-for-55 for 47.3 percent overall, making five triples and 19 free throws on the afternoon as well. The Screaming Eagles won the rebounding battle 42-29, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points. USI was strong in the paint, recording 38 points inside.
 
Wright State went 20-for-53 for 37.7 percent overall, hitting 10 three-pointers and 16 free throws in the game. Nixon led Wright State as the only Raider in double figures on the day, tallying 24 points.
 
The Screaming Eagles will conclude this weekend's double-dip of games and the lengthy road swing Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at the University of Cincinnati.