EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball returns home to Screaming Eagles Arena Thursday at 5 p.m. for a second go-around against Eastern Illinois University (ticket information). Following Thursday's home game, USI will travel Saturday at 1 p.m. for the second conference meeting against the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Both games can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
USI Women's Basketball enters the week and the halfway point of the Ohio Valley Conference season with a 9-10 overall record and a 3-5 record in OVC games. USI is in a three-way tie for sixth in the OVC standings. Thursday's opponent, Eastern Illinois (16-3, 8-0), is first in the OVC, while Saturday's opponent, UT Martin (7-12, 4-5), is fifth.
The Screaming Eagles are coming off a split road swing last week, beating Lindenwood University 73-60 last Thursday before dropping a 78-69 contest at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday. The win at Lindenwood was highlighted by a career-high 31 points from senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio). The performance was the third time this season that Haithcock set a new career mark. Saturday's game at SIUE was highlighted by the individual performance of junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana). Raley tallied a game-high 19 points, scoring 10 of the 19 in the fourth quarter. Raley led USI with eight rebounds and four assists in the contest.
Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) has been a steady force all season for the Screaming Eagles, but she's been especially consistent in scoring the basketball in the last nine games. Shafford has scored in double figures in each of the last nine games, averaging 13.2 points per game. That average is second on the team behind Haithcock, who is averaging 16 points per outing in the last nine games.
Haithcock paces the Screaming Eagles on the season at 14.7 points per game and is second on the squad with 6.0 rebounds per contest. Shafford and Raley are second on USI in scoring with 13.2 points per game. Shafford tops the team with 7.0 rebounds per outing.
Last time out at SIUE, graduate forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) had a solid game, scoring 10 points on 4-5 shooting with five rebounds. With 725 career points and over 500 rebounds entering the week, Brown is one of 13 USI players all-time to have at least 725 career points and 500 career rebounds.
Looking at Thursday's matchup, Eastern Illinois has won all three series meetings against USI, including a 69-58 win in Charleston, Illinois earlier this season on December 31. In that game, EIU jumped out in front, and while the Screaming Eagles fought back in the fourth quarter, USI ran out of time.
Eastern Illinois is led by senior guard Lariah Washington, who leads the OVC at 18.4 points per game. Sophomore forward Macy McGlone leads Eastern Illinois on the glass with 7.5 rebounds per game while second in scoring behind Washington at 12.3 points per contest.
On Saturday, USI will face UT Martin for the second time in two weeks, as the Skyhawks took the first all-time meeting between the two schools on January 14 by a final score of 63-60. USI led that game 43-33 entering the fourth quarter, but UT Martin rallied to outscore USI 30-17 in the final frame to capture the win.
Dealing with several injuries this season, UT Martin is actively led in scoring by freshman forward Sharnecce Currie-Jelks with over 13 points per game. Currie-Jelks also leads the Skyhawks with 6.8 rebounds a game.
USI will look to avenge the results from the first meetings of the season against both opponents this week and flip the scoreboard to earn regular-season splits against both schools.
After Saturday's trip to UT Martin, the Screaming Eagles will return to Screaming Eagles Arena next week for a two-game homestand against Tennessee State University next Thursday and against Morehead State University next Saturday. Thursday's tip-off time is 5 p.m. and Saturday's start time will be 1 p.m. The Saturday game against Morehead State will be homecoming and family weekend on the USI campus.
