EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball hits the road for the final time in the non-conference season Wednesday when the Screaming Eagles make the journey west to St. Louis, Missouri, and face Saint Louis University. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Chaifetz Arena.
Wednesday's game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin.
Southern Indiana (3-3) is looking to get back on track after a rough stretch recently. The Eagles are coming off a third consecutive loss, falling 93-73 to Murray State University last Friday at home. Despite a solid second-half performance, USI could not climb back from an early first-half deficit. In an up-tempo game, the Eagles had a season-high 75 field goal attempts and 47 rebounds. As part of USI's strong second half, Southern Indiana's 28 fourth-quarter points were a season-best. Plus, USI's 45 points in the second half matched a team-high for points in a half this season.
USI did receive some notable individual performances in the matchup against Murray State. Graduate guard
Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) set a career-high with 16 points, surpassing the previous mark from her freshman season at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Additionally, USI's senior forward
Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana), who transferred this year from SIUE, tallied a season-best 14 points against the Racers on Friday. Junior guard
Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) posted 11 points and 10 rebounds on Friday for her second double-double of the season and seventh of her career.
In six games, USI averages 68.5 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting. USI's scoring rate is top five in the Ohio Valley Conference while ranking as the second-best shooting team in the conference. Southern Indiana is also second in the OVC with 39.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per contest.
Individually, Shafford paces USI in multiple categories, including 12.8 points (10
th in OVC) and 7.7 boards (3
rd in OVC) per outing. Shafford is shooting 49.3 percent this season, which is third in the OVC. Webb and fellow senior forward
Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) are next on the team in scoring at 10 points per game.
Saint Louis (4-5) has had an up-and-down season so far, dropping the last two games against Wichita State University and most recently against Ball State University on Sunday, 71-64. However, the Billikens did capture consecutive wins earlier in the season against two in-state rivals, Missouri University and Missouri State University.
Saint Louis, who is preparing for the Atlantic-10 conference season, averages 75.7 points per outing and has shot 44.6 percent from the floor so far this year. The Billikens' scoring average and field goal percentage rank second in the A-10. Saint Louis is led in scoring by senior forward Peyton Kennedy and graduate guard Kyla McMakin at 16 points per game. Kennedy has had four 20-plus games this season, including 20 points against Ball State and a season-high 29 points three games ago, and McMakin has scored 20 or more three times, including a game-high 22 points against Ball State.
On Wednesday, the two programs square off for the first time since the 1985-86 season when USI won at Saint Louis, 65-59. The Billikens lead the all-time series, 4-2, which began in the 1982-83 season.
Wednesday's road game precedes three straight home contests for the Screaming Eagles to conclude the non-conference schedule.
