EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball returns to Screaming Eagles Arena for a pair of Ohio Valley Conference games Thursday and Saturday, celebrating Homecoming Week and Family Weekend on the USI campus. The Screaming Eagles will welcome Tennessee State University Thursday at 5 p.m. and Morehead State University for the homecoming game Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Southern Indiana (9-12, 3-7) heads into the homestand looking to snap a three-game skid, the program's longest since the 2015-16 season. The most recent setback for USI was a 68-56 loss last Saturday at the University of Tennessee at Martin. USI got off to a solid start in the contest, leading UT Martin 32-23 at halftime. However, a momentum swing for the Skyhawks in the third quarter led to a 45-24 second half in favor of UT Martin.
 
Junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) led USI with 16 points in the game. Senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) scored 15 points and senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) posted a season-high 12 points. Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) had a tough day shooting but pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.
 
During the game, Haithcock had another career milestone moment, as she passed 500 career rebounds. The senior already passed 1,000 career points at the beginning of the conference season. Haithcock joined an elite group in USI Women's Basketball history on Saturday, becoming the 10^th player all-time to tally at least 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds. Haithcock enters the week with 1,139 points and 502 rebounds in her USI career. The senior leads USI with 15 points per game on the season.
 
Raley returned to the starting lineup Saturday after coming off the bench in the previous three games. Her team-high 16 points marked the 17^th game this season that the junior has posted double figures. She has scored 15 or more in nine games this season. Raley was 6-11 shooting with two triples in Saturday's game. Raley is third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per outing.
 
Robbe had her first double-digit game of the season with 12 points, although the senior has come close to scoring 10 or more on several occasions in 2022-23. Previously, Robbe scored nine points in five different games with all five being road games. The senior went 5-7 from the floor on Saturday and recorded a team-best eight second-half points.
 
Shafford surpassed her previous career-high 12 rebounds with 14 on Saturday. The sophomore has been sensational on the glass all season, pacing USI at 7.2 boards per game. She has five double-figure rebound games this season, including her first two career double-doubles back in nonconference play. Making a determined effort on the boards, Shafford has doubled her season average from her freshman campaign. Shafford's rebounding output has complemented her scoring ability, as she has scored 10 or more in 17 games this season. Shafford is top-five in the nation in three-point percentage and is the only Screaming Eagle to start every game this year. Shafford is second on the squad with 13.3 points per contest.
 
Heading into this week's games, USI is tied for eighth with Tennessee State in the Ohio Valley Conference standings at 3-7. Morehead State is tied for sixth at 4-6. Thursday will be the first all-time meeting between USI and Tennessee State, while Saturday will be the second meeting between USI and Morehead State after Morehead State defended its home court in early January with a 64-61 win against USI.
 
Tennessee State (7-13, 3-7) started conference play with three straight losses before winning two in a row. Now, TSU has dropped four straight in games actually played. Tennessee State did not play last Saturday following a forfeiture by Lindenwood University. Last Thursday, the Tigers fell on the road at Southeast Missouri State University, 77-59.  A slow start hurt the Tigers, as they were outscored 27-12 by SEMO in the first quarter. Both teams shot the ball well, but SEMO made 11 triples. Tennessee State's defense recorded 15 steals, as the Tigers lead the OVC and are one of the best teams in the nation in takeaways.
 
The Tigers are led in scoring by graduate guard Erica Haynes-Overton at 14.7 points per game. She also leads the team with 46 steals. Sophomore guard Gia Adams is second on the team in points, averaging 13.8 points per contest.
 
Morehead State (8-13, 4-6) has won two of the last three games after dropping the previous four contests. Last time out, Morehead State captured a 64-60 home win against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After a close first half where Morehead State trailed by three at the break, the Eagles flipped the scoreboard in their favor with a 21-14 third quarter. Morehead State's defense had 10 steals, while offensively, the Eagles capitalized on 42 points in the paint and 13 fast break points.
 
Senior guard Veronica Charles, who scored a team-high 21 points against SIUE, leads the squad in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She also tops the team with 68 steals. Junior forward Sophie Benharouga had 12 points against SIUE and is second in scoring with 9.8 points per contest.
 
Both matchups can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com). Tickets to the games can be purchased online at usi.universitytickets.com.