EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball begins a three-game homestand with a pair of games this weekend at Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles. USI welcomes Indiana University Southeast Friday at 6 p.m. before hosting Saint Louis University Sunday at 2 p.m.
Both contests can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Sunday's game can also be heard on WREF 97.7 FM.
Friday is the Women's Empowerment game, as Archie's Army partners with the USI Panhellenic Council to support and inspire. USI sororities and local women's organizations will be recognized. Plus, the first 500 students in attendance will receive a free rally towel. Fans can also get a $5 ticket by donating five (5) canned food items at the arena.
On Sunday, fans should arrive early for pregame ceremonies and banner unveilings celebrating the 2023-24 season. Additionally, USI Housing and Residence Life will host a pregame tailgate with food and activities in partnership with Archie's Army. At halftime, USI Athletics will recognize its teams and student-athletes academic achievements in 2023-24.
Southern Indiana (2-1) will play its second game of the season against an NAIA school Friday against IU Southeast. The Screaming Eagles opened the 2024-25 campaign with a 100-49 win against Brescia University (Ky.) on November 4.
The Screaming Eagles are coming off a two-game road swing through the state of Kentucky. USI started the trip with a 75-51 setback at No. 17 University of Louisville last Friday before picking up their first road win this season in an 82-75 victory at Murray State University on Tuesday.
USI got off to a good start against the Racers Tuesday, leading 22-14 after the first quarter. After Murray State closed the gap going into halftime, the Eagles created some separation in the third quarter with an 11-0 run and holding the Racers to only seven points in the third. While Murray State made a late charge in the fourth, USI sealed the win at the free-throw line.
Sophomore guard
Triniti Ralston led six Screaming Eagles in double figures at Murray State with a team-high 17 points. Ralston added seven rebounds and six assists with zero turnovers. The last time USI had six players score 10-plus was against the University of Indianapolis in January 2022. All five starters finished in double digits on Tuesday. Senior guard
Vanessa Shafford dropped 14 points. Junior guard
Ali Saunders and sophomore forward
Amiyah Buchanan each recorded 12 points. Graduate forwards
Madi Webb and
Meredith Raley registered 11 points.
On the season, Saunders paces USI with 15 points, four assists, 4.7 steals, and 32 minutes per game. Raley is second on the squad at 12.7 points per outing and tied for the team lead with six rebounds per contest. Raley nearly had a double-double at Murray State with nine rebounds in addition to her 11 points.
USI and IU Southeast will meet for the 24
th time on Friday. The Eagles lead the all-time series 13-10 and have won the last two matchups. However, the two sides are facing off for the first time since the 1991-92 season when USI claimed a 96-83 victory at IU Southeast. The series dates to the 1976-77 season.
The Grenadiers are 0-3 to start their season. IU Southeast most recently fell 96-89 against Simmons College of Kentucky on Wednesday. Junior guard Jesse Ledgerwood led the Grenadiers with a career-high 29 points off the bench with five assists and five steals. Junior forward Makenna Wilson also set a career mark with 26 points. Ledgerwood and Wilson lead the team with 13 and 11.3 points per game, respectively, this season.
On Sunday, USI and Saint Louis will be a battle of 2023-24 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) teams. USI advanced to the second round of last year's WNIT, while Saint Louis went on to win the WNIT championship over the University of Minnesota.
Saint Louis leads the all-time series, 5-2, heading into the eighth meeting on Sunday. The series goes back to the 1982-83 season. The Screaming Eagles and Billikens met in St. Louis, Missouri, last December with Saint Louis winning 89-53. Shafford led the Eagles with 14 points.
The Billikens are 2-1 so far this season with an overtime win against the University of South Dakota to start the season and a victory last time out against Illinois State University, 78-71. Saint Louis came from behind to outscore Illinois State by 10 in the fourth period to get the win. Graduate forward Peyton Kennedy scored a team-high 17 points with junior guard Brooklyn Gray right behind at 16 points.
Kennedy and Gray are two of four Billikens averaging double digits scoring this season. Kennedy tops the squad with 18.7 points per outing with Gray third at 15 points per contest. Freshman guard Anumele Shun'teria and senior guard Kennedy Calhoun are averaging 15.7 and 12 points, respectively.
Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.
