EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball returns from the holiday break and resumes Ohio Valley Conference play this week with a home game Tuesday at Liberty Arena against Morehead State University and a road contest Thursday at Tennessee Tech University.
 
Tuesday's New Year's Eve clash against Morehead State is scheduled for 5 p.m., while Thursday's tip time is set for 5:30 p.m. from Cookeville, Tennessee. This week's games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. WREF 97.7 FM will have additional radio coverage for Tuesday's home game.
 
On Tuesday, fans can ring in the New Year with USI at Liberty Arena with a special offer of four tickets, four sodas, and four popcorns for $20.25. Additional tickets are $5. For more information, call the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189 or visit the USI ticket website.
 
Southern Indiana enters the week with a 10-3 overall record and 2-0 in conference action. USI joined Lindenwood University and Eastern Illinois University as the only teams to start 2-0 in the OVC.
 
The Screaming Eagles conclude a three-game homestand to open the Ohio Valley Conference season on Tuesday against Morehead State. USI is 7-0 at home this season and has won 17 straight regular-season home games going back to last December. Southern Indiana hopes to ring in the new year with a win on Tuesday and a 3-0 start in the OVC for the second consecutive season.
 
After a conference-opening 74-56 victory against Tennessee State University on December 19, Southern Indiana completed a week one sweep in the OVC with a 69-59 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin inside Liberty Arena on December 21. Following an even first quarter, USI created separation in the second and third quarters. UT Martin, which was coming off a 100-point, 60-plus percent shooting performance in its conference-opening win at Morehead State two days before, was limited to 59 points and below 32 percent shooting against the USI defense.
 
Against the Skyhawks, sophomore guard Triniti Ralston matched a game-high 18 points to pace Southern Indiana. It was Ralston's third game this season leading USI in scoring. Additionally, sophomore forward Amiyah Buchanan and senior guard Vanessa Shafford registered the Eagles' first double-doubles of the season. Buchanan posted her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Shafford recorded her 13^th career double-double and first of the season with 12 points and 10 boards.
 
Graduate forward Meredith Raley is USI's leading scorer entering the week at 12.8 points per game. Junior guard Ali Saunders is second in scoring with 12.4 points per contest, while Shafford is third at 10.8 points per outing. Southern Indiana averages 71.8 points offensively, second-best in the OVC, and an OVC-best 57.5 points defensively this season.
 
On Tuesday, USI faces Morehead State for the first time since clinching the Screaming Eagles' first-ever OVC regular-season championship with a win at Morehead State last February. Southern Indiana leads the all-time series, 3-1, through four head-to-head meetings over the last two seasons.
 
Morehead State is 6-6 this season and 1-1 within the OVC under interim head coach Chris Palmer. After a tough start to the season, Morehead State has rebounded well in the last month. The Eagles also responded well after their OVC-opening defeat to UT Martin on December 19. Last time out, Morehead State regrouped to earn a 68-51 victory against Tennessee State on December 21. After trailing 34-29 at halftime to the Tigers, Morehead State outscored Tennessee State 39-17 in the second half.
 
Sophomore guard Kate Novik tops Morehead State in scoring at 15 points per game. Novik also leads the Eagles in assists (5.3), steals (2.9), blocks (1.0), and minutes (31.4). Senior guard Aileen Marquez is second in scoring with 10.5 points per outing. Morehead State averages an OVC-leading 72.9 points while surrendering 69.9 points per game this season.
 
Southern Indiana and Morehead State are the top two in the conference in scoring offense, rebounding, turnover defense and margin, and steals.
 
The Screaming Eagles, who are 3-3 away from home and 1-3 in true road games this season, will play their first OVC road contest Thursday at Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles are 7-4 overall with a 1-1 mark in the OVC. Tennessee Tech, which is 4-0 at home this season, began its conference slate with a road split before the holidays. Tennessee Tech won 72-52 at Western Illinois University on December 17 before falling 67-54 at Lindenwood on December 19.
 
Junior guard Reghan Grimes is the leading scorer for Tennessee Tech at 12.8 points per game. Graduate guard Peyton Carter is second in scoring with 11.3 points per contest. Freshman guard Chloe Larry and senior forward Taris Thornton, who transferred from Eastern Illinois, are next up at 10.5 points per contest. The Golden Eagles have notched 68.5 points while allowing 61.4 points per game on the campaign.
 
USI is 2-2 all time against Tennessee Tech. Southern Indiana swept Tennessee Tech with a three-point win at home and a nine-point decision in Cookeville last season. The Golden Eagles recorded a season sweep the year before in 2022-23.
 
After traveling to Tennessee Tech, the Screaming Eagles will have a week between game action. USI's three-game road swing will continue on January 9 at Southeast Missouri State University and January 11 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.