EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball secured its 16^th Ohio Valley Conference win and seventh consecutive victory Thursday night at Screaming Eagles Arena with a 75-38 win over Lindenwood University.
 
With Thursday's win, the Screaming Eagles will head into Saturday's regular-season finale and Senior Night with a 21-6 overall record and a 16-1 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference. USI already locked up the 2023-24 OVC regular season championship and No. 1 seed in next week's OVC Tournament, earning a double-bye into the semifinals.
 
It took a few minutes for the Screaming Eagles to get going on offense Thursday. Senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) helped kickstart the offense with seven consecutive points to give USI a 10-7 lead near the midway point of the opening quarter. Southern Indiana finished the first quarter hitting six of its last eight shots from the field, as freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) scored six points off the bench in the last four minutes. USI owned a 17-13 lead through the first 10 minutes of action.
 
Southern Indiana's efficient finish to the first quarter carried over into the start of the second frame. USI's run reached 10-0 while holding Lindenwood scoreless for nearly five minutes on the defensive end, increasing the Screaming Eagles' lead to double digits, 25-15, with six minutes left in the first half. USI ended the first half with another 10-0 run to go into the intermission with a 39-20 advantage. Southern Indiana shot over 60 percent in the first 20 minutes, as Gannon had a team-high 14 points by halftime.
 
Like the opening minutes of the contest, it took a couple of minutes at the start of the second half for USI to get going. Then junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) halted the dry spell with an acrobatic layup and a mid-range jumper, putting Shafford into double figures for the game. Southern Indiana led 45-27 at the halfway point of the third quarter. The Screaming Eagles continued to be efficient from the floor offensively, while the defense remained stout. With five seconds left in the third stanza, freshman guard Triniti Ralston (Louisville, Kentucky) hustled up the court and bounced the ball to senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) for an energizing layup right before the third-quarter buzzer. For the second straight quarter, USI's defense held Lindenwood to single digits scoring, as USI led 55-29 through three.
 
In the fourth, Southern Indiana built onto its lead, thanks to a boost from the bench. Back-to-back three-pointers by the Screaming Eagles in the middle of the fourth pushed USI's lead to 69-30. Meanwhile, the Eagles' defense did not ease up, challenging Lindenwood's field goal attempts. At one point in the fourth period, USI held the Lions to a 1-15 stretch shooting. Southern Indiana finished out its 16^th OVC victory from there.
 
Southern Indiana shot the ball at a high percentage Thursday night, connecting at 51 percent (24-47) from the floor and 45.5 percent (10-22) from three. USI was also sharp at the free-throw line, cashing in at 94.4 percent (17-18). The Screaming Eagles dominated the battle on the glass, 41-24. 10 Screaming Eagles found the scoring column in the win, as Gannon led the way with 16 points and Shafford right behind at 13. Southern Indiana scored 39 bench points in the effort.
 
Lindenwood (7-20, 5-12) was held to 27 percent shooting (15-55) and only 17 percent from long range (3-17). The Lions only had eight attempts at the charity stripe, knocking down five. Lindenwood goes into Saturday sitting one game back of the crucial eighth seed to reach the OVC Tournament. The Lions are a game back of Tennessee State University and Southeast Missouri State University, which Lindenwood split its regular-season matchups against the two schools.
 
Following Thursday's win, it was a night of celebration and recognition for USI Women's Basketball. After the game, the Screaming Eagles got to grab the scissors and cut down a net at Screaming Eagles Arena to commemorate the first-ever OVC title in program history. Later in the evening, USI Head Coach Rick Stein presented Meredith Raley with a commemorative basketball to recognize Raley surpassing 1,000 career points earlier this season.
 
The Screaming Eagles conclude the regular season at home Saturday at 5 p.m. against Southeast Missouri State. On Saturday, USI Women's Basketball will recognize senior guards Addy Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana) and Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) as well as team manager Mason Auker for Senior Night.
 
The game can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com). Tickets for Saturday are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the USI Ticket Office online. For more information, call the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189.