EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After an opening-round win last Thursday, University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball hosts Big Ten Conference foe University of Wisconsin at Screaming Eagles Arena Monday at 7 p.m. in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
 
Tickets to Monday's game are on sale online at usiscreamingeagles.com and through the USI Ticket Office. Tickets are only $10, and USI students receive free admission.
 
Monday's game can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+. 95.7 FM The Spin and 97.7 FM WREF will have radio coverage.
 
The 2024 Postseason WNIT features a 48-team field. This marks the 26th edition of the Postseason WNIT, powered by Triple Crown Sports and first held in 1998. The tournament field is made up of 11 automatic qualifiers and 37 at-large programs, flexing a mix of Power 5 conferences as well as ascending mid-major programs. All games are played at individual schools; the 2024 Postseason WNIT has 24 teams that won at least 20 games this season.
 
Southern Indiana (25-6, 17-1 OVC) made its inaugural debut in the WNIT on Thursday, prevailing over the University of Illinois Chicago, 69-64, in the first round of the postseason tournament. In a back-and-forth battle that saw each team lead by as many as nine points, the game narrowed in the last two minutes before USI cashed in the go-ahead baskets.
 
Thursday's win was highlighted by a career night for freshman guard Triniti Ralston (Louisville, Kentucky), who poured in a career-best 25 points. Ralston's previous high was 14 points, which she set in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game against the University of Tennessee at Martin.
 
The dramatic win on Thursday also pushed USI's winning streak to a season-best 11 games. The 11 consecutive victories are a team best since 2017-18 when USI won 13 in a row. Overall, the Screaming Eagles have won 22 of their last 24 games.
 
Southern Indiana swept the Ohio Valley Conference 2023-24 regular season and 2024 tournament championships. With USI in year two of the four-year transition period from Division II to Division I, USI was not eligible for the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament due to NCAA reclassification rules. The two OVC championships this season were not only the first-ever OVC titles for USI Women's Basketball but also the first-ever OVC team championships in USI Athletics history.
 
On March 12, USI received its first-ever ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, checking in at No. 22. USI had been receiving votes since January 30. In the most recent poll on Tuesday, USI remained in the 22^nd spot.
 
First-team All-OVC junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) paces USI this season in points (13.9), rebounding (7.7), steals (1.5), and minutes played (30.0). Senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana), who was also a first-team All-OVC selection, is second on the team in scoring at just over 12 points per game. Senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) and freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) check in third and fourth, respectively, with more than 10 points per contest.
 
As a team, Southern Indiana has averaged 72.4 points per game while holding opponents to 62.3 points per outing. USI ranked first in the OVC in field goal percentage (45.3) and field goal percentage defense (35.9).
 
Wisconsin (13-16, 6-12 Big Ten) will be playing its first game since March 7 at the Big Ten Championship Tournament when the Badgers fell to Penn State University in the second round, 80-56.
 
Sophomore forward Serah Williams leads Wisconsin with 17.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. Williams was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Williams recorded her 16^th consecutive double-double in the tournament loss to Penn State.
 
Sophomore guard Ronnie Porter is second in scoring at 10 points per contest and paces the squad with 4.2 assists and two steals per outing. Porter was All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and had a team-high 15 points last time out against Penn State.
 
Wisconsin has posted 61.9 points on 40 percent shooting this season. The Badgers have held their opposition to 68.4 points and just over 40 percent from the field.
 
The Badgers are making their first WNIT appearance since 2011. Wisconsin won the WNIT title in 2000.
 
Monday will be the first-ever meeting between Southern Indiana and Wisconsin.
 
The winner of Monday's game between USI and Wisconsin will face the winner of Illinois State University and the College of Charleston on Sunday in the Super Sixteen at a location and time to be announced.
 
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Round 1 - March 20-22, 2024
Round 2 - March 23-26, 2024
Round 3 - March 27-29, 2024
Quarterfinals - March 30-April 1, 2024
Semifinals - April 2-3, 2024
 
Fans can follow the 2024 Postseason WNIT through X/Twitter (@WomensNIT), Facebook (womensNIT), and the hashtag #WNIT.
 
Stay tuned to usiscreamingeagles.com and @USIAthletics on social media for more information.