EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball heads back on the road this week for the start of another three-game road swing, making stops at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Thursday and Eastern Illinois University on Saturday.
 
Reaching the halfway point of the Ohio Valley Conference season, the Screaming Eagles will take on SIUE Thursday at 5 p.m. from Edwardsville, Illinois, and Eastern Illinois Saturday at 1 p.m. from Charleston, Illinois. This week's games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.
 
Southern Indiana (14-5, 6-2 OVC) enters the week in a four-way tie for second in the OVC standings after a homestand sweep from Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles, last week. USI is set to face conference-leading Eastern Illinois on Saturday.
 
The upcoming road trip marks the second three-game road swing this month for the Eagles, who opened the new calendar year with three straight road contests. Six of USI's eight games in January are on the road. USI went 1-2 in the first three-game road set earlier this month. Overall, Southern Indiana is 2-5 away from home this season.
 
Southern Indiana has won two games in a row after a homestand sweep last week, defeating Lindenwood University, 70-66, last Thursday and Western Illinois University, 72-58, last time out on Saturday. The pair of victories improved the Eagles to 10-0 at home on the campaign and 5-0 in home OVC games.
 
In Saturday's win against Western Illinois, Southern Indiana jumped out quickly with a 22-8 advantage after the first quarter. Western Illinois climbed back to within single digits in the second half, but USI held off the Leathernecks for the win. Graduate forward Meredith Raley led all scorers with 21 points as one of four Screaming Eagles in double figures. It was Raley's fifth 20-point game of the season and fourth in the last six outings. Senior guard Vanessa Shafford finished with her fourth double-double of the season and 16^th in her career, posting 10 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Sophia Loden matched a career high with 13 points.
 
Shafford, who recently became USI's all-time leader in three-pointers, enters the week one made three shy of 200 in her career. Shafford set USI's three-point record on January 12 against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. As a team, USI is first in the OVC and top 15 in the nation with a three-point percentage of 37.2. Five Screaming Eagles are shooting over 35 percent with more than 40 attempts from beyond the arc. Shafford leads the team at a clip of 41 percent.
 
Raley leads the team this season and is fourth in the OVC at 15.2 points per contest. Shafford and junior guard Ali Saunders are second and third, respectively, at 12.1 and 11.9 points per outing. Sophomore guard Triniti Ralston is USI's fourth double-digit scorer at 10.9 points per contest. Ralston is coming off a 16-point performance last Saturday against the Leathernecks.
 
Southern Indiana is first in the OVC in scoring offense at 74.2 points per game. USI is also first in scoring defense, holding opponents to 62 points per contest. Defensively, the Eagles are also atop the conference in field-goal percentage defense (37.2).
 
SIUE (3-14, 1-7 OVC) is coming off a 72-65 loss against the University of Tennessee at Martin last Saturday. The Cougars collected their first OVC win last Thursday in a 76-70 overtime decision at Tennessee State University.
 
Graduate guard KK Rodriguez paces the Cougars at 12.1 points per game. Rodriguez also leads the team in assists (2.4) and steals (1.8). Rodriguez had 21 points and 12 rebounds in SIUE's win against Tennessee State. SIUE averages 60.1 points while allowing 72.1 points per game.
 
USI leads the all-time series against SIUE, 29-25. The two sides have a long history going back to previous matchups as foes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Screaming Eagles won both meetings last season, winning 87-64 at SIUE last January and 75-58 at home last February. In last year's contest at SIUE, USI graduate forward Madi Webb made her return to SIUE, where she spent her first three seasons, with 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Cougars.
 
Eastern Illinois (11-6, 8-0 OVC) had a difficult start to the season, which included three games against top-25 opponents, but the Panthers have found their stride in conference play. EIU has not lost since the end of the non-conference slate. The Panthers are coming off a 67-54 victory against Tennessee State and will face Morehead State University on Thursday before hosting USI on Saturday.
 
Senior forward Macy McGlone once again leads the charge for Eastern Illinois this season. McGlone averages a double-double of 18.1 points and 11 rebounds per outing. The forward has tallied four consecutive double-doubles and 10 total on the season. McGlone, the reigning OVC Player of the Year, is second in the OVC in scoring and first in rebounding. EIU averages 61.5 points and has held opponents to 63.3 points per game.
 
Eastern Illinois leads the series history against USI, 4-2. Southern Indiana won both matchups last season, including a 70-60 win in the regular season and a 69-54 victory in the semifinals of last year's OVC Tournament championship run.
 
Southern Indiana caps off the road swing next Tuesday at Morehead State before starting a three-game homestand to begin the month of February.