EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball resumes its three-game homestand this week when the Screaming Eagles host the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Thursday at 5 p.m. and Southeast Missouri State University Saturday at 5 p.m. from Liberty Arena.
Both games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional radio coverage can be heard on WREF 97.7 FM.
Thursday night is Black History Month Celebration Night and Saturday is Homecoming at Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles. The USI Athletics Hall of Fame also coincides with this week's events.
Southern Indiana (16-7, 8-4 OVC) enters the week tied with Little Rock (10-11, 8-4 OVC) for fourth place in the conference standings. USI looks to avenge an 89-83 overtime road loss in its first meeting against the Trojans on January 12 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Eagles had five players reach double figures in the game, with graduate forward
Meredith Raley posting a team-high 25 points. Senior guard
Vanessa Shafford recorded a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds while setting a USI career record for most three-pointers during the contest. The overtime win gave Little Rock a 3-2 lead in the all-time series history.
The Screaming Eagles also look to get back on track at home following their first home loss of the season last Saturday against Tennessee Tech University, 81-62. Previously, the Eagles had won 20 straight regular-season home games going back to December 2023. USI had a tough day finding its rhythm against Tennessee Tech, and a 21-0 run by the Golden Eagles to start the second half contributed greatly to the overall scoreboard difference. USI shot for nearly 34 percent, while Tennessee Tech went for 54 percent shooting. Shafford led USI with 12 points and junior guard
Ali Saunders added 11 points.
After reaching 1,500 career points last Tuesday at Morehead State, Raley set a new program record on Saturday against Tennessee Tech by playing in her 127th game at USI.
Raley leads USI in scoring this season at 14.1 points per contest. Shafford and Saunders are second and third, respectively, at 11.9 and 10.9 points per outing. Sophomore guard
Triniti Ralston is USI's fourth double-digit scorer at 10.3 points per contest. Southern Indiana is averaging over 10 more points per contest than its opponents (72.3-62.0).
Little Rock is coming off a split week last week, winning 67-60 over Tennessee State before a 64-59 loss to the University of Tennessee at Martin. Little Rock has alternated wins and losses to go 3-3 since last playing USI.
Junior forward Faith Lee paces Little Rock this season with 16.2 points per game. Senior guard Jordan Holman and graduate guard Sug Williams are averaging 12.3 and 10.1 points per outing, respectively. The Trojans are averaging 61.7 points while surrendering 66.4 points per game.
Southeast Missouri (4-17, 2-10 OVC) enters the week on a nine-game losing skid. Last week, the Redhawks fell 78-54 to UT Martin and 70-62 against Tennessee State. SEMO will visit Morehead State University Thursday before coming to Liberty Arena on Saturday.
Freshman guard Zoe Best has been SEMO's most consistent scorer and is the active leader on the team with 14.4 points per game. Southeast Missouri is putting up 64.1 points per game while allowing 76.4 points to the opposition.
Southeast Missouri leads the all-time series against USI 12-5, but the Screaming Eagles have won three straight in the series. In the first matchup this season in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Southern Indiana came from behind by 12 points early in the contest to win 93-69. Raley led four Eagles in double digits with a career-high 29 points.
Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.
