EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball leaned on its defense Saturday evening inside Liberty Arena to battle its way past the University of Tennessee at Martin, 52-43, and complete this week's homestand sweep.
 
USI Women's Basketball (11-4, 5-1 OVC) not only captured its second OVC win at home this week but also held its opposition to below 50 points for the second straight game. The Screaming Eagles improved to 8-1 at home this season after winning their seventh consecutive home contest.
 
On Saturday, USI shot for 33.3 percent (16-48) from the floor and 25 percent (6-24) from beyond the arc. The Eagles went 14-21 for 66.7 percent at the foul line. USI dominated on the glass, outrebounding UT Martin 45-32.
 
Defensively, USI limited UT Martin to 26 percent (13-50) shooting overall and below 20 percent (6-31) from three. The Skyhawks were 11-18 for just above 61 percent from the free-throw line.
 
Junior guard Shannon Blacher paced USI with a career-high 20 points, going 7-11 from the field while hitting four of eight from three-point range. Blacher bested her previous career mark of 15 points, which she set in the season opener against Franklin College. Junior guard Sophia Loden posted her seventh double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Junior forward Chloe Gannon tallied eight points and matched a career-best 12 rebounds.
 
Two of the top defenses in the Ohio Valley Conference clashed and showcased their strengths on Saturday evening. The first points of the game came on a three-pointer by Blacher nearly three minutes into the contest. Blacher drained another triple about two minutes later to give USI an 8-1 lead at the midway point of the opening period. After Blacher's second three, UT Martin held the Screaming Eagles scoreless for the rest of the first quarter. The Skyhawks would score eight unanswered to take a 9-8 lead after the first.
 
USI flipped a switch to start the second quarter, scoring 14 straight points. Blacher connected on her third three of the game 1:15 into the second period that pushed USI ahead 15-9. USI's lead reached 10, 19-9, when Gannon scored her second field goal of the quarter with 5:47 left in the first half. The Eagles' lead reached 22-9 before UT Martin got on the scoreboard in the second quarter with 3:48 on the clock. The Eagles doubled up the Skyhawks, 28-14, on a layup by Blacher, as the junior reached double figures in the contest. Freshman Lily Graves hit her second three of the period with 1:16 to go in the first half to increase USI's lead to 31-15. The Screaming Eagles went into halftime ahead 31-18.
 
The second half featured another slow start for the offenses to find rhythm. USI's first field goal of the second half came at the 6:30 mark of the third quarter when Blacher scored inside and was awarded a three-point play to extend the Screaming Eagles' advantage to 36-22. Later in the third quarter, Blacher set a new career high by canning another three-pointer to give USI a 43-26 lead with three minutes left in the third. By the end of the third period, UT Martin climbed back to within 12, 45-33, heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Shots from the floor were still hard to come by in the fourth quarter. Following three minutes of action without a made shot, UT Martin snapped the shooting drought. The Skyhawks scored five points to draw within eight, 46-38, with six minutes to go. USI finally got their first field goal of the fourth period at the 4:53 mark when Blacher scored a layup, adding to her career night and pushing the Eagles' lead back to double digits, 48-38. USI tacked on to their lead with free throws to put the game out of reach.
 
After Saturday's game slate around the Ohio Valley Conference, USI remains tied at the top. The Screaming Eagles are even with Western Illinois University for first place with a 5-1 conference record.
 
The Screaming Eagles will hit the road next week in Ohio Valley Conference play, traveling to Tennessee Tech University on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. Thursday's game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.