COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball opened its two-game Ohio Valley Conference road swing in Tennessee Thursday night with a 71-69 overtime victory against Tennessee Tech University.
 
With the win, USI Women's Basketball (12-4, 6-1 OVC) kept pace with Western Illinois University for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. USI is also 1-1 in overtime games this season, both of which have come on the road.
 
The Screaming Eagles shot 44 percent (24-55) from the floor, 33 percent (5-15) from three-point range, and 82 percent (18-22) from the free-throw line. Senior guard Ali Saunders led USI and matched a game-high 23 points on 7-14 shooting and 7-8 at the foul line. Saunders also had six rebounds and eight assists. Junior forward Chloe Gannon tallied 14 points with seven boards, while junior guard Sophia Loden scored 12 points.
 
Tennessee Tech (10-6, 3-4 OVC) was held to 33 percent (24-72) shooting overall and 30 percent (7-23) from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles shot 82 percent (14-17) at the charity stripe. Tennessee Tech had 44 rebounds compared to USI's 39.
 
After USI jumped out to a 6-2 lead two minutes into the contest, junior guard Shannon Blacher picked up where she left from her career game last Saturday. A pair of driving layups from Blacher in the middle of the first quarter pushed the Screaming Eagles out in front, 10-7. Blacher finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the game. USI maintained a three-point margin until a late shooting drought in the opening period. Tennessee Tech took advantage and grabbed the lead, carrying a 16-14 lead into the second quarter.
 
The Golden Eagles extended their lead to seven, 21-14, to start the second quarter. After Tennessee Tech took a 26-18 lead at the midway point of the second, back-to-back baskets by Saunders and Gannon pulled USI within four, 26-22. Gannon scored again late in the period to make it a one-possession game, as USI held Tennessee Tech without a field goal for the last 2:49 of the first half. Tennessee Tech led by two, 29-27, at halftime.
 
The game remained within one possession in the early minutes of the second half. At the 6:46 mark of the third quarter, Gannon converted an offensive putback to knot the game up at 34. In a back-and-forth finish to the third, the game was tied 47-47 heading to the fourth quarter.
 
On three different occasions early in the fourth quarter, Loden scored to give USI a three-point advantage. Following a two-minute dry spell for both sides, Gannon pushed the Screaming Eagles ahead by five, 56-51, at the halfway point of the fourth. The Golden Eagles kept hanging around down the stretch of the fourth, pulling to within one possession. With USI up by three and 20 seconds left in regulation, Tennessee Tech cashed in a game-tying three with 12 seconds remaining. The game went into overtime tied at 59.
 
USI began the overtime session with a three-point play by junior forward Amiyah Buchanan. Tennessee Tech answered with four straight points to take a one-point advantage, 63-62. With the Golden Eagles leading by one at the 2:30 mark, both sides went scoreless for the next two minutes. In the final 30 seconds, USI converted seven free throws to overtake Tennessee Tech for the road victory.
 
Next, the Screaming Eagles continue the road swing on Saturday at 1 p.m. when USI visits Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee. The game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.