EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball wrapped up its regular-season home schedule on Saturday afternoon, downing Tennessee Tech University, 72-60, on Senior Day at Liberty Arena.
 
USI Women's Basketball (18-7, 12-4 OVC) found itself in another tightly contested battle against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (14-11, 7-9 OVC). However, similar to USI's win on Thursday night against Tennessee State University, the Screaming Eagles created separation with a strong second half, especially in the third quarter after USI outscored Tennessee Tech 25-10 in the third period. Also, like how USI completed a regular-season sweep of Tennessee State on Thursday, the Screaming Eagles completed a regular-season sweep of Tennessee Tech with Saturday's triumph.
 
Saturday's victory also kept USI in a tie for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings alongside Lindenwood University and a game back of first-place Western Illinois University, which was idle on Saturday.
 
USI once again had four players score in double figures. Senior guard Ali Saunders totaled a game-high 17 points and matched a season-high eight assists. Junior forward Chloe Gannon registered 15 points with seven rebounds, while freshman forward Channah Gannon tallied 11 points for her first double-digit outing since January 3 at Lindenwood. Junior guard Shannon Blacher notched 10 points, and junior forward Amiyah Buchanan nearly had another double-double with eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
Overall, the Screaming Eagles shot for 38.5 percent (25-65) from the floor with three triples and went for over 90 percent (19-21) at the free-throw line. USI won the battle on the glass, 45-32, including 17 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points.
 
Tennessee Tech, which had only two players score 10-plus in the contest, went for 37 percent (20-54) shooting overall, 45 percent (9-20) from three, and below 65 percent (11-17) at the charity stripe.
 
The game began neck-and-neck, with USI leading 11-7 just over four minutes into the game after a three-pointer by Saunders. A couple of minutes later, Tennessee Tech took a one-point advantage, 14-13, following a three-pointer. Despite going 6-6 at the free-throw line in the opening quarter, USI trailed by one, 16-15, through the first 10 minutes.
 
Both teams came out of the gates for the second quarter with a made three. Free throws continued to aid the Screaming Eagles, who grabbed a 25-21 lead with seven minutes left in the first half before the Golden Eagles answered with another trey. The two sides continued to battle to a one-point difference, as Saunders went over 10 points by the end of the first half. Down 34-28 with 2:30 left until halftime, USI scored six unanswered points to knot the game at 34 going into the intermission.
 
Out of the locker room, USI quickly jumped ahead by four following back-to-back buckets by Chloe Gannon. A little later, Gannon delivered a three-point play that increased the Screaming Eagles' advantage to six, 43-37. In the back half of the third quarter, USI got another three-point play by redshirt sophomore guard Kylee Dennis, and then Gannon knocked down a shot to push USI's lead to 11, 52-41, with under three minutes to play in the third. Another three-point play by Blacher and a pair of buckets by Channah Gannon helped USI carry a 59-44 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The Screaming Eagles maintained their double-digit margin into the early parts of the fourth period, seemingly having a response each time Tennessee Tech tried to get something going. The Golden Eagles continued to fight, trimming USI's lead down to 10, 66-56, with just under five minutes remaining. Tennessee Tech got the difference down to eight, 68-60, by the 3:30 mark of the fourth, but the Screaming Eagles held solid from there with baskets by Buchanan and Saunders before closing out the final two minutes scoreless.
 
Following Saturday's electric home win, USI Women's Basketball recognized and celebrated its two seniors in the class of 2025-26 for Senior Day – guards Sarang West and Ali Saunders.
 
Before Saturday's tipoff, Saunders was also presented with a commemorative basketball for reaching a career milestone of 1,000 points earlier this season.
 
With only four games remaining in the regular-season and in the OVC race, USI will play its final four games all on the road. The season-long four-game road stretch starts on Thursday when the Screaming Eagles begin a trip to Illinois with a battle against the first-place Western Illinois Leathernecks in Macomb, Illinois. Tipoff on Thursday is set for 5 p.m. The game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.