EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball hits the road to start a season-long four-game road stretch to conclude the regular season this week when the Screaming Eagles travel to face Western Illinois University on Thursday at 5 p.m. and Eastern Illinois on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Both games this week can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.
USI Women's Basketball (18-7, 12-4 OVC) enters the week tied for second in the Ohio Valley Conference standings alongside Lindenwood University with a 12-4 conference record and a game back of first-place Western Illinois. With four games left in the regular season, Thursday is a pivotal matchup in the picture of the OVC standings. USI has already clinched its third consecutive OVC Tournament berth.
Last time out, USI finished a home sweep last week with a 72-60 victory against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, which was USI's regular-season home finale and Senior Day for the Screaming Eagles. For the second straight game, USI found itself in a tight battle in the first half before creating separation in the second half. USI outscored Tennessee Tech 25-10 in the third quarter and was strong defensively and on the glass.
Senior guard
Ali Saunders paced the Eagles in Saturday's home win against Tennessee Tech with 17 points and dished out eight assists. Junior forward
Chloe Gannon totaled 15 points with seven rebounds, and freshman forward
Channah Gannon scored 11 points. Junior guard
Shannon Blacher added 10 points.
Saunders continues to lead the team in scoring with 17.6 points per game, which is second in the OVC. Gannon is second on the squad with 13 points per contest, and junior guard
Sophia Loden is third at 10.6 points per game.
For Saunders, the senior has led USI in scoring in 12 of the 16 OVC games so far. The guard is averaging 19.4 points per game in league-only action, which is second in the conference. Plus, Saunders is at the top of the OVC with 4.3 assists per contest. Shooting 91.7 percent at the free-throw line this season, Saunders ranks first in the OVC and top five in the nation at the charity stripe.
Gannon has also been very consistent for the Eagles. The junior has scored 10-plus in 20 games this season and in 10 straight games.
In recent weeks, junior forward
Amiyah Buchanan has been having her best stretch for the Screaming Eagles. Since January 22, Buchanan has been averaging nearly a double-double with over nine points and nine boards per outing. Buchanan has two double-doubles in the last three games and three consecutive games with 10 or more rebounds.
USI is averaging 70.8 points while limiting opponents to 57.1 points per game, which remains the best scoring defense in the OVC and ranks in the top 25 in the nation. USI's 36.3 field goal percentage defense is also number one and top 25 in the nation.
Western Illinois heads into Thursday's clash against USI with a 21-4 overall record and a 13-3 OVC record. The Leathernecks are 13-0 at home. After suffering a setback on February 7 against Tennessee State University, Western Illinois bounced back last week with a 93-49 win against Eastern Illinois and an 84-73 win against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The Leathernecks are led by senior forward Mia Nicastro, who tops the squad and the OVC with 24.4 points per contest. Nicastro is nearly averaging a double-double with a team-best 9.8 rebounds per game. Nicastro is the reigning OVC Player of the Week and has won the award multiple times this season. Three other Leathernecks are averaging double figures, including senior guard Addi Brownfield (12.5) and graduate forward Mallory Shetley (10.0). Western Illinois has the top scoring offense in the OVC at 77.6 points per game.
USI is 5-1 against Western Illinois in the series history. Earlier this season, the Eagles came up short at home against the Leathernecks, 72-62, on January 23, which was played on a Friday due to snowy weather. Gannon led USI in that game with 16 points, while Buchanan tallied a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Eastern Illinois (4-23, 3-13 OVC) has dropped three straight games entering this week. After its 93-49 loss to Western Illinois last week, the Panthers fell 73-53 against Little Rock. The Panthers host Morehead State on Thursday before welcoming USI on Saturday.
Junior guard Ava Stoller and redshirt junior forward Sydney-James Desroches are the top two scorers for Eastern Illinois, averaging 11.8 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. The Panthers average just over 57 points while allowing over 71 points per contest.
Eastern Illinois leads the all-time series against USI, 5-4. In the first meeting this season at Liberty Arena, the Screaming Eagles strolled to a 73-57 victory. USI has won four of the last five meetings.
After this week's trip to Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois, the Screaming Eagles will have a quick turnaround, getting back on the road for a Tuesday tilt at Morehead State University. Tipoff from Morehead, Kentucky, is slated for 4 p.m. CT.
