MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball could not overcome a slow start and cold shooting on Thursday night, as the Screaming Eagles fell at Western Illinois University, 64-39, to begin a four-game road stretch in Ohio Valley Conference play.
 
With Thursday's loss, USI Women's Basketball (18-8, 12-5 OVC) moved into a tie for third place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings alongside Morehead State University with three games to play in the regular season. Meanwhile, Western Illinois (22-4, 14-3 OVC) maintained its first-place position, one game up on second-place Lindenwood University and two games ahead of USI.
 
On Thursday night, USI had a tough night shooting, going 25 percent (15-60) overall from the floor, with only two three-pointers made. The Screaming Eagles went 7-9 for nearly 78 percent at the free-throw line. Junior forward Chloe Gannon led USI in scoring with 11 points and had six rebounds.
 
Western Illinois shot for 45 percent (23-51) overall, 26 percent (5-19) from outside the arc, and 54 percent (13-24) at the foul stripe. The Leathernecks edged USI on the glass, 36-35, and had four players score in double figures.
 
Western Illinois got off to a fast start out of the opening tip, grabbing a quick 12-2 lead five minutes into the contest. Over the next two minutes, USI chipped away to pull back within four thanks to the combination of Chloe and Channah Gannon. With the pace slowing down a bit late in the first quarter, redshirt sophomore guard Kylee Dennis drained a three-pointer, as the Screaming Eagles trailed 17-11 at the end of the opening frame.
 
Dennis picked up where she left off from the first period and started the second quarter with another triple to bring USI within a possession of Western Illinois. Dennis finished with six points and six rebounds on the night. Following back-to-back layups by Chloe Gannon and junior forward Maddy Fay, the Eagles made it a one-point game, 19-18, with seven minutes left in the first half. However, USI's offense stalled, as the Leathernecks ended the first half on a 15-3 run to lead 34-21 at halftime.
 
USI knocked down three field goals in the early minutes of the second half, cutting the deficit down to eight, 35-27. Western Illinois responded in the middle minutes of the third quarter and increased its lead to 16 by the three-minute mark of the third. With the game turning into a defensive grind, the Screaming Eagles found some momentum after Chloe Gannon ended the third quarter with a three-point play to make the score 47-34 going to the fourth quarter.
 
Gannon scored once again two minutes into the fourth quarter, but the Screaming Eagles ran into a cold spell from the floor in the middle of the period. While the defensive pace remained during the quarter, Western Illinois increased its lead to 20 points past the five-minute mark of the fourth and closed out the game from there.
 
The Screaming Eagles continue the road trip and look to bounce back on Saturday at 1 p.m. when USI visits Eastern Illinois University. Saturday's game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. There will be no radio coverage on The Spin 95.7 FM.