EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball returned to the hardwood at Liberty Arena on Monday evening for the second round of the 2026 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), but the Screaming Eagles' season came to an end after falling just short to George Washington University, 61-58.
 
USI Women's Basketball (21-11, 14-6 OVC) was making its third consecutive appearance in the WNIT, but competing for the first time in the 2026 edition after earning a first-round bye. However, the Screaming Eagles suffered their second loss in a row by only one possession after also falling by three points to Lindenwood University in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament on March 6.
 
Meanwhile, George Washington (17-17, 7-11 A-10) had advanced to travel and face the Screaming Eagles after defeating Bradley University by another three-point margin, 63-60, last Thursday.
 
On Monday, USI had four players tally double figures. Junior guard Sophia Loden topped the squad with 13 points while also pacing the team with seven rebounds. Senior guard Ali Saunders recorded a dozen points with three assists and three steals. Junior forward Chloe Gannon and freshman forward Channah Gannon each had 10 points.
 
USI shot for 37 percent (22-59) overall, 26 percent (5-19) from beyond the arc, and 60 percent (9-15) from the foul stripe.
 
George Washington had three players score 10 or more, with sophomore guard Gabby Reynolds dropping 26 points and junior forward Sara Lewis posting a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Revolutionaries went for over 41 percent (17-41) from the floor, 29 percent (7-24) from three-point range, and 69 percent (20-29) at the free-throw line. George Washington outrebounded USI 38-31 on the glass.
 
It took some time for both teams to settle into Monday's contest. George Washington had a 7-6 edge at the midway point of the opening quarter. A few minutes later, redshirt sophomore guard Kylee Dennis, who finished with eight points on Monday, went on a personal 6-0 run by canning a difficult three from the wing and then cashing in on a three-point play to put USI in front, 13-7. The two sides traded triples in the last 90 seconds of the first quarter, as USI led 16-10 through the first 10 minutes of action.
 
The Screaming Eagles pushed their lead to double digits, 22-12, in the early minutes of the second quarter on a made jumper by Saunders. Following a scoring drought of three-plus minutes, Saunders splashed in a trey for USI's largest lead of the contest, 25-13. The Revolutionaries chipped away late in the first half to cut the difference in half, 27-21, as USI took the six-point advantage into halftime.
 
After hitting a pair of three-pointers late in the first half, George Washington knocked down another pair early in the second half to climb within one of USI, 29-28, two minutes into the third quarter. The two teams exchanged one-point leads on four straight possessions in the middle of the third. Following a three-point play by Channah Gannon and back-to-back made jumpers, the Eagles increased their lead up to seven, 41-34, with a little over three minutes remaining in the third period. USI wound up taking a seven-point lead, 47-40, into the fourth quarter.
 
George Washington scored six-straight points to start the fourth to pull back within one, but Chloe Gannon answered with a bucket to reach double figures in the contest. As the defenses locked back down in the middle of the fourth, the Revolutionaries took advantage at the free-throw line to briefly grab the lead. The game was tied at 52 with less than two minutes to go, but George Washington went on an 8-0 run to lead 60-52 by the 20-second mark. Despite a couple of three-pointers in the late seconds, USI ran out of time.
 
The Screaming Eagles ended the 2025-26 season having secured their third season in a row with 20-plus while making the WNIT for the third consecutive season and reaching at least the semifinal round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament for a third-straight year.
 
Next, the program will look to build on another successful campaign and prepare for the 2026-27 season.