SUNDAY'S SCORES
Southern Indiana 71, @Lindenwood 68
Morehead State 64, @Southeast Missouri 61
Western Illinois 81, @SIUE 75
SOUTHERN INDIANA 71, LINDENWOOD 68
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball notched a gritty 71-68 road victory at Lindenwood University Sunday afternoon, completing a sweep on the opening weekend of the Ohio Valley Conference season.
Southern Indiana moved to 2-0 in conference play and 7-5 this season, while Lindenwood went to 0-1 in the OVC and 2-9 overall. It is USI's first 2-0 start in league action since the 2021-22 season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. On Sunday, the Screaming Eagles joined the University of Tennessee at Martin as the only teams to start 2-0 in the OVC.
Following the opening tip, the Eagles' offense started efficiently from outside and inside. USI's first two buckets came on three-pointers from junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) and graduate guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana). Just over three minutes into the contest, senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) gave Southern Indiana an 11-6 lead after completing a three-point play with a basket and the foul. Near the three-minute mark of the first, Lindenwood knotted the game up at 15 after a third consecutive make from beyond the arc. Southern Indiana went on to take a 22-17 lead after the opening frame, as the Screaming Eagles' pressuring defense created 14 points off nine turnovers by the Lions in the first 10 minutes.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the second quarter, as a three-point shot helped the Lions close the five-point gap and later tie the game at 22. Minutes later, sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) connected on her second triple of the game to slow the Lions' momentum and put the Eagles back in front, 27-24. USI generated a five-point lead again later in the period, but Lindenwood responded, refusing to let USI create any significant separation on the scoreboard. The two squads exchanged baskets in the remaining first-half minutes with Southern Indiana taking a one-point lead, 34-33, into halftime.
Now in their second season in the OVC, the two former GLVC foes continued to go at it out of the intermission. The game remained a one-possession contest for most of the third quarter, and the Lions grabbed their first lead before the midway point of the third. Past halfway in the quarter, Raley crossed into double figures with a layup to give USI a 43-40 advantage. With 2:20 on the clock in the period, Shafford reached a dozen points in the game on a layup that put the Eagles up by four, 48-44. However, Lindenwood kept Southern Indiana within reach, as USI maintained a four-point lead, 53-49, entering the fourth quarter.
At the beginning of the fourth stanza, Raley took control for the Screaming Eagles. The senior scored seven consecutive points for Southern Indiana, surpassing the 20-point plateau for the second time in the last three games. Raley gave USI its largest lead of the game of seven points, 60-53, at the 7:33 mark. USI led by seven on multiple occasions in the fourth, but the Lions clawed back inside the final two minutes. Lindenwood made it a one-point game, 69-68, on a three-pointer with under a minute left. After Shafford hit two clutch free throws with 10 seconds remaining, the Lions missed two final chances to end the game.
Southern Indiana shot an efficient 54 percent (27-50) from the floor, hitting five triples and 12 free throws. Four Screaming Eagles registered double figures scoring. Raley led all scorers with 21 points, one off her season high, with five boards. Shafford tallied 17 points and a team-best eight rebounds. For Shafford, Sunday was her 10th straight game to score 10-plus points this season, matching her best such streak from 2022-23. Senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) posted 12 points, and Saunders recorded a season-high 10 points and five assists.
Lindenwood was 25-53 (47.2 percent) shooting with eight threes and 10 makes at the charity stripe. The Lions had two players score double digits. In a competitive, evenly-matched ballgame, Lindenwood tied Southern Indiana on the glass with 28 rebounds.
MOREHEAD STATE 64, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 61
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Morehead State women's basketball team got a 34-point showing from the bench on the way to a 64-61 victory over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks on the road Sunday.
The Eagles (6-6, 1-0) had two players score in double figures, led by Katie Novik, who had a career-high 21 points. Hallie Rhodes added her career best 16 points and nine rebounds and Blessing King added four points, eight rebounds and five steals.
King pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Morehead State, grabbing 13 boards and turning them into 11 second chance points.
The Morehead State defense was a problem in Sunday's game, forcing 20 Southeast Missouri State turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 22 points on the other end of the floor. King's five steals led the way individually for the Eagles.
The win marked the first road win of the season for MSU.
After falling behind 15-4, Morehead State went on a 5-0 run with 2:42 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Veronica Charles, to narrow its deficit to 15-9. Southeast Missouri State answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Eagles down 16-9 entering the second quarter.
Morehead State then cut the Redhawks lead to 25-22 before going on a 9-0 run to take a 31-25 lead, a score that would hold until halftime. Morehead State dominated in the paint, scoring 14 of its 22 points close to the basket.
Morehead State continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run to expand its lead further to 40-32 with 6:37 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Redhawks had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Eagles still entered the fourth quarter with a 49-43 edge. Morehead State took advantage of three Southeast Missouri State turnovers in the quarter, scoring six points off of takeaways.
Southeast Missouri State proceeded to take a 52-51 lead before Morehead State went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Rhodes' jumper, to seize a 57-52 lead with 5:03 to go in the contest. The Redhawks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Eagles still held on for the 64-61 win. Morehead State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 81, SIUE 75
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Western Illinois picks up a historic win as they defeat SIUE 81-75 for their first conference win in the Ohio Valley Conference. The six-point victory moves WIU to 10-2 overall on the season.
The first quarter set the tone for WIU's dominance as Addi Brownfield ignited the scoring with a fast-break layup, quickly establishing a lead. Allie Meadows' sharpshooting prowess was on full display as she knocked down a three-pointer, giving WIU a 5-2 advantage with 9:12 remaining in the quarter. Raegan McCowan extended the lead with a three-point jump shot, making it 12-7. The Leathernecks continued to press on, with Anna Deets contributing a layup that sparked a commanding 14-3 run. Mallory McDermott's three-pointer during this run propelled WIU to a double-digit lead at 20-10, and she added another bucket as the team reached its largest lead of the game at 27-12 by the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, SIUE mounted a comeback with a 10-0 run, closing the gap to 27-23. However, WIU responded by relying on McDermott, who once again found the basket, extending the lead back to six points. Despite SIUE cutting the lead to three, WIU maintained control with back-to-back baskets from Jasmine Nichols and Allie Meadows, bringing the lead to 35-28. By halftime, Anna Deets' three-pointer further expanded WIU's lead to nine (41-32).
The third quarter saw McCowan taking charge with a personal 6-0 run, giving WIU a 51-39 lead. SIUE fought back, but a crucial three-pointer from Meadows kept WIU ahead 54-45 with 3:03 left. Jasmine Nichols closed the quarter with two free throws, securing a 58-53 lead for WIU.
In the final quarter, WIU consistently thwarted SIUE's attempts to narrow the gap. Despite SIUE cutting it to three, WIU responded with a 4-0 run, pushing the lead back to eight (65-57). Nichols and Meadows played pivotal roles in sealing the victory, and WIU's proficiency from the free-throw line in the closing moments secured the 81-75 win.
The Leathernecks showcased a balanced offensive effort, with five players scoring in double digits. Allie Meadows led the charge with 18 points, while Raegan McCowan contributed 17. Mallory McDermott made a significant impact off the bench with 15 points, and Anna Deets and Jasmine Nichols added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Nichols also recorded an impressive double-double with 11 rebounds. Meadows nearly achieved a double-double as well, securing nine rebounds. Addi Brownfield and Raegan McCowan chipped in with 11 and 8 rebounds, respectively.
WIU demonstrated efficiency in their shooting, connecting on 42.4% of field goals and 32% from beyond the arc. The team's free-throw performance was reliable, going 17-27 from the line.