FRIDAY'S SCORES
Southern Indiana 70, Youngstown State 34 (San Juan, P.R.)
Morehead State 66, @USC Upstate 64
#1 UCLA 97,
UT Martin 37 (Honolulu, O’ahu)
SOUTHERN INDIANA 70, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 34
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball opened its stint at the Puerto Rico Clasico with a convincing 70-34 victory over Youngstown State University Friday in Manati, Puerto Rico.
With the win, USI won its fifth consecutive contest to improve to 6-1 this season and 8-1 all time in overseas MTE games. Youngstown State dropped to 4-3 after a third straight setback.
Southern Indiana came out contesting on the defensive end and firing on the offensive end. USI led 14-0 just past six minutes into the contest. Junior guard Ali Saunders and graduate forward Meredith Raley each hit a three-pointer, while graduate forward Madi Webb scored on a pair of intermediate looks. The Screaming Eagles went scoreless the rest of the opening quarter but held Youngstown State to only five points with one made field goal in the opening period.
The Screaming Eagles' defense continued to stifle the Penguins in the second quarter, allowing USI to build onto its lead. Sophomore forward Chloe Gannon's second make of the quarter gave USI a 20-point cushion, 25-5. The scoring effort remained balanced throughout the first half. USI put up 18 unanswered points with the help of six points from senior Vanessa Shafford. Southern Indiana led 32-5 at the break after keeping the Penguins scoreless and 0-10 from the floor in the second quarter.
After a few baskets for USI early in the third quarter, Youngstown State made a solid response to settle into the second half. Four makes from beyond the arc helped the Penguins find a little offensive momentum, but Southern Indiana continued to also find success on the offensive end and getting to the free-throw line. After a 22-21 quarter in favor of USI, the Eagles led 54-26 going to the fourth quarter.
Webb's solid post-play continued with another pair of conversions inside to help push Southern Indiana's advantage to 30-plus points. The Screaming Eagles' defense remained stout, holding Youngstown State scoreless in the final five minutes.
Southern Indiana's efficient offensive output led to all 10 Screaming Eagles who saw action in the game making their way into the scoring column. Saunders, Gannon, and sophomore guard Triniti Ralston tallied double figures in the contest. USI shot over 50 percent as a team.
Meanwhile, Youngstown State had one player score double digits. The Penguins were limited to 20 percent shooting in the game.
MOREHEAD STATE 66, USC UPSTATE 64
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Morehead State women's basketball shook off a cold shooting afternoon and prevailed over USC-Upstate 66-64 Friday afternoon in Spartanburg, S.C., in the Spartan Shootout Thanksgiving Tournament.
Morehead State 2-4) was led by sophomore guard Kate Novik posted a career-high 27 points on 12-23 shooting from the floor and three of five from the free throw line. She also led the Eagles with eight rebounds and five assists.
Senior guard Aileen Marquez finished with 16 points, nine in the final 3:54 of the game.
Cold shooting was the name of the game in the first quarter for Morehead State. The Eagles shot 0-9 from three-point range and shot just 5-22 (23%) from the floor. MSU trailed Upstate 17-12 after the first quarter.
The Eagles chilly shooting continued in the second quarter. MSU started the frame scoreless for the first 2:30, the drought ending with a Ugwah free throw. That started a seven-point run to trim the Spartan lead to 21-19. Chrishawn Coleman's old fashioned three-point-play gave Morehead State the lead at 24-23.
Morehead State went 0-6 from three-point range but shot 30% from the floor overall in the quarter. The Eagles forced 11 Spartan turnovers in the first half, and outscored Upstate 15-10 in the second quarter went to half tied at 27-27. Novik led all scorers at the half with 10 points.
Upstate (2-6) came out of the break outscoring Morehead State 11-2. The Eagles responded with a 13-0 run capped by Novik's driving layup to go ahead 42-39. Aileen Marquez hit MSU's first three-pointer for the game with five seconds left, and the Eagles trailed 50-49 heading into the final 10 minutes.
MSU scored first in the fourth quarter; Novik hit a driving layup at 7:07 to put the Eagles up 51-50. After the teams traded baskets, Marquez went to work: she hit a layup with 3:54 to go to put the Eagles ahead 55-54 with two minutes to go.
She then hit Morehead State's second three-pointer of the game with 1:33 to play to push the lead to 60-56. Her jumper from just inside the arc on the right wing put the Eagles up 62-56. After a pair of free throws by Upstate, Marquez hit two free throws to extend the lead back to six, 64-58.
Upstate's Gracie Barnes splashed a three from the right corner to trip the margin down to three with 24 seconds remaining. Upstate then forced a Morehead State turnover and Cassie Gallagher cashed it in with a three-ball from the right wing to tie the game with 11 seconds to play.
After a Morehead State timeout, Kate Novik was able to find some space in the lane right of the basket. Her turn-around lay-in with 4 seconds to go clinched the game for Morehead State.
Upstate was led by Gracie Barnes with 15 and Cassie Gallagher with 12. Lele Tanuvasa added 10 for the Spartans.
#1 UCLA 97, UT MARTIN 37
HONOLULU - Recap coming soon.