Ohio Valley Conference

MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois women's basketball team used a dominant second quarter and balanced scoring effort to earn a 75–51 victory over SIUE on Monday afternoon at Western Hall.

After a tightly contested opening quarter that ended tied at 15, the Leathernecks took control in the second period, outscoring the Cougars 22–5 to build a 37–20 halftime advantage. WIU's defense set the tone, forcing multiple turnovers and limiting SIUE to just two field goals in the quarter.

Western Illinois continued to apply pressure in the second half, answering every SIUE run and maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter. The Leathernecks closed the game strong, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter while capitalizing on fast-break opportunities and second-chance points to seal the win.

Five Leathernecks finished in double figures, led by Mia Nicastro, who posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Mallory Shetley added 13 points, while Addi Brownfield chipped in 12 points, five steals, and four rebounds. Brownfield also hit 1,000 points in her career as a Leatherneck, joining junior guard Raegan McCowan in the 1,000-point club.  Allie Meadows and Madison Davis rounded out the balanced attack with 10 and 11 points.

Western Illinois shot 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range, while holding SIUE to 36 percent shooting. The Leathernecks also won the rebounding battle, 32–29, and finished with a 42–24 edge in points in the paint.

With the victory, Western Illinois improves to 10–1 overall and 2–0 in conference play, while SIUE falls to 8–4 on the season.

LITTLE ROCK 73, HENDRIX 52
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Little Rock used relentless defensive pressure and a strong interior presence to roll past Hendrix College, 73–52, Monday evening at the Jack Stephens Center.

The Trojans (5–7) forced 27 Hendrix turnovers, converting them into 30 points, while also controlling the paint with a 38–28 scoring advantage inside. Hendrix struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting 18-of-42 from the floor.

Hendrix opened the game with an early edge behind free throws from Riley Brady, but Little Rock quickly responded. Destinee Salgado's layup tied the contest before Jordan Holman sparked the Trojans with a three-pointer and a strong finish inside to swing momentum. Alaina Payne added a pair of free throws, and Mya Cotto buried a three as Little Rock surged ahead. Despite a late Hendrix basket, Cotto's layup in the final seconds gave the Trojans an 18–17 lead after one quarter.

Little Rock seized control in the second quarter, opening with a 14–2 run fueled by efficient paint touches and defensive stops. Holman and Brenna Burk combined on a key sequence that highlighted the Trojans' command of tempo, while Lidia Belmonte Hurtado knocked down a momentum-shifting three. Hendrix continued to struggle with ball security, committing nine turnovers in the quarter, as Little Rock took a 38–27 lead into halftime.

The Trojans maintained their advantage in the third quarter. Burk connected on a three-pointer off a Payne assist, and Holman added another triple as Little Rock continued to capitalize on turnovers and second-chance opportunities. A jumper from Taelor Coxford closed the quarter with the Trojans firmly in front, 52–40.

Little Rock put the game away early in the fourth. Burk opened the period with a three, and Payne followed with a steal and coast-to-coast layup to extend the lead. The Trojans' perimeter defense stifled Hendrix down the stretch, and a steal by Ashley Lester led to a fastbreak layup from Belmonte Hurtado, sealing the victory.

Holman led Little Rock with 16 points and five rebounds, while Burk finished with 10 points, two three-pointers, and three assists. Payne filled the stat sheet with four steals and three assists, Cotto added nine points, two steals, and a block, and Jarahle Daniels chipped in four points, two steals, and two assists.

#23 TENNESSEE 89, SOUTHERN INDIANA 44
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - University of Southern Indiana Women's Basketball fell on the road, 89-44, against 23rd-ranked University of Tennessee on Monday night to conclude the non-conference portion of the Screaming Eagles' schedule.
 
USI (8-3, 2-0 OVC) entered Monday night coming off a pair of Ohio Valley Conference wins last week, playing its third game in five days. Tennessee (8-3, 0-0 SEC) was looking to rebound following a Saturday loss against the University of Louisville.
 
Senior guard Ali Saunders paced the Screaming Eagles with 14 points on 5-12 shooting with a pair of threes. Junior forward Chloe Gannon tallied 11 points on 5-13 shooting with five rebounds. As a team, USI shot just under 31 percent (17-55) with four three-pointers. The Eagles pulled down 42 rebounds.
 
Tennessee shot over 40 percent (29-72) overall and 37.5 percent (18-48) from beyond the arc. The Lady Volunteers grabbed 46 rebounds.
 
The Screaming Eagles struck first Monday night on a three-point bucket by junior guard Sophia Loden. After the Lady Vols grabbed a four-point lead, a pair of layups from Saunders and Gannon knotted the game up at seven three minutes into the contest. Both teams endured a scoring drought during the middle of the first, with Tennessee only hitting two treys over a five-minute span to take a 13-7 advantage. The Lady Vols wound up with an 18-8 lead through the first period of play.
 
Tennessee scored a few early tallies in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but a couple of field goals from junior guard Shannon Blacher and a three-pointer by Saunders brought the Screaming Eagles back within nine, 26-17. Later, a Loden trimmed the deficit to eight, 31-23, with a little over three minutes to go in the first half. However, Tennessee responded, taking a 37-23 lead into halftime.
 
The Lady Vols got off to a fast start in the second half, extending their lead to 53-25 by the six-minute mark of the third quarter. Over the next two and a half minutes, Gannon sparked a personal 7-0 run for the Eagles, including a three-point play just past the four-minute mark of the third that made the score 53-32. Tennessee responded with another push late in the third period to jump ahead 63-35 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
In the fourth, Tennessee added to its lead with 26 points, just as it did in the third, to close out the game. For USI, Gannon scored once more to join Saunders in double figures, and senior guard Sarang West made a pair of difficult shots coming off the bench for the Eagles..