The Screaming Eagles Arena was an enthusiastic crowd of cosmic proportions on Thursday night.
It was Media and Communications Night, where communication and media faculty, students and alumni reunited at the home of the Screaming Eagles and were commended for their hard work and accomplishments. An extra layer of significance was also in play: a white-out theme, which needs no introduction. This is one of the most storied and monumental traditions in college sports, and this night was the night to show allegiance and Screagle pride to USI. A sea of white-out-infused Screaming Eagles rallied for an eventful night of college hoops. The house was packed from 5-10 p.m. The arena had the energy of a powder keg, ready to explode at tip-off.
The women’s basketball team came into the night ablaze on a seven-game win streak, hoping to keep their streak going. They took on Western Illinois University, which proved to be a challenge in the first quarter, despite a massive home-court advantage. However, in the second and third quarters, the momentum began to swing and came to an all-time high when Western Illinois’s head coach, JD Gravina, received a technical foul for slamming his clipboard on the floor during the third quarter. This action ignited the crowd, which the team fed off of, extending the lead even further and eventually culminating in a Southern Indiana victory by the score of 81-61.
For USI, Meredith Raley, senior forward, led the team with 21 points. Vanessa Shafford, junior guard, had a well-rounded game, scoring 15 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and picking four steals. Ali Saunders, sophomore guard, scored 14 points and dished out seven assists. With USI’s starting big, Madi Webb, senior forward/center, in foul trouble, Chloe Gannon, freshman forward/center, came off the bench in her place, scoring a career-high 18 points and blocking one shot. Southern Indiana as a whole shot a remarkable 11-23 from deep (47.8%) and shot 47.5% from the field.
After a dominant win for the Southern Indiana women’s team, it was time for the men’s team to play. This matchup was heavily anticipated, as it saw the return of ESPNU to USI for the first time since the Screaming Eagles Arena was constructed in 2019. This time, in a Division I competition, there were new faces, new challenges and new glory to be won. USI faced the Western Illinois men’s team, which was ranked second in a competitive Ohio Valley Conference.
In the beginning, USI played up to the challenge, building an early lead, but as the first half continued, Western Illinois began to settle down and found their footing, keeping the game close and eventually taking the lead heading into the half.
However, before halftime, a scuffle ensued between the teams, which seemed to be a turning point for the game. Coming out of the second half, the momentum swung in the favor of Western Illinois, which led to USI head coach, Stan Gouard, calling a timeout to attempt to get the team back on track.
Throughout the second half, Southern Indiana went small, opting for an offensive-heavy lineup while down double-digits. In crunchtime (the last few minutes of play), Western Illinois pulled away, finishing off Southern Indiana 73-68.
USI fell to 2-6 in OVC play (5-16 overall) in a tough but lesson-filled season. Jeremiah Hernandez, junior guard, was once again excellent offensively, scoring 26 points and getting four steals on the defensive side. AJ Smith, sophomore guard/forward, returned to good all-around form, scoring 12 points, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking two shots. Jack Campion, sophomore guard, scored 11 points and brought the team energy in the second half, especially. Nick Hittle, junior forward, and Jack Mielke, junior forward, scored nine and six points, respectively. Mielke was in foul trouble for much of the game, limiting his production. As a team, Southern Indiana shot 6-17 (35.3%) from downtown while shooting 40% from the field.