Firstly, I want to congratulate the USI women’s basketball team on its successful season this year, from the coaching staff to the players and everyone who had a part in its success. This season has been something to celebrate, and the university should be proud of the team’s accomplishments. Winning both the Ohio Valley Conference season title and Tournament Championship is beyond impressive.
The players won a tough Women’s National Invitational Tournament matchup against the University of Illinois at Chicago. They might not have played the cleanest game of basketball, but they never gave up and took the momentum when it was up for grabs, and that’s a skill you can’t learn. Either you have it, or you don’t.
The game against Wisconsin was promising in the first half, as Southern Indiana got hot from downtown, hitting seven three-pointers — three apiece from Meredith Raley, senior forward, and Ali Saunders, sophomore guard. The Screaming Eagles had all of the momentum, and it looked as if they would be able to close out the Badgers.
However, in the second half, the team went ice cold, and Wisconsin’s Serah Williams, sophomore forward, and Ronnie Porter, sophomore guard, got red hot to lead a 19-point comeback. It seemed like USI was shell-shocked and couldn’t recover.
Obviously, this isn’t the way the season was supposed to end, but in my eyes, this is just the beginning of this program and the university’s journey into Division I. This is the seed for future success.
In terms of the Women’s National Invitational itself, it was a massive success. The WNIT games were a huge hit on campus and in the community. The games were packed with Screaming Eagles fans of all ages and backgrounds, all united under one team. In fact, the game against Wisconsin set a new record in attendance for a women’s basketball game with 3,283 attendees. The atmosphere was what Division I was supposed to feel like — a massive crowd on the edge of their seats, watching the highest level of intercollegiate basketball. This is truly an inspirational moment in this university’s history and a benchmark for the future.
The future looks bright at the Screaming Eagles Arena.