The USI women’s basketball team kicked off its third season of Division I play with a game against Brescia University in Liberty Arena Monday. Over nine hundred fans gathered in anticipation after such a great season last year, as they were first overall in the regular season and won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
However, a crucial player in last year’s success, Chloe Gannon, sophomore forward/center, was out for tonight’s game due to a lower leg injury.
The Bearcats won the tip-off and created a 5-3 lead in the first two minutes of play.
Around the six-minute mark, USI faced another challenge when starter Madi Webb, graduate forward, suffered a shoulder injury and left the game. Despite this challenge, USI found its groove after Vanessa Shafford, senior guard, drained a three and started a nine-point run for the Screaming Eagles.
Shafford sank another three-pointer with just under four minutes remaining in the first quarter, reaching the milestone of 1,000 career points. By the end of the first quarter, USI had established a 10-point lead, with the score at 24-14.
Early in the second quarter, Brescia University added six quick points, with Amelia Mackey, freshman guard, and Jordon Joe, junior forward, scoring from beyond the arc. However, Ali Saunders, junior guard, gave USI much-needed momentum with consecutive steals resulting in back-to-back buckets.
Despite being down two players, USI held Brescia to only six points in the third quarter.
The game got scrappy, with 17 fouls called against the Bearcats and 14 against the Screaming Eagles by the end of the third quarter. Still, USI held its own and ended the quarter with a score of 77-38.
Heading into the final stretch, USI kept up the energy. Raley, Saunders and Lexi Sepulveda, freshman guard, sank wide-open threes. It was all downhill from there, and USI cruised to an easy victory.
The final score was 100-49, giving USI its first win of the season.
USI’s offense was a well-oiled machine. The players were aggressive, getting to the line 23 times and completing 18 for a 78.3% efficiency. The team hit 10 threes, shooting 47.6% and 48.6% from the field.
The defense was scrappy and coordinated, gaining 38 points from 33 turnovers and 15 from fast breaks.
Saunders was on a heater. She scored 18 points, dished out six assists and grabbed a team-high six steals. She was aggressive on both sides of the ball.
Sophia Loden, sophomore guard/forward, played a pivotal role as a stretch big down the stretch. She scored 13 points off the bench and grabbed eight boards as well. Her versatility on this team will be a fascinating aspect in the future — it is something to keep an eye on.
Lexie Green, graduate guard, was a definite factor as well. She didn’t score but grabbed three rebounds, dished out four assists and looked confident and composed as a facilitator.
USI transfer students Amiyah Buchanan, sophomore forward, and Sepulveda made their first official appearances as Screaming Eagles, and they did not disappoint. Buchanan contributed 13 points and six rebounds, while Sepulveda had eight points and four rebounds. With key players missing, the bench stepped up to the challenge and tallied 36 points.
The women’s basketball team heads to Kentucky for a game against the University of Louisville this Friday. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.