USI women learning to close out tough games

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — For the first time this season, the University of Southern Indiana women’s basketball team toughed out two close wins last week on the road in Tennessee.

Earlier in the year, the Screaming Eagles struggled in close games as they dropped three of their four losses by a margin of 10 points or less. USI switched that trend with a sweep of Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State this past week. It was the first time in school history the team was able to pull off that feat. They beat the Golden Eagles in overtime 71-69, while defeating the Tigers 72-67.

“We made a lot of toughness plays,” said head coach Rick Stein. “Those 50-50 balls, those deflections, those charges taken, and one more pass that leads to a better shot. There’s a lot of things that happen in a game that can help you win a game. And we made a lot of those plays this weekend on the road.”

Stein highlighted making those plays that don’t show up in the stat sheet as a difference maker in those games, but overall the team got tougher when the times were tough.

“I think just finding a way to win in tough situations especially on the road. Like Tennessee Tech is a really tough place to play… and I think our team showed a lot of toughness and grit to pull off that win in overtime,” said guard Shannon Blachler.

Southern Indiana is set to return to action on the Liberty Arena floor Thursday, January 22nd, in a “white-out” game against Eastern Illinois at 5:00 p.m. The game is scheduled to stream on ESPN Plus.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).