ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's women's basketball team dropped a 64-59 decision to Southern Indiana on Thursday evening at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers drop to 8-5 overall and in the GLVC while the Screaming Eagles improve to 7-1 overall and in the conference.

Lewis got off to a slow start falling behind 11-2 to start the game but got back into it thanks to two free throws from Lindsay Harrison (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) and five straight points from Jenna Badali (Oak Lawn, Ill./Mother McAuley). USI got a bucket from Hannah Haithcock in the final 0:30 of the quarter to take a four-point lead into the second stanza.

The Flyers shot just 30 percent in the opening quarter and turned the ball over nine times which the Screaming Eagles turned into nine points.

USI extended its lead on the first possession of the second quarter on a layup from Hancock but Lewis rattled off seven straight of its own and took its only lead of the night at 16-15 on a layup from Stephanie Hart (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) with 7:55 left until halftime.

The game was tied at 21 with 3:34 left in the first half when the Screaming Eagles went on a 9-2 run to extend its lead to 30-23 on a hook shot from Tara Robbe. The Flyers fought back to within 30-27 on a layup from Kaitlyn Williams (Homer Glen, Ill./Joliet Catholic) and a pair of free throws from Lily Courier (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) with 1:20 to go in the stanza but USI countered with the final four points of the half to take a seven-point cushion into the locker room.

The Screaming Eagles opened the third quarter on an 8-5 run to extend their lead to 42-32 nearly halfway through the frame. Lewis cut it to six on a layup from Harrison but five straight points from Haithcock gave USI an 11-point lead late n the quarter.

Williams cut the deficit to nine at the end of the quarter with a steal and score.

Southern Indiana extended its lead to 11 halfway through the final quarter but the Flyers rattled off nine straight points to cut the lead to 59-57 in the span of 2:15. Haithcock put the Screaming Eagles back up by four with a jumper in the paint and then Robbe extended the lead to five hitting 1-of-2 free throws with 0:28 remaining.

Badali made it a one score game hitting a driving layup with 0:23 left and then after a turnover she had a chance to tie the game but her three-pointer from the top of the key was off the mark and Haithcock got the rebound and was fouled. Haithcock sealed the game hitting two free throws with 0:02 left.

Lewis was held to just 36.2 percent (21-for-58) from the field, was 5-of-25 from beyond the arc and shot 71 percent at the foul line. It forced USI to turnover the ball over 24 times resulting in 22 points. Badali led all scorers with 19 points while Harrison added eight points and Courier finished with seven points.

The Screaming Eagles were led by Haithcock with 15 points. She was joined in double figures by Robbe and Emma DeHart with 12 points apiece while Addy Blackwell finished with 10 points. USI shot 44 percent (24-for-54) from the floor, was 8-of-20
from three and shot 80 percent at the charity stripe. It outrebounded the Flyers 38-32.

Lewis is back in action next Tuesday (Jan. 26) as it travels down to St. Charles, Mo., to take on Lindenwood at 3 p.m. This game was rescheduled from Jan. 9 due to COVID concerns in the Lindenwood women's basketball program.