EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Lewis University's women's basketball team knocked off 25th ranked Southern Indiana 72-63 on Saturday afternoon at Screaming Eagle Arena in Evansville, Ind. The Flyers improve to 5-10, 3-4 GLVC while the Screaming Eagles drop to 12-3, 6-1 GLVC.
The teams went back-and-forth in the opening quarter with each team leading by as many as three but it was USI who would score the final four points of the frame to take a one-point lead into the second quarter.
Lewis trailed by as many as five points with 1:01 left in the half but
Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) and
Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) hit back-to-back three's to give the Flyers a 37-36 lead at the intermission.
The Screaming Eagles scored the first points of the second half to regain the lead but it would be their last as Lewis ran off the next nine points to build an eight-point lead with 6:29 left in the third quarter.
That lead grew to nine but Southern Indiana outscored the Flyers 10-5 over the final 4:33 of the quarter to cut Lewis' lead to four by the end of the stanza.
The Flyers began the final 10 minutes with a 12-2 run to take its largest lead of the game 66-52 on a layup from
Tara Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West).
USI fought back getting to within six with 1:02 left after a three-point play from Addy Blackwell but that would be the closest it got as Lewis sealed the game at the foul line hitting three of four free throws in the final minute.
The Flyers shot 41 percent (25-for-61) from the field in the contest including 45 percent from three and were 13-of-22 at the foul line. They outrebounded the Screagles 46-40. Tay. Gugliuzaa led Lewis with 20 points while Hilber added 19 points and Ta. Gugliuzza added 15 points.
USI was held to 34 percent shooting (22-for-65) and was just 2-of-24 from three while shooting 77 percent at the foul line. Meredith Raley led the Screaming Eagles with 18 points off the bench while Emma DeHart added 13 and Tori Handley finished with 10 points.
The Flyers conclude their three-game road trip next Thursday at Illinois Springfield at 5:30 p.m.
