BOX SCORE
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The University of Southern Indiana women’s basketball team used a 7-0 run late in the game to hold off Western Oregon University and win its 2009-10 season-opener, 71-64, Friday afternoon in the first round of the Disney Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic.
With the Screaming Eagles (1-0) clinging to a 60-56 advantage, junior guard Lauren Meneghetti and junior guard Ellen Young hit back-to-back jumpers to extend USI’s advantage to eight. Senior forward Anaris Sickles, who finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with five rebounds, converted the old-fashioned three-point play to cap off the seven point run and give the Eagles a 67-56 edge with less than four minutes to play.
USI made a habit of turning back Western Oregon (0-1) runs throughout the second half after building a 40-30 halftime advantage. “There were a few times that we were up 10 or 12 and it looked like we were going to pull away,” USI Head Coach Rick Stein explained. “That team kept fighting and they weren’t going to just lay down and let us win the basketball game.
“I was proud of how handled those runs,” Stein continued. “I thought we buckled down on defense and made some things happen.”
The Eagles, who shot 41.9 percent from the floor in the opening period, got 14 points and a team-high four steals from Young, while junior guard Amie Newhart added 10 points, seven of which came in the final period. Meneghetti finished the contest with seven points to go with a team-high nine rebounds and four assists.
USI, which trailed only once in the contest, dominated the inside game as it outscored the Wolves 32-14 in the paint. In addition to Sickles’ effort, sophomore forward/center Ashton Mertens had eight points and six rebounds.
“We had some great inside play today throughout our line up,” Stein said. “I thought Ashton and Anaris really controlled the paint for us today. I thought we had a great team effort to beat a good Western Oregon team that returned four starters from last year’s team.”
Stein was pleased with how his squad guarded Friday afternoon. “We set goals defensively for giving up points and field goal percentage for the opposing team. We gave up 64 points and held them to 39 percent from the floor,” Stein said. “I thought we did a pretty good job overall in our team defense.”
USI continues the Disney Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic Saturday at 7 p.m. (CDT) when it faces San Francisco State University. The Gators fell to Fort Lewis College, 89-74, Friday afternoon.