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 Brooke Bowers scored a game-high 28 points in the loss at USI. |
Dec. 29, 2008
Evansville, Ind. - The Wayne State University women's basketball squad (2-7 overall) dropped an 80-75 decision at Southern Indiana (7-4) Monday night.
The host Screaming Eagles scored the first six points before a lay-up by senior Chastidy Miller (White Lake, Mich./Waterford Kettering) made it 6-2. After a pair of USI buckets, junior Lindsey West (Royal Oak, Mich./Kimball) scored from inside to start a 11-0 WSU run. During Southern Indiana's nearly four minute scoreless drought, junior Brooke Bowers (Delphos, Ohio/Jefferson) hit two three-pointers and Miller contributed a lay-up and a foul shot giving the Warriors a 13-10 advantage.
Both teams tallied nine points each over the next minutes with WSU maintaining a three-point lead at 22-19 following a jumper by West.
USI's Lauren Meneghetti tied it with a triple, and following a pair of USI free throws, Bowers regained the lead with another triple.
Wayne State led by two at 28-26 with just under 5:30 remaining in the first half following a three-pointer by sophomore Chelsea Kouri (Clarkston, Mich.).
After WSU grabbed a 32-31 lead on a jumper by West, the host Screaming Eagles rattled off the final nine points of the opening half including the last seven points on foul shots for a 40-32 halftime advantage.
Freshman Felicia Thomas (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central) scored the first points of the second half, but Southern Indiana recorded the next points before a Wayne State timeout.
Miller drained a shot from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to nine with 16:18 remaining.
USI's lead remained between nine and 16 until just past the midpoint of the second half when a 12-0 Warrior run made it a four-point contest at 60-56 with just over eight minutes left. Bowers scored eight points during the streak, while senior Jasmine McCall (Detroit, Mich./CMA) and junior Brittany Smith (Milwaukee, Wis./Riverside) each contributed two points.
Southern Indiana had a 7-0 run over the next two minutes as WSU missed a foul shot and a lay-up plus gave up two offensive rebounds.
A pair of foul shots by Bowers made it a nine-point game at 67-58, but the Screaming Eagles recorded the next seven points for a 16 point lead.
An 11-3 run by the Warriors cut the deficit to eight (77-69) with 1:46 remaining, and even though WSU scored six of the final nine points it could not overcome the 16-point deficit.
Bowers scored a game-high 28 points which included seven triples, two shy of her career high. USI's Rinesha Soaper recorded 26 points including 11-of-12 from the foul line. WSU shot 11-of-15 from the foul line, while USI was 27-of-38 from a difference of 10 in fouls (WSU-27, USI-17).
West grabbed a career-high and game-best 12 rebounds.
Wayne State concludes the 2008 portion of its schedule with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday (Dec. 31) at home vs. Edinboro.
