The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team begins the 2012-13 regular-season Friday at 2 p.m. when it takes on the University of West Florida at the UWF Tip-Off Classic in Pensacola, Florida. USI also takes on Georgia Southwestern State University Saturday at noon.
USI is coming off a pair of exhibition losses to NCAA Division I opponents this past weekend. The Screaming Eagles saw a six-point lead late in the opening period against the University of Evansville disappear in a 65-47 loss on Saturday; then had a 10-point second-half lead evaporate in a 68-62 loss to Southeast Missouri State University the following day.
Sophomore forward/center Anna Hackert (Evansville, Indiana) led the Eagles with 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while sophomore guard Taylor Stevenson (Olney, Illinois) added 10.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per contest.
This weekend's games mark USI's first-ever meeting with West Florida and Georgia Southwestern State in women's basketball.
West Florida, which was 10-17 overall and 6-8 in the Gulf South Conference last season, suffered a 75-33 exhibition loss to the University of South Alabama Monday night. Junior forward Jaymie Druding had 10 points and six rebounds to pace the Argonauts.
Senior guard Hanna Vette is West Florida's top returning scorer after averaging 12.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest in 2011-12.
Georgia Southwestern State, which plays Barry University Friday, opens the season this weekend after going 18-9 overall and 10-7 in the Peach Belt Conference a year ago. The Hurricanes return just two players—senior forward Brianna Walker and sophomore guard Kelli Morrow—from last year's squad.
Walker was sixth on the team with 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per appearance a year ago, while Morrow averaged 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest as a freshman.
Both games this weekend can be heard on the radio at WPSR 90.7 FM, while live stats and audio can be accessed at gousieagles.com.
USI opens its home schedule November 17 when it hosts former Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Kentucky State University at the Physical Activities Center.
