Southern Indiana boxscore in PDF
Evansville, Ind. - Despite a career-high 17 points from Madeline Hartke as well as another 17 points by Ali Ringering, the Maryville women's basketball team dropped a 74-61 decision at Southern Indiana Thursday night in Evansville, Ind.
The Saints trailed 5-2 before jumping ahead after two free throws by Ringering and a layup by Alex Hillyer for a 6-5 edge. The Screaming Eagles answered with nine straight points before Ellen Foster sank two free throws to end the USI burst. The Saints were down 25-17 before Hartke sank a 3-pointer and a hoop by Hillyer pulled the Saints to within 25-22 with five minutes left in the second quarter. USI pushed its edge to double-digits. The Saints stayed close and were within six after two Ringering free throws but USI took a 41-29 lead into the locker room.
Ringering opened the third quarter with back-to-back jumpers to pull Maryville to 41-33. The Screaming Eagles tallied eight of the next 10 points and rebuilt a double-digit advantage. Trailing by 14, Hartke hit a triple, and Foster converted two at the line as Maryville trimmed its deficit to 55-46 in the final minute of the third.
In the first minutes of the fourth quarter, Hillyer converted a layup and Hartke made two free throws as the Saints again inched to within single figures at 59-50. USI used another 8-2 run to grab a comfortable. Hillyer's layup drew the Saints to 68-59 but that would prove to be as close as the Saints would get.
Hartke hit three 3-pointers and all four free throw attempts en route to her best scoring output. Ringering only missed one shot from the field and went 6-of-7 to tie for team scoring honors with 17 points. Hillyer recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kaydie Grooms led USI with a career-best 27 points as the Screaming Eagles snapped a 10-game skid. The Saints stayed in the contest with strong free-throw shooting by hitting 17-of-22 at the stripe, 77.3 percent.
The Saints slide back under .500 and are now 10-11 overall, 4-10 in the GLVC. Maryville is back in action Saturday as they head to Louisville to take on Bellarmine.
