Jennies Lose Low-Scoring Affair in Evansville

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Nov. 13, 2019) - It was no Evansville over Kentucky, but for the second straight night an unranked basketball team from Evansville, Ind. defeated a ranked opponent. This time, it was the Jennies who were on the short end of a 52-45 loss to Southern Indiana. The loss puts the Jens at 1-2 this season.

How it Happened
• Southern Indiana outshot the Jennies 39% to 36%. USI shot better than 50% from the three point line going 6-11.
• Of the Jennies 50 field goal attempts, 27 came from three, however they hit just five, shooting 18.5% from behind the arc.
• The Jens also struggled at the free throw line going 4-10 while the Eagles were 12-16.
• UCM had a major advantage on the glass which kept them in the game. They pulled down 38 rebounds including 14 on the offensive end. 
• The biggest story were the number of turnovers. UCM forced 15 with six steals, but coughed it up 23 times.
• Things started out well for the Jennies. Really well. The Jens scored the first six points in the game and with three and a half minutes left in the first led by 13, 14-1. After 10 minutes of play, the Jennies were up 10, 16-6 getting seven points each from Morgan Fleming and and Megan Skaggs and outrebounded the Eagles 12-3.
• Things suddenly spiraled though in the second. After outscoring the Eagles 16-6 in the first, USI flipped the script and outscored UCM 17-6 in the second to take a 23-22 lead into halftime. The Jennies were 0-9 from three in the second and in the first 20 minutes, 16 of their 27 field goal attempts were from behind the arc. They also lost the ball 12 times in the first half.
• The teams came out trading points in the third. The Jennies were down three, 27-24, when Morgan Fleming scored five straight points to put the Jens back in front, 29-27.
• UCM led by one, 31-30, with 5:10 left in the frame, but the Eagles closed on a 9-3 run to lead 39-34 heading to the final period.
• The Eagles hit only two field goals in the fourth, but they were two big three pointers and put them up 11, 47-36.
• USI went the final six minutes without a field goal, but were able to hang on thanks to their free throw shooting.
• Central Missouri cut the deficit down to four, 49-45, after a Fleming three, but the Eagles went 3-4 at the line in the final minute to hold off the Jennies comeback.

It Was Over When...
• Kiara Moses buried a three to put the Eagles up 11, 47-36 with 5:59 left to play. Even though the Jennies got to within four, they were just 1-8 from three as the shots weren't falling on this night for UCM.

Jennies Stat Leaders
• Morgan Fleming poured in a game-high 19 points going 4-7 from three. She added eight rebounds
• Megan Skaggs was also in double-figures with 16 points, shooting 7-11 from the floor. She also grabbed six boards with a block and two steals.
• Nija Collier grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and added six points.
• Ellisha Davis dished out three assists and scored two points.
• Morgan VanHyfte pulled down five rebounds.

For the Eagles
• Emma DeHart scored 11 points with six rebounds.
• Kiara Moses was 3-4 from three and scored 11 points.
• Ashley Johnson chipped in 10 points.

News and Notes
• This was the very first regular season basketball game in the brand new Screaming Eagles Arena.
• These two teams met last year with the Jennies earning the win in Warrensburg. That game featured a combined 144 points, while this one failed to break 100 at 97.
• This is the 47th game in the last four years UCM has held an opponent to fewer than 10 points in a quarter as the Eagles scored just six in the first. It is only UCM's fifth loss when that's happened.
• The last time the Jennies failed to reach 50 points in a game was in January of 2019 scoring 46 against Fort Hays State. 
• Morgan Fleming and Megan Skaggs have scored in double-figures in each game so far this season.

Up Next
• The Jennies will be at home for the first time all season as they welcome Union to the Multipurpose Building Monday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. The last time UCM played Union was in the Final Four leading up the 2017-18 National Championship.