Eastern Illinois women’s basketball was down by 15 points during their senior day game against University of Southern Indiana going into the second quarter.
The team started out hot in the second quarter, going on a 8-0 run and fighting their way back into the game.
EIU was ultimately unable to pull away with a win Saturday, losing their final home game of the season 72-63 to conference opponent USI.
The game was multiple seniors’ final home game with the team, a group that includes two starters in forward Ella Lune and guard Tiny Lewis.
“Emotions are high, but I’m just so grateful and blessed to have the team that I do and to have this senior night with them,” Lune said. “It was a bittersweet moment for sure.”
Lewis was tied for a team-high in points along with redshirt junior Sydney-James Desroches. Both players finished the game with 17 points.
“Obviously, It’s not the outcome that we wanted, but I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Lewis said. “To do it with this team, these girls, our coaches and all the parents and families that are here, there is [not a more] special way to go out.”
Lune and Lewis both played three years for Eastern. Lune redshirted her freshman year, and Lewis transferred in after starting her career at a junior college.
“They watched me grow as a coach, from assistant to where I’m at now,” head coach Marqus McGlothan said. “I’ve watched them grow, not only as players, but, it’s a difference going from a young teen to a young woman. It’s been a pleasure going through that experience. I got a lot of love for the seniors.”
The game was led overall by a senior, but not by a player on the team that was celebrating their senior day.
USI was led by a strong offensive performance from senior guard Ali Saunders who finished the game with 26 points and 8 assists. 19 of her points came in the first half where she shot 5-8 from the three in the first half.
Saunders was held to just seven points in the second half after the defensive gameplan on guarding her was changed.
“The big thing was at first we went under [screens] because that worked against her for the most part last time we played them,” McGlothan said. “We had to adjust and start going over [screens] and just throw some different looks at it. So, I thought we did a better job in the second half, but we let it go off too long in the first half.”
The team may be eliminated from the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, but they still have two games left in the season.
The team is looking to close out the season strong and finish out what has been an underwhelming season full of injuries on a high note.
“We know that this is bigger than basketball,” Desroches said. “We love one another and we never just go out there and quit just because we have 2 more games. I feel like we’re gonna give it our all.”
Eastern will face off against Lindenwood on Thursday, a team they lost to by 29 points early in the season.
They then will go to play their final game of the season against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday, a team they lost to in double overtime to start conference play.
The Lindenwood game will tip off at 5 p.m. on Thursday in St. Charles, Missouri.
Aaron Coffin can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
