November 05, 2003
USI women's basketball ready for action
Game Notes
After eight months, the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team will finally get the chance to return to the hardwood when it hosts the St. Louis Goldstars for an exhibition game Friday, November 7, at the Physical Activities Center in Evansville, Indiana. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
The Screaming Eagles are coming off a disappointing 8-19 season and have spent the off-season preparing for what could be a return to prominence in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. There is plenty of excitement within the program as the Eagles will mix in five returning players and eight newcomers.
Leading the list of returnees are seniors Shajuan Lindsey (Midlothian, Illinois) and Shannon Wells (Merrillville, Indiana). Lindsey is USI's leading returning scorer after averaging 12.9 points per game. Wells averaged 7.6 points per contest in her first season of collegiate basketball.
Division I transfers and high school All-American guards Kennitra Johnson (New Albany, Indiana) and Jamie Truitt (Owensboro, Kentucky) top USI's list of newcomers. Both had the opportunity to practice with USI last season and will be expected to make major contributions to the Eagles in 2003-04.
Johnson transferred to USI from Purdue University after spending two seasons with the University of Connecticut where she earned Big East All-Rookie honors. Truitt came to USI after a pair of seasons at Western Kentucky University where she was the Lady Hilltoppers' leading freshman scorer in 2000-01.
USI also is excited about NJCAA II All-American transfer forward/center Andrea Engleking (Charlottsville, Indiana). Engleking averaged 17.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Kankakee Community College.
Another newcomer that could be a major factor for the Eagles is freshman point guard Lauren Parrish (Shephardsville, Kentucky). Parrish was the KABC Region VII Player of the Year and an All-State performer at Mercy Academy in Louisville, Kentucky.
Friday's exhibition game against the Goldstars will be USI's first and final tune-up before it opens the regular season Saturday, November 15, against Pittsburg State University at the PAC.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
