HALDEMAN, Ky. (Interstat) — In a game defined by runs and a decisive third-quarter surge, the Morehead State Eagles used a dominant second half to defeat the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles 73-62 in an Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at E.T. Johnson Arena.

The contest, played before an announced crowd of 648, saw the visiting Screaming Eagles control the early stages before the home Eagles flipped the script after halftime with superior shooting efficiency and a critical 21-point third quarter.

Southern Indiana, which fell to 19-9 overall, opened the game with purpose, building a 30-22 lead by halftime. The Screaming Eagles’ defense was disruptive, forcing 14 first-half turnovers from Morehead State. Ali Saunders of Southern Indiana was instrumental early, scoring 13 of her team-high 21 points before the break.

The complexion of the game changed entirely in the third quarter. Morehead State, now 18-12, found its offensive rhythm, outscoring Southern Indiana 21-18 in the period to seize a 51-48 lead. The Eagles shot a blistering 8 of 12 from the field in the quarter, including 4 of 7 from three-point range. This offensive explosion was fueled by a balanced attack that overcame the team’s persistent turnover issues.

The most important stretch of the game came late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. After Southern Indiana’s Chloe Gannon scored to cut Morehead State’s lead to 45-43 with 2:50 left in the third, the Eagles responded with a 9-2 run. The surge was capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Josefine Enander, extending the lead to 54-45 with 8:07 remaining in the game. Southern Indiana never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

Morehead State’s victory was anchored by exceptional shooting. The Eagles made 22 of 42 field goal attempts, a 52.4% clip, and were even more potent from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 25 three-pointers for 48%. They also converted 17 of 21 free throws. Southern Indiana, by contrast, struggled with efficiency, making just 25 of 61 shots from the floor (41%) and only 5 of 13 from deep. The Screaming Eagles did win the possession battle, forcing 23 turnovers while committing 18, and held a 9-3 advantage in offensive rebounds, but could not overcome the stark disparity in shooting accuracy.

Laura Toffali led Morehead State with 15 points and six rebounds, providing steady play throughout. Violet McNece was the offensive catalyst, scoring a game-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4 of 7 from three-point range. Landon Forbes orchestrated the offense with seven assists and added 10 points.

For Southern Indiana, Saunders finished with 21 points and five assists, while Chloe Gannon recorded a strong double-double with 19 points and seven rebounds. Shannon Blacher added nine points.

The game was a reversal of the teams’ first meeting on Dec. 20, which Southern Indiana won by 19 points. According to Interstat’s ELO system, the Screaming Eagles entered as favorites with a 62% probability to win.

Morehead State will look to build on the win when it travels to face Arkansas-Little Rock on Thursday. Southern Indiana will also face Arkansas-Little Rock in its next contest on Saturday.