PHOENIX - The Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles women's basketball team took a close 61-57 game from the Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons on Friday afternoon at the Crowne Plaza Tournament held at Grand Canyon University, 61-57. It was the Dragons season opener.

Turnovers and defensive rebounds were the ultimate pains for the Dragons as the Screaming Eagles would score 26 points in the game off of turnovers, 18 of them coming in the first half and 13 points came off of second chance shots. USI grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, while the Dragons had 10 defensive boards in the game.

The Soaring Eagles began the game hot from the three-point line hitting two from behind the arc to take an early 6-0 lead before the Dragons score the first points of the season at the 18:28 mark on a layup by Angie Jetvig.

The Dragons tied game at the eight point mark two minutes later after senior Betsy Dickson hit two free-throws.

At 11:50 in the first half, the Dragons were up 14-13 and a steal by Jetvig turned into a Layup by freshman Jenna Van Dyke, and spurred a seven point run. It gave the Dragon an eight point lead, their largest of the first half.

The Screaming Eagles tied the game up with four minutes left in the first half at 23, and took the lead into halftime, going up by six at the buzzer on a three-pointer by Lauren Meneghetti, 32-26.

In the second half, the Dragons would regain the lead at the 12:29 mark on a lay-up by Megan Strese, fed by Kaycee Charette. The Dragons would icrease their lead to as much as eight with 9:53 left in game but USI slowly chip into the lead and tie with 1:15 left.

With 17 seconds left on the clock, Meneghetti and the Screaming Eagles drove the court and put up a lay-up to take a two point lead, and she completed the three-point play after she was fouled on the shot, to go up 60-57.

In the Dragons possession, the ball was passed around and hit an open Marisa Yernatich who put the ball up from the three-point line that was on target but rimmed out, and fell into the arms of Meneghetti. She was fouled after the rebounds and returned to line to hit one of two to secure the win for the Screaming Eagles.

Angie Jetvig led the Dragons with a double-double, scoring 15 points with 10 rebounds. She also had four blocks in the game. Freshman Haley Thomforde scored ten points in here Dragon debut and also had six assists and four steals. Senior Betsy Dickson and Strese each tallied nine points, while Dickson had five boards and Strese grabbed eight.
 
The Dragons open up the 2010-11 season 0-1 and will face Queens (N.Y.) tomorrow at noon (mountain time, 1 p.m. CST).

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