@North Alabama (3-0): 78
#1 Southern Indiana (1-1: 75

FLORENCE, Ala. – The University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team could not rebound from a 17-point second half deficit and stumbled at the University of North Alabama, 78-75, Saturday afternoon in Florence, Alabama. USI falls to 1-1 in 2004-05, while UNA goes to 3-0 in the young campaign.

After the Lions opened the game with a three-point field goal, the Screaming Eagles came back to take a 7-5 lead with 15 minutes to play in the first half. The Lions responded with a 13-2 run to take an 18-9 lead.

USI battled back to within one, 18-17, before UNA resumed the attack and built at 15-point half time lead 48-33.

The Lions increased their lead in the second half to 17 points on two different occasions before the Eagles began their run to get back into the game. USI used a 16-6 run to get the Lions' lead under double-digits, 57-50 with 13:12 to play.

The Eagles continued to nibble away at the UNA lead, pulling to within a point, 66-65, with 5:43 to play. That would be as close as the Eagles would get. The Lions' stubbornly held onto a one or two possession lead the rest of the way.

USI sophomore Geoff Van Winkle (Ferdinand, Indiana) led the way for the Eagles with 13 points, while senior center Randy Holbrook (St. Louis, Missouri) dropped in 11 points and junior guard David Bryant (Louisville, Kentucky) added 10 points.

Eagles' junior Chris Thompson (Starke, Florida) led the Eagles on the boards with 11 rebounds.

USI resumes action by opening the GLVC schedule November 26 when the Eagles host the University of Indianapolis. The second game of the GLVC doubleheader will start at 7:30 p.m.