EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Six players scored in double figures as No. 4-ranked University of Southern Indiana (25-4) rolled past Saint Joseph's, 102-71, in semi-final action of the Great Lakes Valley Conference men's tournament at Roberts Stadium.
The Screaming Eagles, the tournament's No. 1 seed, advances to tomorrow's championship game against Northern Kentucky (14-14). Game time is set for 1 p.m. (CST).
USI's
Randy Holbrook (18),
Carl Richburg (16),
David Bryant (14),
Danny Gibson (13),
Cris Brunson (11), and
Chris Thompson (10) led the USI scoring parade. Coach
Rick Herdes' team led 45-28 at the half and coasted to run its record to 25-4. The Screaming Eagles dominated, hitting 62.5 percent of their shots (40-64), including 13-16 three-pointers. Thompson grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to post his 12th double-double of the year.
The win was Herdes' 100th victory as the head coach of the Screaming Eagles. He is just the third USI head coach to reach 100 victories in men's basketball, joining Bruce Pearl (205-42, 1992-2001) and Wayne Boultinghouse (111-79, 1974-1981).
USI's 25th victory of the year also marks the ninth time in 13 seasons that the Eagles have reached that plateau since 1992.
Sullivan Sykes led Saint Joseph's with 20 points and Derek Fey added 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds. The Pumas, seeded fifth in the tournament, shot 32.8 percent from the field (22-67) and 5-22 from the arc (22.7 percent). Coach Linc Darner's team finishes the season with a 17-12 record.