EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana junior guard Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to give the 12th-ranked Screaming Eagles a 65-64 win over St. Catharine College in the finale of the Bill Joergens Memorial Tournament Thursday night at Physical Activities Center. USI rises to 9-1 overall, while St. Catharine falls to 10-3.

 

Trailing 64-63, Hogg redeemed the Eagles by recovering a loose ball and getting fouled after USI had turned the ball over with 13 seconds left. The junior guard, who finished the game 11-of-12 from the stripe, stepped to the line and hit his 10^th and 11^th free throws of the game to give USI the win.

 

The Patriots took the brief 64-63 lead on the 16^th lead change of the game before the Eagles won it on the 17^th. The contest also featured 13 ties, eight coming in the first half.

 

Individually, USI senior center Mohamed Ntumba (Kinshasa, Congo) led the Eagles with his fifth double-double of the season. Ntumba recorded 17 points, 12 in the first half, and 10 rebounds in the double-double.

 

Senior guard Kevin Gant (Indianapolis, Indiana) followed Ntumba in the scoring column with 14 points, while Hogg rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points. Gant and Hogg also followed Ntumba on the boards with seven and six rebounds, respectively.

 

The Eagles' shots were a little off the mark tonight, connecting on only 41.5 percent (22-53) and did not hit a three-point field goal in 10 attempts. This was the first time since February 8, 1996, against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside that the Eagles failed to hit a shot from beyond the arc. USI did continue to dominate the glass, outrebounding its 10^th straight opponent, 34-30.

 

The first half started the back and forth affair with five ties and eight lead changes before the Eagles took a four-point lead into the intermission, 31-27. USI had the largest lead of the opening 20 minutes, taking a 7-0 lead to start the game.

 

USI came out quickly after the break and increased the halftime lead to a game-high nine points twice in the opening minutes of the second half. St. Catharine quickly closed the gap and had tied and retaken the lead by the midway point of the final half.

 

In the tournament's third games, NCAA Division II top-ranked Bellarmine University knocked off Harris-Stowe State University, 94-70  (box score).  The Knights rose to 9-1 overall, while HSSU fell to 5-11.

 

USI resumes GLVC action this weekend when it hits the road for a pair of conference games. The Eagles start the short two-game road swing Sunday at Saint Joseph's College before concluding the trip Tuesday at the University of Illinois-Springfield. Game time Sunday is 3 p.m., while tip-off is 7:30 p.m.