EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 22nd-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team battled second-ranked Bellarmine, but could not hold an early first half lead and lost 69-60 Saturday evening at the Physical Activities Center. USI falls to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in the GLVC, while Bellarmine remains perfect at 5-0, 2-0 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles controlled most of the first half, building an eight-point advantage, 23-15, with 10:56 left in the opening 20 minutes. The eight-point margin would be USI's largest lead of the game.
With USI in command 27-20 and 7:31 remaining before the intermission, the Knights went on a 16-5 run and went in the locker room with a 36-32 lead at halftime. Bellarmine would not trail the rest of the game.
The Eagles fought back after the break and pulled even with the Knights twice in the first 10 minutes of the final half. Bellarmine pulled ahead for the final time, 48-47, with 11:27 left and used a 9-2 run in the final 10 minutes to separate itself from USI, 59-51, with 5:42 remaining.
USI nearly stayed even with Bellarmine in the final five minutes, but could not muster enough offense to overtake the Knights. The Eagles outrebounded the Knights overall, 37-33, but committed 17 turnovers that resulted in 18 Bellarmine points.
Senior forward #C.J. Trotter# (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) led the Eagles with 19 points, 14 coming in the second half. Trotter was followed in the scoring column by senior center
Mohamed Ntumba (Kinshasa, Congo) with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
The Eagles resume the 2010-11 non-conference schedule November 10-11 in the Bellarmine University Invitational. USI plays Indiana University Southeast November 10 and West Virginia State University November 11 at Knights Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
