USI moves up to 20th nationally in the NABC/Division II Top 25
 

GAME NOTES

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 20^th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team returns to non-conference action this weekend when it plays in the Fern Valley Hotel Classic hosted by Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. USI is scheduled play Indiana University Southeast Friday and West Virginia State University Saturday.

 

Tip-off for both of USI's games in the Fern Valley Hotel Classic is 4 p.m. (CST). Game coverage, including audio and live stats, can be accessed at gousieagles.com,

 

The Screaming Eagles (5-1) are coming off a split during the first week of GLVC play. USI opened the conference schedule with a 76-63 road win over 20^th-ranked Northern Kentucky University, but fell at home to second-ranked Bellarmine, 69-60.

 

Senior guard #C.J. Tortter# (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) led the Eagles in both games, averaging 22.5 points per game. Trotter started the week with a 26-point performance at NKU and completed GLVC action for the week with a 19-point game versus Bellarmine.

 

Following Trotter in the scoring column was senior center Mohamed Ntumba (Kinshasa, Congo), who posted 16.0 points per contest. Ntumba hit for a career-high 22 points in the win at NKU.

 

Overall, Trotter leads three USI players that are averaging double figures in scoring with 16.3 points per contest. Ntumba is second with 13.5 points per game, while junior forward Isaac McClure (Paducah, Kentucky) is dropping in 13.0 points per appearance off the bench.

 

Ntumba is USI's top player on the glass with 8.0 rebounds per outing, followed by McClure with 6.5 boards per contest. USI, as a team, is outrebounding the opposition through six games, 40.0-29.0 per game.

 

The Grenadiers of IU-Southeast (7-3) start play in the classic on a down note after losing to Robert Morris University, 96-90. IU-Southeast was 5-1 to start the year, but has split the last four games. Grenadier senior guard Jazzmarr Ferguson leads the team with 22.1 points per game.

 

USI leads the all-time series with IU-Southeast, 17-7, after defeating the Grenadiers, 84-68 last year in the Fern Valley Hotel Classic.

 

The Yellow Jackets of WVSU (5-2) have won five of seven contests to start the 2010-11 campaign. WVSU, which plays Bellarmine in the first round of the classic Friday, is coming off an 88-74 home win against West Virginia Wesleyan College last Saturday. WVSU senior guard Josh Miller leads the Yellow Jackets with 24.7 points per contest.

 

Saturday's USI-WVSU match-up will be the first meeting between Eagles and the Yellow Jackets in men's basketball.

 

Following the Fern Valley Hotel Classic, the Eagles will be idle until they host the Bill Joergens Memorial Tournament, December 29-30, at the Physical Activities Center. The 2010 tournament field includes USI, Bellarmine, Harris-Stowe State University, and St. Catharine College.