EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The sixth-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team completed its three-game homestand with a 75-65 win over Drury University Thursday night at the Physical Activities Center. USI, which has won nine-straight, takes its record to 14-1 overall and 6-1 in the GLVC, while Drury falls to 9-5, 2-4 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles led by as many as eight points during the first half before taking a five-point advantage into the intermission, 39-34. USI shot 56.5 percent (13-23) from the field and was a near perfect 90 percent (9-10) from the charity stripe.
Junior guard
Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Indiana) led the Eagles during the opening 20 minutes by scoring 15 of his 17 points in the first half.
The Panthers erased the Eagles' lead after the intermission and tied the game twice in the first five minutes of the second half. USI retook command of the contest by going on a 9-0 run to post its biggest lead at that point, 55-46, with 11:27 to play.
Senior center
Mohamed Ntumba (Kinshasa, Congo) started the run with two straight buckets, while senior guard #C.J. Trotter# (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) and freshman center
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) each had a dunk during the run. The run was capped off on a free throw by junior forward
Isaac McClure (Paducah, Kentucky).
Drury would get no closer than six points the rest of the way. USI led by as many as 12 points twice in the final two minutes before settling for the 10-point, 75-65, victory. The Eagles shot 60.9 percent (14-23)in the second half and finished the game shooting 58.7 percent (27-46) from the field.
Ntumba led three USI players in double figures with a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds. He was a blistering 8-of-10 from the field, while converting on 4-of-9 from the charity stripe. The senior center also had three blocks and three steals in the victory.
McClure joined Nutmba and Hogg in double figures with 16 points and was second on the team with six rebounds.
USI continues GLVC action Saturday with a quick road trip to Quincy University for a 3:15 p.m. contest. The Hawks went to 10-4 overall and 3-3 in the GLVC after defeating the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at home tonight, 90-79.
