Eagles rise to second nationally in latest poll

Game Notes
  
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The second-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team begins a four-game homestand Saturday at 3:15 p.m. when it hosts Cedarville University. The halfway point of the homestand features a non-conference contest with Harris-Stowe State University (December 30), while the second half of the homestand has USI returning to GLVC play against Missouri University of Science & Technology (January 5) and Drury University (January 7).
 
The Screaming Eagles (8-0) are flying high through the first half of the season, posting an 8-0 mark for the ninth time in the history of the program. Seven of the nine 8-0 marks have come since 1996-97.
 
The Eagles also rose to second nationally this week in the NABC/Division II Top 25 poll. This is the highest ranking for the men's basketball team since the 2009-10 season. Kentucky Wesleyan College followed USI in the rankings at number four, while Bellarmine University and Northern Kentucky University were fifth and 21^st, respectively.
 
USI reached the 8-0 record with a solid pair of wins in the Fern Valley Hotel Classic last weekend at Bellarmine University. The squad started the classic by surviving a hard-fought 65-62 victory over St. Catharine College behind the 31-point performance of senior guard Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) and the 15-point, 13-rebound double-double by junior guard Kenyon Smith (Chicago, Illinois).
 
The Eagles concluded the classic and a four-game stretch away from the PAC with a 90-64 win over Ohio Valley University. Junior guard Travis Jones (Carmi, Illinois) came off the bench to lead USI with 22 points.
 
For the season, Hogg leads the Eagles and is tied for fourth in the GLVC with 20.9 points per game. Sophomore guard Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois) follows Hogg in the scoring column with 11.3 points per contest, while sophomore forward Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) is USI's best rebounder with 6.5 boards per outing.
 
Cedarville (6-3) has won three of its last four games, losing to Kentucky Wesleyan College in its last outing, 68-63. Yellow Jackets junior guard Austin Foote leads five players in double figures with 13.2 points per contest.
 
Saturday's game between USI and Cedarville will be the first meeting between the two schools.
 
Harris-Stowe State (8-5) has three games before it visits USI square off for the final game of the 2011 calendar year. The Hornets have won four in a row after snapping a five-game losing streak earlier this season.
 
USI leads the all-time series with HSSU, 5-0, including the 105-76 victory over the Hornets last year in the Bill Joergens Memorial Classic.
 
Game coverage for both contests, including live stats and audio broadcasts, is available at gousieagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN 106.7FM and WPSR 90.7FM.

NABC/Division II Men's Basketball Poll
(Tuesday, December 13, 2011 -- Poll #3)
  1. Metropolitan State (Colo.)
  2. Southern Indiana  
  3. Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)
  4. Kentucky Wesleyan         
  5.  Bellarmine (Ky.)  
  6. Colorado School of Mines
  7.  Missouri Southern           
  8.  Humboldt State (Calif.)   
  9. West Liberty (W.Va.)       
10.  Rollins (Fla.)        
11.  Cal Poly Pomona            
12.  Tarleton State (Texas)    
13.  Indiana (Pa.)       
14.  Augustana (S.D.)
15.  Fort Hays State (Kan.)
16. Winona State (Minn.)       
17. Georgia Southwestern     
18.  Alabama-Huntsville         
19.  Findlay (Ohio)     
20.  Bowie State (Md.)
21. Northern Kentucky
22. Alaska-Anchorage
23. Midwestern State (Texas)
24. Arkansas Tech
25. Benedict (S.C.)
                       
Others receiving votes: Montevallo (Ala.) 20, Western Washington 14, District of Columbia 8, Mount Olive (N.C.) 8, West Georgia 7, Hillsdale (Mich.) 4, Northwest Missouri State 2, South Carolina Aiken 2, West Texas A&M 2, Bentley (Mass.) 1, Southwestern Oklahoma State 1.