Game Notes
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The third-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team completes its four-game road swing in Bellarmine University's Fern Valley Hotel Classic Friday and Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky. USI tips off the classic at 4 p.m. (CST) Friday versus St. Catharine College and concludes the road trip and the classic Saturday at 4 p.m. (CST) against Ohio Valley University.
The Screaming Eagles (6-0, 2-0 GLVC) are flying high after starting the year with six-straight wins, including two-point wins at Lewis University, 61-59, and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 71-69, to start the GLVC campaign. The victories allowed USI to move into a tie for third nationally with Lincoln Memorial University in this week's NABC/Division II Top 25 poll.
USI's two-point victories over Lewis and UW-Parkside were the closest finals scores to start conference play since 1987-88. The Eagles started the 1987-88 conference campaign with a one-point loss to Kentucky Wesleyan College and a two-point win over the University of Indianapolis.
USI senior guard
Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) led the Eagles to last week's last-minute wins with 21.5 points per contest. He also had the game-winning three-point field goal at UW-Parkside.
For the season, Hogg is lighting up the scoreboard with a team-best 20.5 points per game that ranks fifth in the GLVC. He also is second on the team with 5.2 rebounds per contest.
USI's top rebounder is sophomore forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana), who is grabbing 6.2 boards per game. He ranks third on the team with 11.0 points per outing.
Second on the team in scoring is sophomore guard
Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois). USI's point guard is dropping 12.0 points per contest, while leading the team with 4.8 assists per contest. Thomas is second in the GLVC in assist/turnover ratio and fourth in the league in assists.
St. Catharine (6-4), who plays Indiana University Southeast Wednesday before its match-up with USI, has been up and down this year. The Patriots are 2-3 in the last five games after starting the year 4-1. SCC, who was the only non-conference team to defeat Bellarmine last year, is led by the 21.8 points per game pace of senior forward Kashiff Carr.
USI won the only meeting between the two schools last year in the Bill Joergens Memorial Classic, 65-64.
Ohio Valley (3-4), who opens the classic with Bellarmine on Friday, is coming off a 78-77 victory over Davis and Elkins College. Senior forward Kendall Allison is posting a team-best 20.3 points per game for the Fighting Scots.
The Eagles hold a 2-0 advantage over the Fighting Scots, including a 101-35 victory in 2009 Fern Valley Hotel 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 6, 2011 -- Poll #2)
1. Missouri Southern (7 1st place votes)
2. Metropolitan State (Colo.)
T3. Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)
T3. Southern Indiana
5. Kentucky Wesleyan (1 1st place vote)
6. Bellarmine (Ky.)
7. Colorado School of Mines
8. Humboldt State (Calif.)
9. Findlay (Ohio)
10. Fort Hays State (Kan.)
11. West Liberty (W.Va.)
12. Tarleton State (Texas)
13. Rollins (Fla.)
T14. Cal Poly Pomona
T14. Indiana (Pa.)
16. Augustana (S.D.)
17. Winona State (Minn.)
18. Alabama-Huntsville
19. Georgia Southwestern
20. Bowie State (Md.)
21. Benedict (S.C.)
22. Alaska-Anchorage
23. Northern Kentucky
24. Midwestern State (Texas)
25. Arkansas Tech
Others receiving votes: Western Washington 19, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 16, Montevallo (Ala.) 16, Harding (Ark.) 12, Bloomsburg (Pa.) 10, West Georgia 9, Mount Olive (N.C.) 8, Hillsdale (Mich.) 6, LIU-C.W. Post (N.Y.) 6, Seattle Pacific (Wash.) 4, West Texas A&M 4, Franklin Pierce (N.H.) 2, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 2, Western Oregon 2, District of Columbia 1, Grand Valley State (Mich.) 1, Southern New Hampshire 1, Stonehill (Mass.) 1.
