Eagles fall in final seconds, 65-64
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 12th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, 65-64, to Drury University in Louisville, Kentucky. USI, the second seed, finishes the season with a 24-6 overall record, while Drury, the seventh seed, continues on the post-season with a 23-7 mark.
The Screaming Eagles came out cold in the first half, hitting only one of its first seven shots and gave the Panthers an early 11-point lead, 14-3. USI cut the lead in half before Drury produced its largest lead of the first 20 minutes, 20-8, with 12:22 left in the opening half.
After cutting the Drury lead to one, 22-21, USI rallied to tie the game, 27-27, with 4:15 remaining before the intermission. Drury out ran USI to halftime, 7-5, and led 34-32 at the break.
The Eagles started the second half by knotting up the score three times before taking a 47-44 lead on a three-point field goal by senior guard #C.J. Trotter# (Hopkinsville, Kentucky). USI extended the margin to five points, 49-44, its largest lead to that point.
A defensive battle would ensue for the next several minutes before USI senior forward Nick Duncheon (Montgomery, Indiana) knocked in a pair of buckets to give the Eagles a seven-point lead, 61-54. Drury would rally back with a 9-2 run to tie the game for the fifth time, 63-63, with 2:25 left.
With six seconds left, Drury guard Alex Hall hit a jumper in the lane to put the Panthers up, 65-64. USI raced back down the floor and got a chance to tie when junior guard Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) was fouled with no time left on the clock. Hogg hit the first free throw to cut the deficit to 65-64, but bounced the second shot off the back of the rim to give Drury the win.
USI was led by Trotter, who had 21 points, while Hogg rounded out the double-figure scorers with 16 points.
