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SCORE: UIndy 59, USI 56

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The seventh-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team lost a defensive battle with the University of Indianapolis, 59-56, Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center. USI falls to 14-2 overall and 6-2 in the GLVC, while UIndy goes to 13-3, 6-2 GLVC.
 
The Screaming Eagles came out flat offensively in the first 12 minutes of the game, shooting 17.6 percent (3-17) from the field. USI, however, was only down five points, 12-7, with 8:54 remaining in the opening stanza because its defense held UIndy to 33.3 percent (6-13 ) from the outside.
 
The Greyhounds would push their lead to as high as eight points, 24-16, with 3:40 to play before intermission. The Eagles would muster a mini 9-4 run before halftime and cut the deficit to 28-25 by hitting seven of its last nine field goal attempts before the break.
 
In the second half, the Greyhounds burst out of the gate and pushed their lead to 11 points, 36-25, before the Eagles could get back on the scoreboard. USI fought back and slashed the deficit to four points four times before UIndy once again extended the margin to 11 points, 49-38.
 
USI stayed in the game and chipped away at the deficit, pulling to within two points twice, 49-47 and 55-53, in the final six minutes. The UIndy defense stood tall at the end of the game and held USI to just two-of-11 from the field (18.2 percent) in the final four minutes.
 
Overall, USI shot 35.6 percent from the field (21-59), was only 26.1 percent from beyond the three point arc (6-23), and 53.3 percent from the charity stripe (8-15). The Eagles also lost 42-41 battle on the boards, marking only the second time this year that USI was outrebounded.
 
USI's defense held UIndy to 36.8 percent from the field (21-57) and 21.1 percent from three-point field goal range, but the Greyhounds put the game away at the line by sinking 13-of-18 chances at the charity stripe.
 
The Eagles had three players reach double-figures in the scoring column with junior guard Kenyon Smith (Chicago, Illinois) leading the way with 16 points. Senior forward Isaac McClure (Paducah, Kentucky) followed with 13 points, while senior guard Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.
 
USI concludes its three-game homestand Saturday at 3:15 p.m. when they host Saint Joseph's College. The Pumas fell to 6-10 overall and 1-7 in the GLVC after losing at Kentucky Wesleyan College, 84-61, in Owensboro, Kentucky, tonight.