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SCORE: USI 85, SJC 62
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The seventh-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team bounced back from Thursday's loss with an 85-62 victory over Saint Joseph's College Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center. USI, which finishes the homestand, 2-1, rises to 15-2 overall and 7-2 in the GLVC, while SJC goes to 6-11, 1-8 GLVC.
The victory keeps the Screaming Eagles one game out of first place behind Bellarmine University (16-1, 8-1 GLVC) in the GLVC East Division and in a three-way tie for second with the University of Indianapolis (14-3, 7-2 GLVC) and Kentucky Wesleyan College (15-2, 7-2 GLVC) . The Greyhounds completed a sweep of its southern trip by defeating KWC, 80-77, in Owensboro, Kentucky, this afternoon.
In today's victory, the Eagles trailed by one point twice and two points once in the opening five minutes before taking control of the game in the first half. USI systematically built a first half advantage of as many as 19 points, 42-23, and settled for a 17-point lead, 42-25, at the intermission.
The second half saw the Eagles' offense kick back into gear as they shot 57.7 percent from the field (15-26) and nearly doubled their halftime lead to 32 points three times in the final 20 minutes. The Pumas chipped away at the margin in the final 10 minutes, but would get no closer than 23 points and the 85-62 final.
Men's Basketball vs St. Joseph's 1/21/12 Gallery
USI shot 49.2 percent for the game (31-63), nearly 14 percent better than its effort on Thursday. The Eagles also got the job done on the glass, outrebounding the Pumas, 48-41.
Individually, USI senior guard
Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Indiana) led four Eagles in double-figure scoring with 18 points. Senior forward
Isaac McClure (Paducah, Kentucky) followed with 14 points, while sophomore forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) and sophomore guard
Ben Jones (Robinson, Illinois) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points each.
Wischmeier led the Eagles on the boards with nine rebounds, while junior guard
Kenyon Smith (Chicago, Illinois) cleared the glass eight times in the win.
USI returns to action Thursday when it makes a road trip to second-ranked Bellarmine in Louisville, Kentucky. The Knights should return to the top spot in the NABC/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll next week after top-ranked KWC lost two games this week.
The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the PAC January 28 when ninth-ranked Northern Kentucky University visits USI for the final time as a member of the GLVC.
