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Score: Bellarmine 67, USI 53

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The eighth-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team was overpowered by top-ranked Bellarmine University, 67-53, Thursday night in Louisville, Kentucky. USI drops to 15-3 overall and 7-3 in the GLVC, while Bellarmine goes to 17-1, 9-1 GLVC.
 
With the loss, the Screaming Eagles fall two-games behind the Knights in the GLVC East Division and a game behind second place and seventh-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan College. USI also lost on the road for the first time this season.
 
The Eagles got off to a good start against the Knights, jumping out to a 14-7 lead in the first six minutes of the game. Bellarmine, however, rebounded with a 13-0 run to take a 20-14 advantage with 9:05 left before halftime.
 
The Knights extended the run to 17-2 and would lead by as many as nine points, 32-23, in the final 10 minutes of the first half. The teams would head to the locker room with Bellarmine leading, 34-26, at the intermission.
 
The second half opened with Bellarmine quickly enlarging the lead to 13 points, 39-26, before USI could get back on the scoreboard. The Eagles responded with a 13-3 run of their own to cut the deficit to three points, 42-39, with 12:34 to play. This would be as close as USI would come the rest of the game.
 
The Knights took back the momentum with the next bucket and exploded on a 20-3 run to post their largest lead of the game, 62-42, with 6:10 remaining. The Eagles would chip away at the deficit in the final minutes, but could not get any closer than the 14-point final, 67-53.
 
USI was led in the scoring column by sophomore guard Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois), who posted 13 points. Thomas was the hottest Eagle tonight, hitting five-of-seven from the field; two-of three from beyond the three-point arc; and one-of-two from the charity stripe.
 
Senior guard Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) was the only other Eagle to reach double figures in scoring and followed Thomas with 10 points, all coming in the first half.
 
Overall, USI outrebounded Bellarmine, 31-25, but lost the shooting battle, 50 percent (25-50) to 42 percent (21-50).
 
USI returns to the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center Saturday at 3:15 p.m. to host ninth-ranked Northern Kentucky University. NKU went to 15-2 overall and 7-2 in the GLVC after losing to Kentucky Wesleyan College, 74-57, at home tonight in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
 
The USI-NKU match-up on Saturday will be the final visit to the PAC by the Norse as a member of the GLVC. NKU makes the transition to NCAA Division I next season.