Eagles hope to stay on track

Game Notes 
 
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The eighth-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team starts February and the final month of the regular season on the road when it travels to Saint Joseph's College Thursday and the University of Indianapolis Saturday. Start time Thursday at Saint Joseph's is 7:30 p.m., while tip-off at UIndy has been pushed to 5 p.m. (CST) due to events surrounding the Super Bowl.
 
The Screaming Eagles (16-3, 8-3 GLVC) split a road-and-home week in the GLVC last weekend. They lost at top-ranked Bellarmine University, 67-53, before bouncing back to defeat ninth-ranked Northern Kentucky University on a last second shot at home, 69-68.
 
Last weekend's games ended a streak of three top-10 opponents in the last five games and over 13 days.
 
USI remained eighth in the NABC/Division II Top 25 this week, despite its road loss to Bellarmine. The GLVC East retained three teams in the top-10 of the national poll with USI being joined by Bellarmine, who remained number one, and Kentucky Wesleyan College, who stayed at number seven.
 
Senior guard Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) continues to lead USI and ranks eighth in the GLVC with 16.4 points per game. Sophomore guard Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois) led the Eagles in its games with the top-10 opponents by averaging 15.3 points and 4.0 assists per game, including a game-high 17 points in the win over NKU.
 
In the conference, USI is in a three-way tie for second in the GLVC East Division, two games back of division-leading Bellarmine. USI, UIndy, and KWC are tied with 8-3 conference marks. NKU is three games back of Bellarmine and in fifth place.
 
The Pumas of Saint Joseph's (7-12, 2-9) have lost four of their last five games, including an 85-63 loss to USI at the Physical Activities Center. The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Pumas, 46-20, and is 5-3 at the Richard F. Scharf Alumni Fieldhouse since 2000.
 
The Greyhounds of UIndy (15-4, 8-3 GLVC) have won six of their last seven games, including a the three-point win over the Eagles, 59-56, at the PAC. USI, however, still holds a 49-17 series lead over UIndy and has won six of the last nine at Nicoson Hall.
 
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, January 31, 2012 -- Poll #9)