Box Score (HTML)
Score: UE 73, USI 55;
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team could not sustain a second half surge and lost the Vectren Community Classic exhibition game to the University of Evansville, 73-55, Saturday night at the Ford Center. USI opens the 2012-13 regular season schedule November 10 when it hosts Kentucky State University at the Physical Activities Center.
The Screaming Eagles started fast on defense, but slowly on the offensive side of the floor. USI held Evansville to under 40 percent (4-12) from the field in the first 10 minutes of the game and finished the first half outrebounding the Aces, 23-20.
Getting the ball in the hoop was the problem for the Eagles in the opening half, hitting only 3-of-14 in the first 10 minutes and 10-34 before the intermission. Senior center
Keith DeWitt (High Point, North Carolina) was a pleasant first half surprise with 13 points, hitting six-of-10 field goals.
The Aces' largest lead of the half came at the intermission, 37-25, while the Eagles were as close as four points, 20-16, with 5:54 left before halftime.
The Eagles came out soaring in the second half and chopped the halftime deficit to one, 43-42, on a monster dunk by junior forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) with 11:55 to play. USI outscored Evansville, 15-6, in the first eight minutes of the second half.
Evansville, however, responded with a quick 7-0 run to return the lead to 50-42 and a 17-3 surge in the next seven minutes to build a 60-45 lead. USI cut the margin to 13, 60-47, with 5:44 left, but that would be as close as the Eagles would get the rest of the game. The Aces built their largest lead, 73-51, in the final three minutes before the 73-55 final.
Individually, USI was led by DeWitt's 18-point Eagle debut and Wischmeier's 13-point effort. Junior forward
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) led the Eagles on the glass with nine rebounds, while DeWitt grabbed seven boards, including five on the offensive end.
USI-UE Highlights:
