Box Score (Sortable); Box Score (HTML)
SCORE: USI 96, KSU 75
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 12th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team opened the 2012-13 campaign with a 96-75 victory over Kentucky State University Saturday night at the Physical Activities Center. USI starts the year 1-0, while KSU begins 2012-13 at 0-1.
With the victory, the Screaming Eagles have won 27-straight season openers and the 29-straight home openers.
The Eagles took control early with a 19-4 run midway through the first half and led 26-8 with 9:12 left in the opening half. USI would widen the gap to as many as 21 points, 38-17, with just over five minutes left before the intermission. KSU rallied in the final minutes of the first half, cutting USI's advantage to 15 points, 44-29, at halftime.
USI junior forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) finished the opening 20 minutes one point short of a career-high with a team-best 18 points. Wischmeier was on fire, hitting eight-of-11 from the field and two-of- three from the line.
Senior center
Keith DeWitt (High Point, North Carolina) followed with 10 points to pace the Eagles in the opening stanza.
KSU tried to sneak back into the game during the opening minutes of the second half, cutting the USI advantage to 11 points twice. The Eagles ended the Thorobreds' run and hope when sophomore forward
Austin Davis (Freeport, Illinois) hit a three-point bomb. USI followed up the three-pointer with a monster dunk by DeWitt and a steal/layup combination by junior guard
Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois) to push the lead back to 18 points, 53-35, in the span of a minute.
The Eagles would cruise the rest of the way, increasing the lead to a game-high 27 points, 90-63, before settling for the 96-75 victory.
DeWitt scored 15 points in the second half and ended the contest with a game-high 25 points, while Wischmeier scored two more points in the final half and concluded action with a career-high 20 points. USI also received a double-digit performance from junior forward
Orlando Rutledge (Louisville, Kentucky), who had 14 points in his PAC debut.
As a team, USI shot 52.3 percent for the game (34-65) and dominated the boards, outrebounding KSU, 42-28.
USI continues its season-opening five-game homestand November 17 when it hosts Urbana University at the PAC. Tip-off is slated for 3:15 p.m. and is part of a USI men's and women's basketball doubleheader.
