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SCORE: USI 54, Urbana 53
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 12
th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team survived a scare from Urbana University, 54-53, Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center. USI runs its record to 2-0 to begin the 2012-13 schedule, while Urbana falls to 1-3.
The Screaming Eagles and the Blue Knights battled back and forth through the first half with USI taking a two-point advantage, 27-25, into the locker room. The first half featured six ties and seven lead changes. USI posted two leads of four points, 8-4 and 12-8, while Urbana largest lead was five points, 25-20.
After Urbana posted its largest lead of the half and the game, USI rallied with a 7-0 run to end the opening 20 minutes and finished the first half with the two-point advantage.
The Eagles appeared to post a commanding lead in the opening minutes of the second half with the first seven points and completed its 14-0 run with a 34-25 lead with 17:38 to play. USI extended the lead to a game-best 10 points, 37-27, with 14:52 remaining when Urbana tried to mount a comeback.
The Blue Knights chipped away at the Eagle's lead and cut the margin to one point on five occasions, never re-taking the lead. Urbana's final chance came in the final 30 seconds, but USI junior forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) grabbed a defensive rebound with 0.9 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Individually, Wischmeier led the Eagles with 15 points and eight rebounds. He was followed by junior forward
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois), who was the only other Eagle to reach double-digits with 10 points.
As a team, USI shot 42.2 percent from the field (19-45) and 57.7 percent from the charity stripe (15-26). The Eagles also outrebounded the Blue Raiders, 35-31.
USI continues its five-game homestand after Thanksgiving when it hosts the sixth-annual Bill Joergens Memorial Classic November 23-24. The classic features fourth-ranked Bellarmine University, Philander Smith College, and the University of Virginia at Wise, in addition to the Eagles. Tip-off each night is 5:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the PAC.
