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Score: KWC 69, USI 54

Eagles are fifth seed in upcoming GLVC Tournament

Tweet #USI_AthleticsOWENSBORO, Ky. – The ninth-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team dropped its regular season finale at 19^th-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan College, 69-54, Thursday evening in Owensboro, Kentucky. USI falls to 20-6 overall and 12-6 in the GLVC, while KWC goes to 20-6, 12-6 GLVC.
 
The Screaming Eagles fall into three-way tie in the GLVC East Division after the loss and will be the fifth seed in the GLVC Tournament. USI will host a Maryville University Sunday at 2 p.m. to open conference post-season play.
 
The Eagles spotted the Panthers an 8-0 lead to start the game and did not get on the scoreboard until the 16:06 mark when junior guard Kenyon Smith (Chicago, Illinois) hit a free throw. Senior guard Brandon Hogg (Edwardsville, Illinois) hit a jumper with 15:35 remaining in the opening half for USI's first field goal of the game.
 
The four points by Smith and Jones sparked a 14-4 USI run to take a 14-12 lead. The Eagles would extend the lead to 16-12 before the Panthers finished the half with a 17-7 run and led 29-23 at the intermission.
 
USI struggled from the field during the first half, sinking only 8-of-25, and committed 10 turnovers.
 
The Panthers busted out of the gate in the second half, extending their first half lead to 11 points, 42-31, with 12:31 to play. USI would remain down by double-digits until it made a final run to cut the deficit to six points, 52-46, with 6:03 left, but that would be as close as the Eagles would come.
 
KWC re-extended the lead to double-digits in the next two minutes before finishing the game with the 69-54 win. USI continued to struggle from the field in the second half, shooting 11-of-31 in the final 20 minutes, and finished the game 19-of-56 (.339).
 
Individually, USI was led by senior forward Isaac McClure (Paducah, Kentucky) with16 points before fouling out. Hogg finished second on the team with 12 points.