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FINAL SCORE: USI 66, UMSL 54
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 17
th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team opened Great Lakes Valley Conference action with a 12-point, 66-54 victory over the University of Missouri-St. Louis Thursday night at the Physical Activities Center. USI rises to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in the GLVC, while UMSL falls to 7-3 overall, 0-2 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles trailed early in the first half, but used a 5-0 run to take control, 12-9. USI built its largest lead of the first half, 22-13, with 11:02 left before halftime and appeared to be flying straight to win number eight of the season. The Tritons, however, had other ideas as they fought back to tie the game four times in the final five minutes of the opening half before the Eagles scratched out a 33-31 halftime margin.
After UMSL tied the game, 33-33, in the opening minute of the second half, USI went on a 9-2 run to take command of the contest and led by seven points, 42-35, with 11:14 to play. The Eagles extended the lead to double-digits for the first time, 55-45, with 5:01 to play and posted their largest lead of the game, 66-52, with 1:18 remaining before settling for the 66-54 final.
USI had three players score in double-digits with junior forward
Orlando Rutledge (Louisville, Kentucky) leading the way with 14 points. Rutledge was followed by junior forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana), who recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds, and sophomore forward
Austin Davis (Freeport, Indiana), who had a season-high 11 points. The 13 rebounds was a career-high for Wischmeier.
USI junior forward
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) also reached double digits in rebounds, grabbing 11 boards in the victory. Nelson has recorded 10-plus rebounds three times this season.
Overall, the Eagles' defense made life tough on the Tritons, holding UMSL to 32.8 percent field goal shooting (20-61) and 19.0 percent from beyond the three-point arc (4-21). The Eagles also outrebounded the Tritons, 45-37.
USI concludes its three-game homestand Saturday when it hosts Maryville University for a 3:15 p.m. tip-off. The Saint fell to 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the GLVC after losing, 83-53, at ninth-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky, tonight.
