USI re-enters the national top 10
USI Men's Basketball Game Notes;
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 10
th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team sets off on it first Great Lakes Valley Conference road trip of the year, traveling to the University of Illinois Springfield Thursday and Quincy University Saturday. Tip-off Thursday at UIS in Springfield, Illinois, is set for 7:30 p.m., while the scheduled start time Saturday at Quincy in Quincy, Illinois, is slated for 3:15 p.m.
The Screaming Eagles (9-1, 2-0 GLVC) rose seven spots and back into the top 10 of the NABC/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll after completing a sweep of their three-game homestand. USI finished up the homestand last weekend with a pair of victories to open the GLVC schedule, defeating the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 66-54, and Maryville University, 83-55.
USI junior forward
Orlando Rutledge (Chicago Heights, Illinois) led the Eagles' offensive attack with 17.7 points per contest in the conference games. Senior center
Keith DeWitt (High Point, North Carolina) followed Rutledge with 11.0 points per game, while junior forward
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) was USI's top rebounder with 10.0 per contest.
In the win over Maryville, Nelson became the first Eagle since 2006 to have a double-double in the first half when he had 10 points and 10 rebounds. He would finish the contest with a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds.
For the season, Rutledge leads the Eagles with 16.5 points per outing. He is followed by junior forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana), who is posting 13.0 points per contest. DeWitt and Nelson are USI's remaining double-digit scorers with 12.8 and 12.1 points per appearance, respectively.
The Prairie Stars of UIS (3-8, 1-2 GLVC) have struggled over the last five games, losing four times and splitting a pair of conference games. UIS, however, is 2-2 at home this season.
The USI-UIS match-up on Thursday marks the seventh meeting of the two programs with the Eagles leading the series, 5-1. The Eagles also won their only road game with the Prairie Stars in 2010-11, 78-61.
USI concludes its first conference road trip of the year with its 36
th game against the Hawks of Quincy (6-5, 1-2 GLVC). The Hawks, who host sixth-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan College on Thursday, stumbled twice in the GLVC last week with losses at Bellarmine University and McKendree University. Quincy is 6-2 at home in 2012-13.
The Eagles lead the all-time series, 26-9, and hold a series advantage over the Hawks since 2000, 17-4. USI also is 6-4 on the road against Quincy, including a win in the last meeting, 80-68, in 2010-11.
Coverage of the Eagles' GLVC games, including live stats and audio/video broadcasts, is available at gousieagles.com. The USI action also can be heard on ESPN 106.7FM and WPSR 90.7FM.
NABC/Division II Top 25
1. West Liberty
2. Metropolitan State
3. Alabama-Huntsville
4. Bellarmine
(GLVC)
5. Western Washington
6. Kentucky Wesleyan
(GLVC)
7. Indianapolis
(GLVC)
8. Seattle Pacific
9. Cal Poly Pomona
10. Southern Indiana (GLVC)
11. Minnesota State
12. Lincoln Memorial
13. Washburn
14. Franklin Pierce
15. Cal State-San Bernardino
16. Florida Southern
17. Winston-Salem State
18. Adams State
19. Newman
20. Tampa
21. Indiana
22. King
23. Barton
24. Northwest Missouri State
25. Fort Lewis
Others receiving votes: Grand Canyon (Ariz.), St. Mary's (Texas), Michigan Tech, Minnesota State-Moorhead, Augusta State (Ga.), Dominican (N.Y.), West Texas A&M, Assumption (Mass.), Rollins (Fla.), Findlay (Ohio), North Georgia, Wayne State (Mich.), St. Cloud State (Minn.), Saint Leo (Fla.), Drury (Mo.)
(GLVC), Harding (Ark.), East Stroudsburg (Pa.), Shepherd (W.Va.), North Alabama, Saint Anselm (N.H.), Winona State (Minn.), Augustana (S.D.).
Next poll is January 15.
