Final Score: USI 102, Virginia Union 80
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The ninth-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team soared over the century mark for the first time this season and defeated Virginia Union University, 102-80, Saturday afternoon in the Bellarmine Classic in Louisville, Kentucky. USI rises to 7-0 overall for third time in five seasons, while Virginia Union goes to 1-8.
The Screaming Eagles opened the game with total control for the first 15 minutes, building a 17-point lead, 38-21, with 4:44 left before halftime. The Eagles built the largest lead of the half with an 11-0 run beginning with 9:52 to play in the opening stanza. Virginia Union slashed the USI advantage to 10 points four times in the final minutes of the opening half, including the halftime score of 46-36.
USI had eight players score in the opening 20 minutes with senior forwards
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) and
Manny Ogunfolu (Rockville, Maryland) and senior guards
Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois) and
Ben Jones (Robinson, Illinois) leading the way with eight points each.
Virginia Union posted six quick points in the opening minute of the second half and cut the USI margin down to four, 46-42. The Eagles responded with a 16-3 run to build the lead back up to 17 points, 62-45. USI junior guard
Gavin Schumann (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the deciding run with six points during the surge, while Nelson contributed five.
The Eagles would go on to lead by as many as 32 points in the final half, 90-58, with 4:39 left to play. Virginia Union would chip away at the margin in the final four minutes, closing to within 19 points, 99-80, before USI closed out the 102-80 victory.
Individually, Ogunfolu led six USI players in double-figures with a career-high 20 points, scoring 12 in the second half. He was a blistering eight-of-10 from the field, one-of-two from long range, and a perfect three-of-three from the charity stripe.
Nelson followed Ogunfolu in the scoring column and recorded his seventh-straight double-double of the year, 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Schumann finished out the top three with 15 points, hitting three long-range bombs.
Ben Jones, Thomas, and senior forward
Chuck Jones (Madisonville, Kentucky) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points each.
Senior forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
As a team, USI shot 53.6 percent (37-69) in the game, 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc (6-15), and 73.3 percent from the line (22-30). The Eagles also outrebounded the Panthers, 51-25.
The next action for USI is December 21 when it hosts Kentucky Wesleyan College at the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center. Game time next Saturday is 1 p.m.
