Box Score (Sortable); Box Score (HTML)
Score: USI 73, SJC 58
RENSSELAER, Ind. – The 23
rd-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team used a 25-7 second half run to defeat Saint Joseph's College, 73-58, Saturday afternoon in Rensselaer, Indiana. USI rises to 18-5 overall and 11-4 in the GLVC, while Saint Joseph's goes to 6-16, 4-11 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles started fast in the first half, pulling out to a 10-point advantage, 21-11, in the first 12 minutes. USI, however, went cold from the field as Saint Joseph's went on a 17-5 run to take a 28-26 lead. The Pumas and the Eagles would trade buckets in the final minute of the half before Saint Joseph's took a 31-28 margin into the intermission.
Junior forward
Orlando Rutledge (Louisville, Kentucky) led USI in the opening 20 minutes with 11 points, hitting three three-point field goal attempts.
In the first five minutes of the second half, the Eagles came out firing and flew out to a 43-35 lead on a 15-4 run. The Pumas responded with a 16-5 run of their own to re-take control, 51-48 with 9:04 to play.
USI regained the momentum in the final nine minutes, exploding on a 25-7 run and ran away to the 73-58 final. The Eagles led by as many as 17-points, 73-56, in the final minute. DeWitt led USI during the run with 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
For the game, DeWitt led the Eagles with a game-high 27 points and 12 rebounds. The senior center shot 11-of-19 from the field and five-of-seven from the line, while dishing out four assists. The senior center has posted two-straight double-doubles to start the road trip and reached the double-double plateau in five of his last six outings.
Rutledge followed DeWitt in the scoring column with 21 points, reaching 20-or-more points for the sixth time this season. The junior forward was a pinpoint five-of-eight from beyond the three-point arc in game.
Junior forward
Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) rounded out USI's double-digit scorers with 12 second half points, including six during the Eagles' game-winning run.
The victory allows USI to remain in second place and keep pace with GLVC East Division leading University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The Eagles started Saturday's action in a tie for second with 13
th-ranked Bellarmine University, who was at 21
st-ranked UW-Parkside this afternoon.
The Eagles conclude the three-game road swing in Louisville, Kentucky when they visit Bellarmine. USI returns to the friendly surroundings of Physical Activities Center for the final two-game homestand of the year when they host McKendree University February 23 and Kentucky Wesleyan College February 28. The USI-KWC match-up on February 28 is the final GLVC match-up between the long-time rivals.
