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SCORE: UW-Parkside 76, USI 76 (ot)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 10
th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team had its Homecoming spoiled in overtime by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 76-72, Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center. USI falls to 16-5 overall and 9-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while UW-Parkside retains first in the GLVC East Division with a 16-5 overall mark, 11-2 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles seemed to have the game under control by halftime when they took their largest lead of the half, 33-27, into the locker room. USI shot well in the first half, hitting 54.2 percent from the field (13-24) and was led by junior guard
Lawrence Thomas' (Springfield, Illinois) 12 first half points.
The Eagles quickly extended their halftime lead to 10 points, 37-27, on a dunk by junior forward
Orlando Rutledge (Louisville, Kentucky) and a lay-up by Thomas in the opening 40 seconds of the second half. UW-Parkside responded by outscoring USI, 23-13, over the next 10 minutes to tie the score, 50-50.
The Eagles and the Rangers would post three more ties and exchange the lead three more times before ending regulation tied 65-65. UW-Parkside's junior guard Bryant Smith hit a three-point field goal with 18 ticks left on the clock to force the additional period.
USI started fast in overtime, building a pair of three-point leads, but UW-Parkside would score nine of the last 11 points to take the victory, 76-72.
As a team, USI bounced back from its poor shooting game against Lewis University on Thursday to hit 50 percent from the field (27-54) and won the battle on the boards, 33-28. The Eagles, however, made 10 turnovers in the contest.
Individually, Thomas and senior center
Keith DeWitt (High Point, North Carolina) led the Eagles with 20 points each. Thomas was seven-of-15 from the field, two-of-four from beyond the three point arc, and four-of-seven from the line, while DeWitt was eight-of-12 from the field and four-of-seven from the stripe. Rutledge rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points.
This week's losses to Lewis and UW-Parkside marks the first back-to-back GLVC setbacks at the PAC since January of the 2007-08 season when the Eagles lost to the same two teams.
USI leaves the PAC for three-straight games beginning Thursday at the University of Indianapolis when it starts the final road trip of the 2012-13 regular season. The road swing also includes stops February 16 at Saint Joseph's College and February 21 at Bellarmine University.
