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SCORE: USI 73, UIndy 64
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 10
th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team won the battle of the second half and defeated the 14
th-ranked University of Indianapolis, 73-64, Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center. USI rises to 13-1 overall and 5-1 in the GLVC, while UIndy falls to 12-2 overall, 4-2 GLVC.
After the teams fought to a 32-32 halftime draw, the Screaming Eagles used a 9-0 run to begin the final half and take command of the game. The Greyhounds, however, pawed their way back into the contest, cutting the margin to three points, 43-40, but, that would be as close as they would get the rest of the way.
USI extended the second half lead to as many as 12 points, 57-45, with 3:53 to play before settling for the nine-point, 73-64 victory.
Neither squad was able to get much separation in the opening half, producing 10 lead changes and four ties. The largest margin for either team had in the opening 20 minutes was four points.
For the game, USI outshot UIndy, 47.2 percent (17-36) to 36.9 percent (24-65) and outrebounded the Greyhounds, 36-30. The Eagles also made their trips to the charity stripe count tonight by converting 37-of-44 (84.1 percent), their best performance of the year (84.1 percent).
Individually, USI senior guard
Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois) led all scorers with a game-high 16 points, 10 coming in the deciding half. He was three-of-seven from the field, two-of–three from long range, while dropping in a perfect eight-of-eight from the line.
Senior forward
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) hung onto his double-double streak with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Nelson, who has 14 double-doubles this year, was two-of-two from the floor and seven-of-eight from the line, while all 10 rebounds came on the defensive end.
The final Eagle to reach double-figures was junior guard
Evan Brinkmeyer (Evansville, Indiana). Brinkmeyer posted a career-high 12 points on a field goal and 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. He has registered a career-best each of the last two games.
USI goes on the road for the next three games, starting with second-ranked Bellarmine University at 7 p.m. (CST) Monday night in Louisville, Kentucky. The Knights rebounded from their first loss of the season with a 103-60 win over Saint Joseph's College Saturday afternoon and rose to 13-1 overall, 5-1 GLVC.
USI leads the all-time series with Bellarmine, 46-34, but Bellarmine took two of three from the Eagles a year ago. The Knights lost to USI at the PAC, 62-49, but defeated USI at Knights Hall, 73-62, and in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, 78-55, in Springfield Missouri. Bellarmine also leads the series at Knights Hall since 2000, 7-6.
