Second half surge propels Eagles
 
 Box Score (Sortable) | Box Score (HTML)
SCORE: USI 90, McKendree 74

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana senior forward Orlando Rutledge (Louisville, Kentucky) and senior center Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) combined for 52 points and led the 16^th-ranked Screaming Eagles to a 90-74 victory over McKendree University Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center. USI rises to 16-3 overall and 8-3 in the GLVC, while McKendree falls to 8-10 overall, 2-8 GLVC.
 
Rutledge led all scorers with 28 points, posting 14 points in each half. He had the hot hand tonight, hitting 10-of-16 percent from the field and seven-of-nine from the line. The senior forward, who was one-of-two from beyond the three-point arc, also tied a season-high with eight rebounds.
 
Nelson followed Rutledge in the scoring column with 24 points, dropping in nine-of-15 from the field and six-of-eight from the charity stripe. He also recorded his 17^th double-double of the season with a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
The 17 double-doubles leaves Nelson one short of the school-record of 18 set by former USI All-American and Division II Player of the Year Chris Bowles, who established the mark in 1991-92.
 
In addition to Rutledge and Bowles, USI got double-figure scoring performances from senior forward Taylor Wischmeier (Brownstown, Indiana) and senior guard Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois). Wischmeier hit six-of-nine from the field for his 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists, and blocked three shots. Thomas scored all 11 of his points in the final 12 minutes of the game on five-of-nine from the field and one-of-two from long range.  
 
In the contest, the Eagles flew out to an eight-point lead in the first eight minutes of the game, 19-11. McKendree rallied to tie the game, 24-24, on a 13-5 run and took the lead at the first half buzzer on a 6-0 run, 42-41.
 
The lead changed hands five times in the first five minutes of the second half with the Eagles passing the Bearcats for the final time with 16:02 to play. Rutledge tied the game, 49-49, on the lay-up and Wischmeier gave the Eagles a 51-49 advantage with 15:24 to play. Rutledge's game-tying lay-up sparked an 11-0 run that put USI in the lead for good.
 
USI would go on to outscore McKendree, 24-4, in a nine minute span and was able to put the game on cruise control with an 18-point lead, 71-53 with 7:44 left. The Eagles would see the lead grow to as many as 20 points, 86-66, on a bucket by Thomas with 2:48 remaining in the contest before settling for the 16-point, 90-74, victory.
 
The Eagles shot 53.8 percent from the field (35-65) in the win and outrebounded the Bearcats, 44-23.
 
USI hits the road next week in the GLVC when it travels to new league-member Truman State University February 6 for a 7:30 p.m. contest and Quincy University February 8 for a 3:15 p.m. tip-off. The Eagles return home to the PAC February 13 for Veterans Appreciation Night when they host Maryville University and February 15 for Homecoming when they entertain the University of Missouri-St. Louis.