Final Score: Truman State 71, USI 68
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KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The 15
th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team suffered through a pair of scoring droughts and fell to Truman State University in overtime, 71-68, Thursday night in Kirksville, Missouri. USI falls to 16-4 overall and 8-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while Truman State goes to 16-4, 9-3 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles started the game on fire, shooting over 70 percent for most of the first half and building a 17-point lead, 35-18, with 4:33 left before halftime. USI, however, went cold from the field and allowed Truman State surged with a 14-0 run that cut the Eagles' margin to four points, 35-31, with 49 seconds left before the intermission.
USI junior guard
Gavin Schuman (Cincinnati, Ohio) got the final points of the first half on a bucket with three ticks left on the clock as the Eagles went into the locker room leading, 37-31. The Eagles were one-of-six from the field in the final 4:30 of the first half.
Before two minutes were gone in the second half, the Bulldogs bounced out of the locker room and tied the game, 37-37. USI would push the lead back to four points, 41-37, when Truman State surged again, this time taking the lead with a 9-2 run, 49-46.
USI junior forward
Alex Marzette (Racine, Wisconsin) ignited a 6-0 Eagle run to regain the lead, 52-49. The Eagles, however, would not be able to hold onto the momentum as the Bulldogs rallied again to knot up the score and take the lead.
The two squads would battle to the buzzer and finish regulation tied, 63-63. The second half featured five ties and six lead changes before the stage was set for overtime. USI was hampered by poor free throw shooting in regulation, converting only three-of-eight attempts in the first (1-2) and second (2-6) halves.
The overtime would belong to the Bulldogs as they outscored the Eagles, 8-5, converting on two-of-four from the field and four-of-six trips to the charity stripe. USI suffered through its second shooting drought of the game in overtime, hitting only one-of-seven from the field.
Individually, USI was led by the 15-point performance of senior forward
Orlando Rutledge (Louisville, Kentucky). He scored 11 of his 15 points in the first 15 minutes of the first half as the Eagles ran their lead to 17 points.
USI senior forward
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) followed Rutledge in the scoring column with 14 points and was able to produce his 18
th double-double of the season with 16 rebounds. Nelson's 18 double-doubles ties the USI single-season record set by Chris Bowles in 1991-92.
The USI double-figure scorers were rounded out by senior guard
Lawrence Thomas (Springfield, Illinois), who dropped in 12 points. Eight of Thomas' 12 points came in the second half.
USI concludes its two-game road swing to the GLVC West Saturday when it visits the Hawks of Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. The Hawks fell to 8-14 overall and 3-9 in the league after dropping a 90-79 decision at home to Bellarmine University Thursday night.
USI leads the all-time series with Quincy, 27-9, including a win in the only meeting last year, 78-70, in Quincy. The Eagles also are 18-4 against the Hawks since 2000 and holds a 7-4 advantage at Quincy's Pepsi Arena.
