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SCORE: USI 86, Maryville 78
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 25
th-ranked and sixth-seeded University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament with an 86-78 victory over 11
th-seeded Maryville University Sunday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center. USI starts the post-season with a win and rises to 22-5 overall, while Maryville finishes its 2013-14 campaign 13-14.
The Screaming Eagles proceed to the Ford Center Friday and will play fourth-seeded Lewis University (21-5) in the quarterfinals. Game time for the USI-Lewis match-up is
noon.
USI had to come from behind to earn its fourth-straight trip to conference quarterfinals as the first round game with Maryville was a battle from start to finish. The match-up featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes throughout the afternoon before the Eagles prevailed.
It was the Saints that controlled the game at the intermission, leading 37-34 at the buzzer. The first half was a series of runs with the Eagles starting with a 6-0 run to open game, while later in the half USI and Maryville traded 6-0 runs as they vied for the momentum. The Saints finished the opening 20 minutes on 7-2 run to take the lead into the locker room.
In the second half, Maryville quickly increased its margin to six points, 40-34, before USI rallied to tie the score, 41-41. The Saints would continue to cling to small margins until 9:09 left in the game when the Eagles used a 7-3 spurt to finally take the lead for good.
The deciding run of the second half came with 4:38 to play when senior center
Aaron Nelson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) ignited a 12-2 surge that concluded with USI up 11 points, 78-67, with 1:33 left. The Eagles sealed the game in the final minute by converting six-of-10 from the free throw line and get the 86-78 win.
For the game, Nelson produced his 22
nd double-double to lead the Eagles with 22 points and 21 rebounds. This double-double marked the third time this year that Nelson has put up 20-or-more points and grabbed 20-or-more rebounds in a contest.
USI senior forward
Orlando Rutledge (Louisville, Kentucky) followed Nelson in the scoring column with 20 points, while senior guard
Ben Jones (Robinson, Illinois) and junior guard
Gavin Schumann (Cincinnati, Ohio) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points each.
