LAS VEGAS, Nev. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball could not complete a second-straight comeback win and fell to Lake Superior State University, 91-73, in the conclusion of the D2 Vegas Showdown in Las Vegas, Nevada. USI starts the year 1-1, while LSSU, which received votes for the Division II Preseason Top 25 poll, begins 2015-16, 2-0.
 
The Screaming Eagles got off to a fast start and had a 17-10 lead on back-to-back three-point field goals left by junior guard Bobo Drummond (Peoria, Illinois) and freshman guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana). The Eagles would lead by as many as eight points, 20-12, in the opening half.
 
The Lakers, however, would answer the Eagles early runs with an 18-7 sprint of their own to finish the opening 20 minutes with a 45-39 lead. Junior guard Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky) paced the Eagles in the first half with nine points, while Stein dropped in a pair of long range field goals and had eight points.
 
LSSU continued its offensive rush into the second half, going on a 17-0 run to lead 62-39. USI, after falling behind by 23 points with 16:21 to play, battled back with a 19-8 run of its own to pull to within 12 points, 70-58, with 9:29 left and to within 11 points, 77-66, with 6:29 remaining.
 
The Eagles would run out of gas at this points as the Lakers responded with a 14-7 run and ended the contest with a 91-73 victory. USI got the margin back to 11 points, 82-71, with 5:05 left and would be as close as the score would be the rest of the way.
 
Overall in the contest, Stein finished the game with a team-high 19 points. He was seven-of-10 from the field, three-of-five from beyond the arc, and two-of-four from the line.
 
Taylor followed Stein in the scoring column with 11 points, while Drummond rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
 
As a team, USI shot 44.4 percent from the field (24-54) and was outrebounded, 37-33. Taylor had the USI-lead in rebounding with six boards.
 
The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center Wednesday for the home opener against Lees-McRae College. The Bobcats are off to a 0-2 start after falling twice in the Conference Carolinas Challenge, losing to Tusculum College, 78-75, and Lincoln Memorial University, 94-77, this weekend.