EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team held on in the final 10 minutes to defeat Quincy University, 68-62, Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center. USI goes to 14-6 overall and 7-5 in the GLVC, while Quincy sees its record go to 12-10, 5-7 GLVC.
The victory keeps USI in the hunt to host a first round game in the GLVC Tournament on March 1. The GLVC Tournament features the top 12 team from both divisions, with seeds five through eight hosting first round games. The Screaming Eagles, currently, would be in the eighth sport if the GLVC Tournament started tomorrow.
The Eagles and the Hawks scratched and clawed their way through the opening half with six lead changes and four ties before USI nailed down the halftime lead of 23-22. Sophomore guard
Bobo Drummond (Peoria, Illinois) led the Eagles in the opening with 10 points on four-of-eight from the field, including a pair of three-point field goals.
USI flew out of the locker room to start the second half, extending the one-point halftime lead to 16 points twice, 51-35 and 53-37. In the run up to the first 16 point lead, the Eagles were a blistering 11-of-13 from the field, including five-of-six from beyond the arc, as they outscored the Hawks, 28-13.
Senior forward
Austin Davis (Freeport, Illinois) led the Eagles' sprint out of the locker room with 11 points, hitting three three-point bombs and a two-point jumper in a span of three minutes. Senior guard
Gavin Schumann (Cincinnati, Ohio) also had 10 points during the run.
The Hawks, however, were not about let the Eagles cruise in the final 10 minutes. Quincy nailed down the defensive side of the floor and went on a 23-11 run to pull to within four points, 64-60, with 49 seconds left on the clock. Schumann and Drummond would seal the victory for USI by stepping to the line and knocking down four free throws, two each, to clinch the 68-62 victory for the Eagles.
As a team, Quincy won the battle on the boards, 35-32, and outshot the Eagles, 47.9 percent to 44.6 percent for the game. USI won the in the second half by shooting 60 percent, hitting 15-of-25 from the field and five-of-eight from long range.
Individually, Drummond led all scorers with a game-high 18 points. He was five-of-10 from the field, three-of-eight from long range, and five-of-seven from the charity stripe. Davis and Schumann followed with 14 points each to round out the double-digit scorers. Davis also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
USI concludes the short two-game homestand and celebrate Homecoming Saturday when it hosts Truman State University at 3:15 p.m. The Bulldogs saw their record go to 16-6 overall and 8-4 in the GLVC after falling to fifth-ranked Bellarmine University, 89-73, in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Eagles and the Bulldogs have split the two games of the series after Truman State won the first meeting in GLVC play last year, 71-68, in Kirksville, Missouri. USI won the very first meeting with Truman State at the PAC in 1997-98, 92-85.
