KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball held off a second half comeback by Rockhurst University and posted a 79-71 victory Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri. USI sees its record go to 11-2 overall and 3-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while Rockhurst falls to 6-5, 1-2 GLVC.
 
The victory marked the Screaming Eagles' seventh-straight victory and moves to 15-1 all-time against the Hawks.
 
The Eagles started fast in the opening half, beginning with a 24-5 run at the 15 minute mark and led 32-12 with 5:04 remaining before the intermission. The USI offense was sparked by its defense as the Eagles held the Hawks to 22.2 percent from the field (6-27) in the first 20 minutes.
 
Rockhurst did rally at the end of the first half and cut the USI advantage to 13 points, 34-21, in the final 90 seconds before halftime. USI freshman guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) would get the final bucket of the half to take the Eagles into the locker room with a 36-21 lead at the break.
 
The Eagles would try to run away from the Hawks early in the second half, but Rockhurst stayed with USI by building off of its first half offensive surge. The Hawks would chip away at the Eagles lead, closing to within seven points twice in the final minute.
 
To halt the Rockhurst's comeback and close out the first road win of the year, USI used clutch free throw shooting down the stretch. The Eagles converted eight-of-12 trips to the line in the final 71 seconds, led by Stein, who was five-of-six, and junior guard Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky), who was three-of-four.
 
USI senior forward George Edwards (Chicago, Illinois) was USI's main offensive presence throughout most of the second half, scoring 12 of his team-high 19 points in the final half. Edwards also finished with a team-best eight rebounds.
 
Taylor followed Edwards in the scoring column with 16 points, while Stein rounded out the double-digit scorers with 15 points.
 
As a team, USI shot over 50 percent for the third-straight game, hitting 28-of-54 from the field (51.9 percent). The Eagles, however, were outrebounded for the third time this season, 39-32.
 
USI finishes its first road trip of the GLVC schedule Saturday at 3 p.m. when it visits William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. The Cardinals lost at home this evening to 11^th-ranked Bellarmine University, 90-59, in falling to 5-6, 0-3 in the GLVC.
 
USI leads the all-time series with William Jewell, 3-0, and has won both trips to Liberty, Missouri. The Eagles won the 2014-15 meeting at the PAC, 86-48.