EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana junior forward DayJar Dickson (Washington, D.C.) scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Screaming Eagles to an 86-56 victory over McKendree University Saturday afternoon in Lebanon, Illinois. USI, which has won four-straight and evens its road/neutral record at 5-5 in 2017-18, saw its overall record rise to 16-5, 7-2 in the GLVC, while McKendree goes to 11-9 overall, 2-8 GLVC.
 
USI Head Coach Rodney Watson becomes the third Eagles' head coach to reach the 200-win mark with the victory, tying for second all-time in program history. He is tied with Rick Herdes (200-59, 2001-09) and 31 wins behind all-time leader Bruce Pearl (231-46, 1992-2001).  
 
USI was cold out of the gate, hitting only four of its first 14 shots and trailed by four points three times in the first eight minutes. The Eagles caught fire midway through the first half and went on an 11-2 run to take their first lead of the game, 19-14.
 
The run would continue through the final 10 minutes before halftime as USI extended the lead to as many as10 points twice before freshman guard Mateo Rivera (Indianapolis, Indiana) sent the Eagles into the locker room with a 13-point, 37-24, lead at the intermission with bomb from three feet from beyond the arc. The Eagles were a blistering 13-of-19 from the field in the final 12 minutes of the opening stanza.
 
Dickson, who was a perfect four-of-four from the field to open the game, and junior guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana), who was four-of-seven from outside, led in the first half with eight points each. Junior forward Jacob Norman (Evansville, Indiana), who was three-of-four from the field, and Rivera, who was two-of-three from downtown, followed with six points each.

In the second half, USI continued the run from the first half with an 11-2 start to the final 20 minutes (16-2 overall) to post a 22-point lead, 48-26. The Bearcats attempted to battle back into the contest, knocking the Eagles advantage down to 11 points, 50-39, with a 13-2 run at 11:41 remaining.
 
The Eagles would see their lead cut to 10 points, 54-44, with 9:13 to play before senior guard Marcellous Washington (Lexington, Kentucky) ignited a 21-4 run with three three-point field goals and 12 points total during the offensive burst that pushed the lead to 27 points, 75-48. USI extended the lead to as many as 32 points, 86-54, in the final five minutes before settling for the 86-56 final.
 
Dickson added 14 second half points to lead four Eagles in double-digits with his career-high 22 points. The junior forward was a blistering 11-of-12 from the field, while grabbing six rebounds.
 
Washington followed with 17 points and posted a season-high seven rebounds. Stein and Rivera rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
 
As a team, the Eagles held its second-straight opponent to less than 60 points and has held the opposition to less than 40 percent from the field in five-straight halves. USI held McKendree to 33.9 percent in the win (21-62), 28.6 percent from long range (4-14).
 
The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center for USI Homecoming Week and a pair of GLVC contests, beginning with Maryville University Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The homecoming game is February 3 when USI hosts Quincy University for a 3 p.m. tipoff.
 
Maryville, which leads the GLVC Central Division, saw its record go to 16-4, 8-3 GLVC, after defeating the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 78-59, this afternoon at home.
 
In the series with Maryville, USI is 9-2 all-time against the Saints after winning the only match-up of 2016-17, 82-66, in St. Louis, Missouri. Stein had a game-high 21 points and Dickson had a double-double, 12 points and 11 rebounds, to lead the Eagles. USI also is 6-1 against Maryville in the GLVC and 6-2 all-time at the PAC.