EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball could not overcome a slow start in the second half and fell to 24
th-ranked Lewis University, 83-73, Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center. The Screaming Eagles rise to 18-7 overall and 10-5 in the GLVC, while the Flyers go to 20-4, 12-3 GLVC.
USI had the early advantage, building a nine-point advantage before four minutes were gone, 15-6, at the 15:49. The Eagles opened the game shooting six-of-seven during the run, led by eight points from sophomore forward
Emmanuel Little (Indianapolis, Indiana).
Lewis, who is ranked 24
th in the NABC Top-25 and 18
th in the D2SIDA Top 25, began to rally and were able to pass USI at the halfway mark of the opening half, 23-22. The Flyers continued their march and extended their lead to as many as nine points twice (35-26 and 37-28).
The Eagles began to chip away at the deficit and closed to within three, 41-38, by the intermission on a 10-4 run that was highlighted by 2,000
th career point for senior guard
Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana).
In the second half, the Flyers began to build their lead, while the Eagles struggled to get a bucket, hitting only two-of-12 from the field in the first eight minutes of the final stanza. Lewis would extend their lead to as many as 19 points, 64-45, with 12:29 to play when USI's offense started to show signs of life.
The Eagles made a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 10 points, 64-54, but the Flyers were able to hold onto the double-digit lead until the final two minutes of the contest. USI was able to close to seven-points twice (77-70 and 80-73) in the last 90 seconds, but Lewis held the Eagles off for the 83-73 win.
At the final buzzer, Little led USI with 19 points and nine rebounds, just missing his eighth double-double of the year. Stein followed with 17 points and has 2,008 career points after tonight, while sophomore guard
Mateo Rivera (Indianapolis, Indiana) rounded out the double-digit scorers and tied a season-high with 15 points.
The Eagles concludes the 2018-19 home schedule Saturday at 3:15 p.m. when they host the University of Indianapolis for Senior Day at the PAC. USI will honor its three seniors – Stein, guard/forward
Nate Hansen (Evansville, Indiana) and forward
Jacob Norman (Evansville, Indiana) -- prior to the game.
The Greyhounds saw their record go to 17-8 overall and 10-5 in the GLVC after falling to ninth-ranked Bellarmine University, 96-66, tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. UIndy is 2-3 in its last five games under the direction of former USI All-American and NCAA II Player of the Year Stan Gouard.
USI won the first meeting of the year with UIndy, 85-70, in Indianapolis and leads the all-time series with UIndy, 57-22 overall and 53-21 in the GLVC, since the start of the series in 1972-73. The Eagles, who lead the series at the PAC, 33-5, was led in the road win by junior guard/forward
Kobe Caldwell (Bowling Green, Kentucky), who had 18 points, and Norman, who had 11 rebounds.