MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball surged late, but fell short at Western Illinois University, 86-78, Wednesday night at Western Hall in Macomb, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles are 3-4 after tonight's action, while the Fighting Leathernecks rise to 3-4.
 
USI tried to rally a few times in the first half, but trailed by two at halftime, 36-34. The Eagles jumped out in front early, 9-6, but a Leatherneck 9-0 momentum shift allowed Western Illinois to take command of the contest.
 
A 15-6 run in the final five minutes of the opening half allowed the Eagles to narrow an 11-point deficit to just two points at the intermission. Junior guard Tyler Henry (Brooklyn, New York) led the surge with seven of the 15 points.
 
The second half did not start in favor of USI as Western Illinois went on a 15-5 run to take a 51-39 advantage. The Eagles tried to cut into the deficit, closing the gap to 59-52 with a 13-8 run with 10:25 left in the game. Senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) gave the Eagles the momentum with six of the 13 points.
 
USI would make one more push in the final seven minutes with a 17-9 run to cut the deficit to two points, 74-72, with 3:45 to play when Henry connected on an old fashion three-point play. The Leathernecks would not let the Eagles get any closer as they pulled away to the 86-78 final.
 
USI had three players reach double-digit scoring with Polakovich leading the way with 18 points. The senior forward, who also had a game-high nine rebounds, was eight-of-14 from the field and two-of-seven from the stripe.
 
Henry followed Polakovich with 17 points on a blistering seven-of-nine from the field. He also was one-of-one from beyond the arc and two-of-two from the line.
 
Graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
 
Next Up 2022-23:
USI completes the four-game road swing Sunday at 2 p.m. with a visit to Chicago State University in the Jones Convocation Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Cougars, currently, are 2-4 this season and will play Bethune-Cookman University on the road Thursday before welcoming the Eagles.
 
Sunday's contest between the Cougars and the Eagles will be the first meeting between the two programs.
 
Following the end of the road swing Sunday, the Eagles are home for a pair of games at Screaming Eagles Arena. USI is slated to host Anderson University (Indiana) Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Indiana State University November 11 at 3 p.m.