EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball completed a three-game homestand sweep with a 104-46 victory over East-West University Monday evening at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles reach the .500 mark for the first time this season at 4-4, while the Phantoms go to 1-12 in 2024-25.
 
USI got off to a slow start offensively, hitting only four of its first 16 shots, and led by two after the first eight minutes, 12-10. Junior center Alex Horiuk buried back-to-back buckets to spark an 18-2 run to give USI control, 30-12, with 7:23 to play in the first half.
 
The Eagles were a blistering seven-of-10 from the field during the run, including four-of-six from beyond the arc, and was led during the run by junior guard Braxton Jones with six of the points on two of the three-point bombs.
 
The USI first-half advantage would rise to as many as 28 points when junior guard Sam Kodi put the Eagles up, 53-25, at the intermission. USI outscored East-West in the final 12 minutes of the first half, 41-15, by shooting 66.7 percent from the field (16-24) during the surge.
 
Junior guard Jayland Randall and sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi would reach double-digits by the break with team-best 14 and 11 points, respectively, in the opening 20 minutes.
 
In the second half, the Eagles continued to dominate. USI expanded the margin to as many as 61 points (104-43) by shooting an astonishing 54.1 percent from the field (20-37) in the final 20 minutes.
 
For the game, USI won the battle of the glass, 56-36, and shot 51.9 from the field (40-77). The Eagles also reached 100 points for the first time this year and the 104 points were the most since the 107 points scored against East-West last season.
 
Individually, four Eagles scored in double-digits in the 58-point win. Olowoniyi led the charge with 17 points on a blistering eight-of-10 from the field and one-of-two from the stripe.
 
Jones and junior guard Jared Washington followed with 15 points each. Jones was a red-hot four-of-seven from the field and four-of-five from long range, while Washington was six-of-10 from the field with a pair of three-pointers and a free throw.
 
Randall rounded out the double-digit scorers with his 14 first-half points. Also offensively, junior guard Jack Campion had nine assists for the third-straight game.  
 
Next Up For USI:
USI hits the road for a quick trip to Southern Illinois University Saturday in Carbondale, Illinois. The tipoff at the Banterra Center is slated for 2 p.m.
 
The Salukis are 3-5 this season after going 1-2 in the Gulf Coast Showcase last week. SIU opens its Missouri Valley Conference schedule at home Wednesday versus Bradley University before hosting USI.    
 
USI trails the all-time series with SIU, 4-1, after falling to the Salukis last December, 81-50, in Carbondale. A.J. Smith led USI in the loss with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Following the road swing to Carbondale, USI begins a four-game homestand, its longest of the season, by hosting Shawnee State University December 15 at Liberty Arena. The homestand also includes the start of Ohio Valley Conference action with games versus Tennessee State University (December 19); the University of Tennessee at Martin (December 21), and Morehead State University (December 31).