MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball lost the opening game of four-straight on the road, falling at the University of Tennessee at Martin, 77-68, in Martin, Tennessee. The Screaming Eagles fall to 7-19 overall and 4-9 in OVC play, while the Skyhawks are 16-10 overall, 9-4 OVC.
 
Despite the loss, USI remains eighth in the league and in the race to secure a spot in the OVC Tournament in March. The Eagles have a one game lead over Southeast Missouri State University, Tennessee Tech University, and Lindenwood University with five games to play in the 2023-24 season for the final spot in the league's post-season tournament.
 
The top eight teams at the end of OVC play advance to the league tournament March 6-9 at the Ford Center in Evansville. USI has three games on the road remaining before hosting a pair on the final weekend of conference play.  
 
In a back-and-forth battle throughout the first half, the Eagles snagged a 29-28 lead at the intermission as junior guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) scored the last four points of the half. The final four points capped off a 14-point first half for the junior.
 
The Eagles had the early 7-2 advantage, but the Skyhawks came ready to battle and had USI on its heels, 22-15, with 7:31 left before halftime. USI rallied in the final seven minutes, outscoring UTM, 14-6, to lead at the break.
 
The second half started with USI expanding its first half lead to five points, 38-33, before UTM bounced back with a 16-5 run to go up by six, 49-43, with 12:07 to play. The Skyhawk run would continue through the midway portion of the final 20 minutes, building a 12-point advantage with 8:46 left, 57-45.
 
After falling behind by 14, 63-49, with 6:25 remaining, the Eagles tried to get back into the game. They cut the deficit to seven points, 63-56, on a jumper by Hernandez and a three by sophomore guard Ryan Hall (Kettering, Ohio) before sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois) capped off the run with a dunk.
 
The Skyhawks, however, would rebound with nine-straight points to regain control, 72-56, with 1:47 left and would finish with a nine-point, 77-68 final. Overall, UTM also won the battle of the boards, 51-37, and going to the stripe, 33-9.
 
Individually for USI, Hernandez led three Eagles in double-digits with 25 points, adding 11 in the second half. Smith followed with 17 points and just missed his 12^th double-double of the year with a team-high nine rebounds, while Hall rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points.
 
Next Up For USI:
USI continues the first half of a four-game road swing Saturday at 3:30 p.m. when it visits the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
 
The Little Rock Trojans are 15-11 overall and 9-4 in the OVC after defeating Morehead State University, 69-68, Thursday evening. Little Rock has a four-game winning streak and has won seven of the last eight. The seven of the last eight stretch started with USI on January 18.
 
USI, which has a 2-1 series lead over the Trojans, lost the opening game of the 2023-24 series with Little Rock,77-75, in a game that came down to the final seconds and possessions. USI junior guard Jeremiah Hernandez led the Eagles in the loss with 28 points, while junior forward Jack Mielke (Downers Grove, Illinois) and junior guard/forward Javius Moore (McComb, Mississippi) followed with 17 points and 15 points, respectively. 
 
Following next week's action, the Eagles conclude the road swing with a visit to Morehead State University February 20 and Western Illinois University February 24. USI concludes the 2023-24 regular season with a pair of home games, hosting Lindenwood University February 29 and Southeast Missouri State University March 2.
 
Fans can find all the ways to follow USI Basketball action by visiting USIScreamingEagles.com