EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball raced by Kentucky State University, 93-56, Saturday at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles go to 3-5 in the non-conference schedule, while Kentucky State is 2-3.
 
USI raced out in front to start the game as senior guard Ismail Habib scored the first Eagles' first eight points of the game and propelled the squad to a 12-2 lead before the first media timeout.
 
After Kentucky State cut the margin to one point, 14-13, the Eagles exploded on another run to push the advantage back to double-digits and beyond. USI, behind the seven points of junior guard Kaden Brown during the run, took the margin to 12 points, 30-18. The USI lead would go to as many as 22 points before the halftime score of 44-27.
 
Habib and Brown led the USI scorers during the first 20 minutes with 14 points and 12 points, respectively. Junior forward Tolu Samuels reached double-digits in rebounds for the third-straight game with 10 first half boards.
 
The second half saw USI rapidly expand the first half margin to as many as 40 points during the second half, 87-47, with 4:21 left in the game. The Eagles on the second half, 49-29, led by the 11-point effort off the bench by senior guard Cardell Bailey.
 
For the game, USI controlled the glass by outrebounding Kentucky State, 58-38, and held the Thorobreds to 31.4 percent from the field (22-70).
 
Brown led USI for the game with a season-high 20 points. He was seven-of-12 from the field, a blistering five-of-10 from beyond the arc, and one-of-two from the line.
 
Habib and Bailey followed with 17 points and 16 points, respectively, while senior forward Ola Ajiboye and junior guard Sheridan Sharp posted 10 points each to round out the double-digit scorers. Five players in double-digits was the second time for USI this season and the second time in three games.
 
Samuels, who is averaging 14.0 rebounds per game in the last three contests, posted a team-best 13 boards in the win. Bailey recorded his first double-double as an Eagle and the first of the year for the team by grabbing 10 rebounds off the bench.
 
Next Up For USI:
USI goes back on the road for the next two games, beginning with Western Michigan University Wednesday in Kalamazoo, Michigan, at 6 p.m. (CST). The Broncos saw their record go to 3-5 overall after losing to Valparaiso University, 84-55, this afternoon.
 
The Eagles lead the all-time series with WMU, 1-0, after winning the first meeting in 1982-83, 101-99, in a four-overtime contest.
 
USI concludes next week's road swing December 7 when it visits Indiana State University for a noon (CST) game in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Sycamores are 4-4 overall, having lost their last two games and will be hosting Eureka College Tuesday before welcoming the Eagles to the Hulman Center.
 
The Eagles lead the young series, 2-1, after taking a second-straight at Liberty Arena from the Sycamores last year, 87-77. Indiana State won the meeting in Terre Haute in 2023-24, 98-54.
 
The next home game for USI is December 15 when the Eagles host East/West University for the start of a three-game homestand. The homestand includes the start of the Ohio Valley Conference season when USI hosts the University of Arkansas at Little Rock December 18 and Morehead State University December 20.