Eagles stopped by Bulldogs, 79-58

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 The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team played hard, but concluded the 2018-19 exhibition slate with a 79-58 loss to Butler University Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis, Indiana.

USI soared after the tip and quickly built an 11-2 lead to start the game. The Eagles had three-point field goals by senior guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana), sophomore forward Emmanuel Little (Indianapolis, Indiana), and junior guard Braden Fitzjerrells (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) in the first four minutes of the game.

Butler would use a 16-5 run to take its first lead of the game, 18-16, with 9:12 left in the half. The Eagles would regain the lead briefly at 19-18 on a three by senior guard/forward Nate Hansen (Evansville, Indiana) before the Bulldogs closed out the first 20 minutes on a 19-5 run to lead 38-24 at the intermission.

In the second half, the Eagles narrowed the first half deficit to 12, 48-36, with a 12-9 run after the intermission on a jumper by Little. The 12-point deficit would be as close as the Eagles would come the rest of the game before the Bulldogs closed out their 79-58 victory.

In the game, USI shot 42.9 percent from the field (18-42) and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc (7-15). The Eagles tied the Bulldogs on the glass, 33-33, in the game.

Stein finished the game with a team-high 18 points on seven-of-11 from the field, two-of-two from three, and two-of-two from the line. Hansen followed with 15 points on five-of-seven from the field, three-of-five from long range, and two-of-two from the stripe.

On the glass, Little had a team-best eight to lead the Eagles, seven on the defensive glass.

The Eagles open the 2018-19 regular season campaign Friday and Saturday in the Prairie Stars Tipoff Classic, hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield in Springfield, Illinois. USI is slated to play Hillsdale College Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Malone University Saturday at 1 p.m.