USI back at Liberty for final homestand
Eagles host Senior Night Saturday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball returns to Liberty Arena this week for the final homestand of 2024-25. The Screaming Eagles are slated to host Eastern Illinois University Thursday and Southern Illinois University Edwarsville for Senior Night Saturday.
On Senior Night, USI will recognize its four seniors – guards Ryan Hall and Sam Mervis, forwards Jack Mielke and Nick Hittle – before Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. contest.
USI (9-17, 4-12 OVC) hopes to get back on track during the final two games at home and snap a six-game losing streak. The Screaming Eagles had a rough road trip last week, losing at Western Illinois University, 87-62, and Lindenwood University in overtime, 81-78.
Junior guard Jayland Randall led USI on the latest road swing with 18 points per outing. Sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi and junior guard Damoni Harrison followed with 16 points per game each.
For the season, Randall leads the team with 15.1 points per outing, while Harrison was second with 15.0 per game. Olowoniyi rounds out the double-figure scorers with 14.0 points per game and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per contest.
Olowoniyi, who had 22 points and 13 rebounds in the loss to Lindenwood, leads the team with five double-doubles this season.
The EIU Panthers (8-19 overall, 4-12 OVC) have lost four-straight games and 11 of the last 14.
USI took the lead in the all-time series, 4-3, with a 64-60 win in the first meeting in Charleston, Illinois. Sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi was the only Eagle to reach double digits with 13 points. The series also is tied in OVC play, 2-2.
The Cougars of SIUE (18-9, 11-5 OVC) are on a roll in the second half of 2024-25. SIUE, which won at Tennessee State University, 84-72, Saturday, has won four of its last five and seven of 10.
The Eagles lead the all-time series, 46-24, despite falling to the Cougars in January, 82-76, in Edwardsville. USI, which trails SIUE, 4-2, since moving to Division I, was led in the loss by junior guard Damoni Harrison, who posted a team-high 15 points. Junior guard Sam Kodi and sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi followed with 12 points and 11 points, respectively, while junior guard Jayland Randall and junior guard Braxton Jones rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points each.
Both games are slated for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff and tickets for both games are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
All of the USI Basketball action can be seen live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
