The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team restarted Great Lakes Valley Conference play with an 88-71 victory over William Jewell College Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center. USI sees its record go to 13-0 overall for the third time in the history of the program and 3-0 in the GLVC, while William Jewell is 3-8, 0-4 GLVC.
The victory also was the 100th career victory at the Physical Activities Center for Head Coach Rodney Watson. Watson, who was named the Division II Bulletin Coach of the Month for December, has an overall career record of 171-49 (.777), 92-37 in the GLVC (.752).
The Screaming Eagles struggled to get a bucket in the first three minutes of the game, trailing early, 2-0 and 4-2, to the Cardinals before taking the lead for good on a 12-1 run to make the score, 14-5, with 13:31 left in the opening half. USI would push the lead to its largest of the first 20 minutes, 11 points, with an 8-0 burst to get the score to 27-16.
William Jewell, however, ignited for a run of its own to cut the USI margin to five points twice before the Eagles took a 45-37 lead into the intermission. Senior guard Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky) paced the Eagles during the first half with 15 points.
In the second half, USI began to pull away from William Jewell, using at 17-2 run midway through the period to extend its halftime lead to 22 points, 78-56, with 5:49 to play. Senior guard Cortez Macklin (Louisville, Kentucky) exploded in the second half to lead the Eagles’ run, hitting three three-point bombs and scoring all 12 of his points during the final 20 minutes.
The Eagles would go on to lead by as many as 24 points, 85-61, with 3:25 remaining and cruised to the 88-71 final.
Individually, Taylor would lead three Eagles in double-digits with 17 points, while sophomore guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) and Macklin followed with 13 points and 12 points, respectively.
USI concludes its three-game homestand Saturday at 3:15 p.m. when it welcomes Rockhurst University to the PAC. The USI-Rockhurst game Saturday is the annual Varsity Club/Alumni Association Soup & Hot Dog Dinner.
Rockhurst saw its record go to 7-4 overall, 1-2 in the GLVC, after losing, 80-71, at Bellarmine University tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The loss snapped the Hawk’s four-game winning streak.
The Eagles are 16-1 all-time against Rockurst and have won the last 13-straight contests with the Hawks. USI, which is 7-0 versus the Hawks at the PAC, posted a 79-71 road victory last year behind the 19-point, eight-rebound effort of George Edwards.
