EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball rolled through Saint Mary’s of the Woods, 84-42, Thursday evening at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Screaming Eagles rise above .500 for the first time as a Division I team and are 6-5 after tonight’s action, while the Pomeroys are 4-7.
The Eagles and Pomeroys started slow with each team posting a bucket through the first four minutes. USI ignited after the first media timeout with senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) sparking a 14-1 run to put the Eagles up 16-3.
Polakovich had six of the 14 points during the run as the Eagles were five-of-eight from the field offensively and held the Pomeroys to just two shots in three minutes. The USI defense would go on to hold SMWC to under 10 points through the first 12 minutes of the contest.
After graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) broke a three-minute scoring drought with a three-point bomb from the top of the key, USI went on an 11-2 run to post a 22-point, 34-12 lead. The Eagles were a perfect four-of-four from the the field during the run, led by sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana), who had five of the 11 points.
USI finished the opening 20 minutes by increasing the lead to as many as 24 points twice, including the 38-14 score at the intermission.
The Eagles pulled away for gook early in the second, expanding the lead to more than 30 points through the first 10 minutes. Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) scored 13 of his 18 points during the first 10 minutes of the final half as USI outscored SMWC, 27-15.
The USI lead would grow to as many as 44 points before the final buzzer on the 84-42 victory.
In addition to Simmons’ team-high 18 points, sophomore guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) and Polakovich followed with double-digits in the scoring column with 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
USI, as a team, won the battle on the boards, 40-36, led by sophomore forward Nick Hittle (Indianapolis, Indiana), who grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds.
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USI return to the road next week to play in the Indiana Classic hosted by Purdue University Ft. Wayne at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne. The Eagles will play a neutral site game versus Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis Monday at 3 p.m. (CST) before concluding the classic against Ft. Wayne Tuesday at 6 p.m. (CST).
IUPUI, which hosts Eastern Illinois University Saturday before playing in the Indiana Classic, is 2-8 overall and is led by junior guard Bryce Monroe and sophomore guard Jlynn Counter, who are posting 12.0 points and 11.2 points per game, respectively.
USI holds a 12-5 series lead between the two programs, dating back to the 1972-73 season. The Eagles took back-to-back games with the Jaguars (then known as the Metros) to start the 1994-95 season, 117-99 at the Physical Activities Center and 89-83 in Indianapolis.
Ft. Wayne, who was Indiana University/Purdue University Ft. Wayne when it and USI were a part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, is 7-5 overall and have won three-straight games. The Mastodons are led by graduate guard Jarred Godfrey and graduate forward Bobby Planutis, who are posting 15.3 points and 13.0 points per game, respectively.
USI leads the all-time series with Ft. Wayne, 25-13, and had a GLVC advantage, 22-13. The Eagles had won 16-straight versus the Mastodons, prior to Ft. Wayne making the jump to Division I. The last meeting in 2001 ended with USI posting a 110-108 victory at Ft. Wayne.
