 The 10th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team hit the gas and never looked back as it posted a 121-58 victory over Oakland City University Tuesday evening at the Screaming Eagles Arena. USI goes to 5-0 overall, while OCU is 1-6 in 2019-20.
USI used an 11-0 run midway through the opening half to pull away from Oakland City and built a 12-point lead, 22-10, at the 10:56 mark when sophomore forward Tyler Dancy connected on his fourth point for the run. The Eagles would continue to pull away from the Mighty Oaks, leading by as many as 28 points (49-21) before taking a 51-28 lead into the intermission.
USI junior forwards Josh Price and Emmanuel Little led the Eagles in the opening half, reaching double-digits with 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
Eagles’ senior guard Darnell Butler ignited a 34-11 run to start the second half as USI built a 46-point lead, 85-39, with 11:51 to play. Butler led the USI run with 10 points as the Eagles were a blistering 14-of-20 from the field, four-of-five from beyond the arc, during the surge.
USI would increase the lead to as many as 65 points, 121-56, before OCU got the final bucket of the game for the 121-58 final.
The 121 points marked the first time the Eagles had reached 120-or-more points in a game since they scored 125 versus Judson College on November 21, 2007. The USI record for points in a game is 153 versus Maryville University set during the 2009-10 season.
USI tied a school record with seven players in double-digits, led Price with 23 points. The junior forward was a blistering 10-of-13 from the field and three-of-six from the line, while completing his second double-double of the season with a team-high 10 rebounds.
Butler followed with 19 points in his USI regular-season debut on eight-of-12 from the field, two-of-four from behind the arc, and one-of-one from the stripe. Dancy, registered a season-high, and sophomore forward Glen Rouch, posted a career-best, with 15 points each, while Little dropped in 14 points.
Senior guard Joe Laravie added 12 points and tied for a team-high with freshman guard Chance Coyle with six assists. Junior forward Clayton Hughes rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
USI is idle through the Thanksgiving holiday before opening the Great Lakes Valley Conference slate December 3 at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. The Bearcats are 3-2 on the season and will have had nine days off before the Eagles come to visit.
The Eagles hold a 12-7 all-time record lead against McKendree University after posting a 102-60 win in Lebanon, Illinois. USI also has won the last seven games versus McKendree.
Note:Â USI rose to 10th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Top 25 polls that were released today. The Eagles rose three spots in the NABC poll and five slots in the D2SIDA poll.
NABC Top 25
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Nova Southeastern
3. Bellarmine
4. UC San Diego
5. West Texas A&M
6. Indiana (PA)
7. Valdosta State
8. Alabama Huntsville
9. Lincoln Memorial
10. Southern Indiana
11. Ashland
12. Queens
13. Daemen
14. West Liberty
15. Missouri Southern
16. St. Thomas Aquinas
17. Indianapolis
18. St. Edward’s
19. Saint Anselm
20. Southeastern Oklahoma State
21. Dixie State
22. Dallas Baptist
23. Ferris State
24. Florida Southern
25. Azusa Pacific
D2SIDA National Media Poll
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Nova Southeastern
3. Bellarmine
4. West Texas A&M
5. UC San Diego
6. Indiana (Pa.)
7. Valdosta State
8. Daemen
9. Lincoln Memorial
10. Southern Indiana
11. Queens (N.C.)
12. West Chester
13. Alabama Huntsville
14. Southeastern Oklahoma State
15. Dixie State
16. Indianapolis
17. West Liberty
18. St. Thomas Aquinas
19. Missouri Southern State
20. Azusa Pacific
21. St. Edward’s
22. St. Anselm
23. Ferris State
24. UNC Pembroke
25. Dallas Baptist
