EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball concludes the 2018-19 regular season on the road this week when it visits the University of Illinois Springfield Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and McKendree University Saturday at 3 p.m. Game coverage for all of USI’s GLVC games, including live stats, the GLVCSN, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.
USI clinched a spot in the upcoming GLVC Tournament with its win over University of Indianapolis on Saturday in the final game at the Physical Activities Center. The Screaming Eagles are currently tied for third in the standings and are third in the GLVC Point Rating System. USI is a game behind second-place Bellarmine in the standings, while being tied with Drury University for third and a game ahead of Indianapolis and Rockhurst University. The GLVC Tournament is set for March 7-10 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Edwardsville, Illinois.
USI Men’s Basketball Week 17 Quick Notes:
USI was fifth in first region poll.  USI was ranked fifth in the first NCAA II Midwest Region poll of 2018-19 last week. The Eagles followed Bellarmine University, Lewis University, University of Findlay, and Ashland University in the top five, while the bottom five included the University of Indianapolis, Ferris State University, Northern Michigan University, Hillsdale College, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Next poll will be released March 27.
USI looking to reach 20 wins. The Eagles are looking to reach the 20-win plateau for the third-straight year and for the eighth time in the last 10 years with a victory this week. USI entered this season having won 20-or-more games in a season 23 times and averaged 24.3 games per season since 1992-93. The Eagles have averaged 21.2 wins per season under Head Coach Rodney Watson since his arrival in 2009-10.
USI finishes homestand 3-1. USI finished the four-game homestand with a split last week, falling to Lewis, 83-73, and defeating Indianapolis, 67-65, in the final games at the PAC. Senior guard Alex Stein, who surpassed 2,000 career points in the game versus Lewis, averaged 25.3 points per game during the four-game homestand, while sophomore forward Emmanuel Little posted 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Mateo Rivera and junior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12.0 and 10.8 points per game, respectively.
Eagles on the road in 2018-19. USI is 5-2 on the road this season, averaging 78.7 points per game. Senior guard Alex Stein is posting 18.9 points per game, while junior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell is averaging 17.1 points per game.
USI vs. Illinois Springfield. USI reached the century mark and won the first meeting with Illinois Springfield, 100-72, and increased its series advantage to 11-4 overall and 8-3 in the GLVC since the beginning of the match-ups in 2002-03 and the Prairie Stars entrance into the GLVC in 2009-10. Senior guard Alex Stein led six players in double-digits with a game-high 32 points. The series is tied 3-3 on the Stars’ home court.
Illinois Springfield in 2018-19. Illinois Springfield is 14-12 overall and 7-9 in the GLVC after six of its last seven games. The Stars broke a six-game losing streak with a 76-65 victory over McKendree on the road last week.
USI vs. McKendree. USI held off a late rally by McKendree to win 100-95 at the PAC. Senior guard Alex Stein led the Eagles with 26 points, while junior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell followed with 21 points. The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Bearcats, 11-7 overall and 9-1 in GLVC, since the start of the series in 1970-71 and McKendree’s entrance into the GLVC in 2012-13. The series is tied 4-4 in games played in Lebanon, Illinois.
McKendree in 2018-19. McKendree is 9-16 overall and 5-11 in the GLVC after losing seven of its last nine games. The Bearcats, who host Bellarmine University prior to USI on Thursday, have lost their last four games.
