The ninth-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team held on in the second half to defeat 22nd-ranked University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 76-72, and get back on track Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center. USI sees its record go to 17-1 overall and 7-1 in the GLVC, while UW-Parkside goes to 15-2, 7-1 GLVC.
The victory moves USI back into a tie for the GLVC East Division lead with 15th-ranked Bellarmine University and UW-Parkside. All three teams have a 7-1 GLVC mark.
After a tie and four lead changes in the first eight minutes of the game, the Screaming Eagles took control of the first half with a 7-0 spurt to lead 16-12 and a 9-1 surge to lead 25-15. USI would go on to lead by as many as 15 points during the first 20 minutes, 41-26, before UW-Parkside got the final four points of the half as the Eagles took a 41-30 advantage into the locker room.
Sophomore guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) led USI’s first half surge, dropping in 17 points on a blistering eight-of-nine form the field. Senior guard Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky) followed with 11 points.
UW-Parkside erased USI’s lead in the second half, cutting the lead to one point, seven times throughout the final 20 minutes. The final time was 73-72 with 20 seconds remaining the game before Stein deposited a pair of free throws to clinch the win, while Taylor hit one charity shot as insurance to close out the Eagles’ 76-72 victory.
Taylor added 14 points second half points, finishing the game with a game-high 25 points, while Stein dropped in six second half points to finish the game with 23 on the night.
USI sophomore forward Jacob Norman (Evansville, Indiana) rounded out the double-digit scorers for Eagles with 11 points, scoring seven in the second half.
As a team, USI won the battle on the boards, 38-33, made eight steals, and blocked seven shots. Junior forward Julius Rajala (Finland), senior guard Cortez Macklin (Louisville, Kentucky), and junior guard Marcellous Washington (Lexington, Kentucky) had two blocks each in the contest.
The Eagles conclude their three-game homestand Saturday at 3:15 p.m. for Military Appreciation Day when they host Lewis University. The Flyers saw their record go to 11-7 overall and 6-2 GLVC after losing, 87-53, to 15th-ranked Bellarmine University tonight in Louisville, Kentucky.
USI leads the all-time series with Lewis, 44-24, and has a 28-10 advantage at the PAC. The Flyers took the only meeting last season, defeating the Eagles, 84-77, in Romeoville, Illinois. Eagles’ senior guard Bobo Drummond (Peoria, Illinois) led USI with 22 points.
