Eagles host a pair for Homecoming Week USI welcomes Tennessee State, Morehead State this week​​​​​​​

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball will celebrate Homecoming Week by hosting a pair of Ohio Valley Conference games Thursday and Saturday. USI is slated to host Tennessee State University Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Morehead State University for the homecoming game Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 
The Screaming Eagles (13-10, 6-4 OVC) begins the week looking to get back on track after having its five-game losing streak snapped on Saturday in overtime at the University of Tennessee at Martin, 86-83. USI had extended the streak to five games with a 78-74 win over Eastern Illinois University at home.
 
Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) led the way for USI last week with 23.5 points in the two games, including a career-high tying 26 points in the loss to UT Martin. Senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) averaged a double-double with 16.0 points and 22.0 rebounds per game and earned one half of the co-OVC Player of the Week honor.  
 
For the season, Simmons moves into USI’s top scoring spot with 14.3 points per game after a 47-point week in the last two games. Graduate Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) and sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) follow with 13.5 points per outing each, while Polakovich is averaging with 12.3 points per outing along with grabbing a team-best and OVC-best 13.1 rebounds per game.
 
The TSU Tigers (12-11, 4-6 OVC) got back on track with an 83-66 victory over Lindenwood University. TSU, who is 2-4 in the last six games, is led by graduate guard Jr. Clay, who leads four Tigers in double-figures with 19.0 points per game. Clay also is the OVC Preseason Player of the Year. 
 
USI leads the series with TSU, 3-1, dating between 1976 and 1979.  The Eagles won the last three meetings in the 1970s (1978-78: 73-72 (ot); 1977-78: 57-56; 1976-77: 92-66) but lost the series opener to Tennessee State (112-52) in the 1975-76 season.
 
Morehead State has four in a row after posting a 55-50 win over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and earn a share of first in the OVC. The MSU Eagles (14-9, 7-3 OVC), who will host Tennessee Tech University Thursday before coming north to visit USI, are led by senior guard Mark Freeman with 15.9 points per game.
 
In the first ever meeting between the two programs in January, USI rallied from a 13-point, second half deficit, but fell short, 84-80. The USI Eagles were led by Swope, who had 25 points in the loss, while MSU was led by senior guard Mark Freeman, who had 24 points.