Eagles lose first half lead, fall 77-71

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball could not hang onto a double-digit first half lead and fell to McKendree University, 77-71, Monday evening in Screaming Eagles Arena. USI goes to 7-4 overall and 2-3 in the GLVC, while McKendree is 7-4 overall, 3-4 in the league.
 
After spotting the Bearcats the opening three-point bucket, the Eagles used a 10-0 run to take control of the early going, 10-3. Junior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) got the run going with a thunderous dunk, while freshman guard Isaiah Stafford (Bolingbrook, Illinois) capped off the run with a jumper near the basket.
 
USI continued to build the lead and momentum, extending the margin to nine points, 23-14, with eight minutes left in the half. The lead would go to as many as 12 points (38-26) before USI ended the opening 20 minutes with a 38-28 margin.
 
Eagles’ sophomore guard Tyler Henry (Brooklyn, New York) and Polakovich reached double-digits before the intermission with 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
 
The second half opened with McKendree posting a 15-3 run to get the lead at 43-41 before six minutes were gone. The Bearcats, who would lead by as many as eight points in the final 20 minutes, held onto the advantage until the Eagles put together a 13-7 surge to retake the lead, 60-59, when Polakovich slammed home a dunk with 5:30 to play.
 
The Eagles and the Bearcats would trade the baskets and the lead twice before McKendree went on a 16-9 outburst in the final four minutes to capture the game, 77-71.
 
USI, which was 12-of-22 as a team from the free throw line in the game, had three players reach double-digits in scoring. Henry and freshman guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) led the Eagles with 19 points each.
 
Henry, who added eight points in the second half, was seven-of-16 from the field, including a three-pointer, and four-of-six from the line. Swope, who led the Eagles with 15 second half points and tied a season-high with six assists in the contest, was eight-of-17 from the field, including a pair from downtown, and one-of-two from the stripe.
 
Polakovich recorded his fifth double-double of the season, all coming in the last seven games. He rounded out the USI double-digit scorers with 17 points on a blistering seven of eight from the field and three-of-seven from the free throw line. The junior forward completed his double-double with 12 rebounds, nine on the defensive end.