EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball begins its second Ohio Valley Conference Championship action Wednesday when it takes on Tennessee State University in the opening round at the Ford Center. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.
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The Screaming Eagles (8-23, 5-13 OVC) open OVC post-season play as the eighth seed in the tournament. USI had to limp into the tournament this season, clinching a spot on the last day of the regular season and losing its last three.
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USI is led by first-team All-OVC guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) who recorded a team-high 17.2 points per outing and is first on the team with 31.4 minutes per contest during the regular season. The junior also posted a team-best 20.5 points per game during OVC action, ranking second in the conference.
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USI sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois) followed Hernandez, averaging 31.1 minutes a game, while posting 14.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest during his second season with USI. He also averaged 15.9 points in OVC play this season.
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The Tigers of TSU (17-14, 10-8 OVC) are the fifth seed after losing their last two games of the season. TSU, despite going 0-2 last week, was .500 over the last 10 games of the regular season.
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Following a season series split, the all-time series is tied 2-2 between USI and TSU. The Eagles took the opening game in January, 69-67, at Screaming Eagles Arena, but lost in February, 79-74, in Nashville.
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The winner of the USI-TSU contest Wednesday advances to play Western Illinois University Thursday at 6:30 p.m. WIU (20-11, 13-5 OVC), the fourth seed in the tournament, earned a first-round bye during its first season in the OVC.
