University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball used a strong second half to defeat Loras College, 85-56, Thursday evening in Screaming Eagles Arena. USI goes to 4-2, while Loras is 6-1 this season.
The Screaming Eagles battled their way to a nine-point, 40-31, lead by the intermission, led by the dominating 11 point, eight rebound first half performance of junior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan). USI posted its largest lead of the opening 20 minutes, 36-26, with a mini-offensive 15-8 burst, led by junior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio), who had six of his seven first half points during the run.
The Eagles, behind a perfect six-of-six from the field, exploded out of the locker room to start the final 20 minutes with a 14-4 run to take a commanding 54-35 advantage. Senior guard Mateo Rivera (Indianapolis, Indiana) led the burst with five points, while Polakovich followed with four more.
USI finally got the offensive explosion that it had been building when it took a 19-point lead to 33 on a 20-3 surge to lead 74-41 with 7:47 left. The Eagles had eight different players score during the run to take total control.
The margin would extend to a game-high 35 points as USI posted a 79-44 advantage on a three-pointer by freshman guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) with 6:25 remaining in the contest. Loras would outscore USI, 12-6, in the final minutes as the Eagles closed out the 85-56 win in the final home game of the 2021 calendar year.
USI had 12 player register in the scoring column, led by Polakovich’s game-high 17 points. The junior forward, who added six points in the second half, was six-of-nine from the field and five-of-six from the stripe, while grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds for his second-straight double-double.
Simmons followed Polakovich in double-digits with 14 points, hitting for seven points in each half. He also was second on the team with six rebounds and recorded a team-high three blocks.
COMING UP FOR USI:
USI will be on the road for the next five games and six of the next seven as it ends 2021 and begins 2022. The Eagles start their travels by going north to Michigan for a pair of games next week, visiting Northwood University December 18 and Grand Valley State University December 20.
The Northwood Timberwolves are 3-5 to date in 2021-22, including a win over Illinois Springfield and a loss to UIndy from the GLVC. Northwood opened GLIAC action tonight on the road with a 92-82 loss to Saginaw Valley State University. Northwood finishes its first weekend of league play at Wayne State University Saturday before preparing to hosting USI.
USI trails Northwood in the all-time series, 4-1, dating back to 1970. The Eagles lost the first four contests in the series between 1970 and 1972 before posting their first win over the Timberwolves, 89-79, in the 1999 NCAA II Midwest Regional at the Sports Center in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The GVSU Lakers are ranked 24th in the NABC Top 25 poll after posting a 7-1 mark in November and December, including a win over the GLVC’s UIndy, 77-60. GVSU also opened GLIAC play tonight, defeating Purdue University Northwest, 81-76, on the road. GVSU visits Parkside University Saturday for its final game before playing the Eagles December 20.
USI and GVSU have split the two meetings in the history of the programs in men’s basketball. The Eagles took the first meeting, 112-86, in the 2001 Disney Wide World of Sports Classic in Orlando, Florida, while the Lakers defeated USI in the 2007 NCAA II Midwest Regional at the University of Findlay, 90-83.
Following the conclusion of the 2021 calendar, the Eagles re-start GLVC action with trips to McKendree University (January 2), Lewis University (January 4), and Lindenwood University (January 6). The next USI game at Screaming Eagles Arena is January 8 when they host Southwest Baptist University.
