BOLIVAR, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball could not hold Southwest Baptist University Saturday afternoon in Bolivar, Missouri. USI goes to 14-6 overall and 9-5 in the GLVC, while SBU is 17-4 overall, 11-3 in the league.
The Screaming Eagles and Bearcats each posted runs in the early minutes of the first half to build short term leads. USI busted out of the gate with an early 7-2 advantage, while SBU used a 10-2 run to get a 12-9 advantage before eight minutes were gone on the clock.
USI and SBU would trade short offensive bursts and leads again in the next six minutes. The Eagles bounced back with a 10-2 run to regain the advantage, 19-14, before a 6-0 surge by the Bearcats to take a 20-19 edge.
The lead would change hands three more times before USI finished the half on a 12-6 run to lead, 37-31, at the break. Freshman guard Isaiah Stafford (Bolingbrook, Illinois) led the charge with six of the 12 points as the Eagles were a blistering six-of-seven from the field in the race to halftime.
Junior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) and junior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) paced the Eagles in the opening half with 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
The Eagles began the second half by methodically extending the half time margin to nine points, 52-43, when Simmons converted a driving layup with 14:33 to play. SBU, however, would rebound with a 23-5 explosion to roll back into the lead, 66-57, with eight minutes left in the contest. USI would be held scoreless for over three minutes during the SBU offensive surge.
The next four minutes would belong to the Eagles as they rebounded with an 11-4 run, behind five points each by sophomore guard Tyler Henry (Brooklyn, New York) and senior guard Clayton Hughes (Jackson, Tennessee) to close to within two points, 70-68, with 4:08 on the clock. That would be as close as the Eagles would come as the Bearcats held them off in the in final minutes in the 82-71 final.
The hard fought battle between two of the GLVC’s top five teams featured 14 lead changes and eight ties by the end of the 40 minutes.
In the scoring column, Stafford led three Eagles in double-digits and reached 20 points for the first time in his collegiate career. Stafford was eight-of-16 from the field, including a three-pointer, and three-of-five from the line.
Simmons and Polakovich followed with 16 points and 12 points, respectively, in the loss to round out the double-digit scorers. Polakovich also completed his 10th double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds.
