The 17th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team returns to the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center for Homecoming week and host a two-game homestand. The Screaming Eagles (19-2, 9-2 GLVC) are slated to host Missouri University of Science & Technology Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Drury University for Homecoming Saturday at 3:15 p.m.
Game coverage for this week’s games, including live stats, video streams, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on WEOA 98.5FM/1400AM and 95.7FM The Spin.
The Screaming Eagles start the week tied for second in the GLVC East Division with 22nd-ranked University of Wisconsin-Parkside with 9-2 conference marks. USI and UW-Parkside also are a game behind front-running and eighth-ranked Bellarmine University, which has a 10-1 mark.
Following this weekend’s action, the Eagles will have only two home games remaining in the 2016-17 regular season. USI concludes the regular-season home schedule February 16 when it hosts the University of Illinois Springfield and February 18 when it welcomes McKendree University to the PAC for Senior Day.
USI Men’s Basketball vs. Week 14 Quick Notes:
- USI in national rankings.The University of Southern Indiana fell in the NCAA Division II rankings for the second week, dropping to five spots to 17th in the NABC Division II Top 25 and falling six spots to 14th in the D2SIDA Media Top 25. USI also is ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II and 11th in the HeroSports.com power rankings.
- Looking for win number 20.USI is making its second attempt to win its 20th game of the year on Thursday night. The Eagles are looking to win 20 games for the first time since 2013-14 and reach the 20-win plateau for the 22nd time since 1992-93. USI has won 20-or-more games 25 times, advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament in 23 of those seasons.
- Eagles win marathon at Saint Joseph’s.USI won a triple-overtime marathon at Saint Joseph’s College, 122-113, Thursday night to go to 19-1 overall, 9-1 GLVC. Senior guard Jeril Taylor led USI with 38 points in 51 minutes of action.
- Eagles suffer first road loss.The Eagles suffered their first road loss at the University of Indianapolis, 81-66. USI, 5-1 on the road this year, is averaging 96.2 points per contest on the road.
- Taylor named Player of the Month.Senior guard/forward Jeril Taylor was named the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month. Taylor averaged 24.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, while being named the GLVC Player of the Week twice.
- Lighting up the scoreboard.USI is lighting up the scoreboard this year, averaging a GLVC-best 93.5 points per game. The highest scoring average by an Eagles’ team was 1993-94 when the squad averaged 101.7 points per game and reached 100-or-more points 18 times. The last time a USI squad averaged 90-or-more points a game was in 2001-02 (90.3 points per game).
- Holding the boards.The Eagles have won the battle of the boards 18 times this season. USI was outrebounded only by Ashland University and Kentucky Wesleyan College, while tying Quincy University.
- USI vs. Missouri S&T.USI leads the all-time series, 14-3, and has won the last three meetings. USI, which holds a 7-2 series lead at the Physical Activities Center, won the only meeting last season, 94-87 in Rolla, Missouri, and was led by the 26 point performance by sophomore guard Alex Stein.
- USI vs. Drury.USI leads the all-time series, 10-9, and has an advantage at the PAC, 4-3, but has lost the last two meetings and four of the last five versus Drury. The only time USI has defeated Drury in the last four years was in the 2014 GLVC championship game at the Ford Center in Evansville. Drury won last year, 75-62, in Springfield, Missouri, with USI senior guard Bobo Drummond posting 15 points to lead four Eagles in double-digits.
