 16th-ranked University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball scored 66 second-half points to defeat Tiffin University, 105-89, Sunday afternoon at the Screaming Eagles Arena. USI goes to 8-1 overall, while Tiffin is 6-8 in 2019-20.
USI trailed for nearly all of the opening 20 minutes and was in a 44-39 hole at halftime. Tiffin erased an early five-point USI lead (10-5) with a 14-3 run and led the Eagles by as many as nine points throughout the opening half. The Eagles were able to keep the score close in the first half by outrebounding the Dragons, 32-17.
The second half started with a bang as the Eagles regained the lead, 47-44, on an 8-0 run that was capped off by a dunk by junior forward Josh Price at 18:19. The Dragons tied the score for the final time at 47-47 as the Eagles took command with 16:49 to play in the game.
USI methodically began to pull away from Tiffin, reaching a double-digit lead 68-58, on a dunk by Price at the 12:32 mark and posting a game-best 23-point lead, 103-80, on a bucket by senior guard Darnell Butler with 2:08 left. The Eagles got one more bucket in the final two minutes and posted the 105-89 final at the buzzer.
A big key to the Eagles’ victory came on the glass as they won that battle, 64-27. The 64 rebounds (23 offensive and 41 defensives) were the most by an Eagles’ squad since they grabbed 62 in the win over Maryville University in 2010. The USI single-game record for rebounds is 84 in the win over Marian College in 1978.
Individually, the Eagles also had three players post double-doubles in one game for the first time since the win over Lake Erie College in 2013. Junior forward Emmanuel Little led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds, his third double-double of the season, while Price had 16 points, 11 boards, his second-straight and fourth of the season, and Butler had 18 points, 13 rebounds, his first double-double and a season-high on the glass.
Senior guard Joe Laravie and junior guard Mateo Rivera also joined the trio in double-digit scoring with 16 points and 12 points, respectively.
USI is idle until it re-starts Great Lakes Valley Conference action in 2020. The Eagles resume league action and complete the five-game homestand when it hosts Drury University January 2 for a 7:30 p.m. game and Southwest Baptist University January 4 for a 3:15 p.m. tip. The USI-SBU match-up is the first in the series and in GLVC play between the two programs.
