UE men continue MVC Championships

Aces earn a pair of top tens on Friday                       

OXFORD, Ohio – Day three of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships saw the University of Evansville men’s swimming and diving teams earn a pair of top ten finishes in the finals as the squads prepare for the final day of action on Saturday.

Evansville’s top performance came from Carlos Souto Vilas.  Qualifying for the finals in the 100-breaststroke, he earned a 10^th-place finish with his time of 54.64.  His time was a personal best and marked the second-best time in program history.  Benjamin Hasanovic also qualified for the finals, earning a 15^th-place finish with his time of 56.33.  Joao Pereira (57.66) and Titus Jabedo (58.12) earned top 20 finishes in the prelims.

Daniel Santos Lopez advanced to the finals in the 100-fly where he came home in 10^th place.  His time of 48.08 was just 0.2 off his school record time of 47.88. Brendan Ulewicz (51.26) and Jakob Grundbacher (51.51) were behind him in the prelim.

Patrik Vilbergsson had a strong outing in the 100-back race.  After swimming a 49.41 to take 12^th in the prelims, he lowered that time to a 49.01 in the finals.  His finish was just 0.01 off his personal best time of 49.00, which came last season.

In the 200-free event, Joseph Capo qualified for the finals with an effort of 1:40.83 in the prelims.  He took 14^th in the finals with a time of 1:40.92.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

USI tallies three home runs Friday but falls short against Samford and Belmont

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Softball opened the University of Alabama Birmingham Green and Gold Classic with a pair of setbacks Friday, coming up short against Samford University, 4-0, and Belmont University, 8-4.

Southern Indiana (1-6) was tested quickly in the day’s first contest against Samford (7-3). The Bulldogs took advantage of two walks and two hits by the first four batters of the game to score the first three runs in the top of the first inning. Senior pitcher Josie Newman then locked things down by retiring the next three Bulldogs to end the inning. USI could not respond in the bottom of the first, despite three players reaching base in the frame. However, the game would settle down following an eventful first inning.

With two strikeouts in the first inning, Newman recorded seven more through the fourth inning while posting zeroes on the scoreboard. Samford looked to add on in the fourth inning, but Newman slammed the door on a two-out bases-loaded situation with a strikeout.

Offensively, USI registered a hit in each of the first three innings, but the bats would be held in check the rest of the game. Samford tacked on an additional run on a home run in the sixth inning to take a 4-0 lead.

Newman (1-3) tossed six innings with nine strikeouts and four runs allowed before handing off to senior pitcher Whitley Hunter to pitch the seventh inning.

Samford’s four runs came off six hits, and junior pitcher Olivia Trout (1-0) picked up the win with four shutout innings of work before handing off to the Bulldogs’ relief staff.

In the second game of the afternoon against Belmont (6-5), USI faced another early deficit. The Bruins crossed home plate twice on a pair of RBI singles to go up 2-0.

Just like the opener against Samford, Southern Indiana got a hit in the first couple of innings but could answer Belmont’s two-run first. However, the Screaming Eagles got their offensive breakthrough in the top of the third inning when sophomore infielder Sydney Long led off with a solo home run to make it a 2-1 ballgame. The home run was the first of the season for Long and USI.

Following the USI momentum shift, Belmont responded in the bottom of the third with another two-run frame to go ahead by three, 4-1. The Eagles got one back in the top of the fourth on freshman catcher Jordan Mackey‘s first career home run to cut the deficit in half, 4-2.

The Bruins continued to find offensive success, scoring four runs over the next two offensive innings to increase their advantage to 8-2.

The Screaming Eagles made one last push at a rally in the top of the seventh inning, not going down without a fight. With two outs on the board and a runner at first, Long connected for a two-run home run to bring USI within four, 8-4. It was Long’s second of the game and USI’s third long ball in the contest. However, USI could not sustain the late push as Belmont recorded the final out.

USI posted four runs on six hits. Long and Mackey each finished with a two-hit game. Both players’ hits went for extra bases, as Mackey’s other hit was a double. Long totaled three RBIs in the game.

In the pitching circle, freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus (0-2) started the first three frames with a strikeout and four runs allowed. Hunter pitched in relief again, hurling the last three innings with three strikeouts and four runs – three earned – surrendered.

Belmont had its eight runs come on 10 hits. Senior pitcher Rayna Cruickshanks (3-1) was credited with the win for the Bruins after starting the first four innings with three strikeouts and two runs allowed before Belmont turned to relief for the final three innings.

The Screaming Eagles will conclude their visit to Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday with another set of games at the UAB Green and Gold Classic. USI begins the day early at 9:30 a.m. against Purdue University for Southern Indiana’s first test against a Big Ten Conference school. The Eagles wrap up the trip right after with a game against tournament host UAB at Noon, which can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+. Links for live stats coverage are available at usiscreamingeagles.com.

USI starts homestand with 63-54 loss

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball started the final homestand of the season with a 63-54 loss to Eastern Illinois University Thursday evening at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles are 9-18 overall and 4-13 in OVC action, while the Panthers go to 9-18, 5-11 OVC.

After grabbing a 4-0 lead to start the game, USI had to battle from behind for most of the first half and fought back to within three at the break, 30-27. The Eagles trailed by as many as nine points (16-7) before using a 20-14 surge in the final 10 minutes of the half.

USI was three-of-nine for the first 10 minutes of the game before getting in gear offensively. The Eagles were eight-of-20 for the remainder of the half with sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi and junior guard Damoni Harrison leading the charge with six points and five points, respectively.

Olowoniyi and Harrison would tie for the team lead after the first 20 minutes with eight points each.

The Eagles continued to close the gap, pulling to within one point, 42-41, with 12:24 on a lay-in by Harrison. The Panthers would maintain the lead despite the pressure by the Eagles, who would close the gap to one point one more time at 52-51 with 4:02 to play.

USI would misfire on the next six trips down the floor as EIU pulled away to a 60-51 lead.  The Eagles would get one more three-pointer before the buzzer sounded on the 63-54 final.

In the final box score, Harrison and Olowoniyi led the way for the Eagles with 20 points and 16 points, respectively. Harrison was seven-of-14 from the field, including three three-point field goals and three free throws, while Olowoniyi was six-of-seven from the field and four-of-four from the stripe.

Next Up For USI:
The Eagles conclude the 2024-25 home schedule at Liberty Arena when they host Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Saturday. Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. tipoff is Senior Night, Fan Appreciation Night, and Ascension St. Vincent Night at Liberty Arena.

The first 500 fans will receive a free fan appreciation t-shirt.

USI will celebrate Senior Night Saturday before the game with SIUE, recognizing graduate forward Nick Hittle, graduate guard Sam Mervis, and graduate forward Jack Mielke.

SIUE is 18-9 and 11-5 OVC after winning at Morehead State University, 80-62, this evening. The Cougars are five of their last six and 11 of the last 14.

The Eagles lead the all-time series, 46-24, despite falling to the Cougars in January, 82-76, in Edwardsvilles. USI, which trails SIUE, 4-2, since moving to Division I, was led in the loss by Harrison, who posted a team-high 15 points. Junior guard Sam Kodi and Olowoniyi followed with 12 points and 11 points, respectively, while Randall and junior guard Braxton Jones rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points each.

Screaming Eagles tame Panthers to open homestand

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball opened its final regular-season homestand Thursday night with a convincing 66-46 victory against Eastern Illinois University inside Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles.

Strong post play and team defense highlighted USI’s path to its win on Thursday, which featured the Screaming Eagles’ defense holding the Panthers to single digits in two quarters of play. With the win, Southern Indiana (19-9, 11-6 OVC) moved up into a tie for fourth place in the Ohio Valley Conference alongside the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Meanwhile, Eastern Illinois (16-10, 13-4 OVC) remained in the third position, only two games ahead of USI and Little Rock.

On Thursday, Southern Indiana jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead 2:30 into the contest, which included a pair of threes from graduate forward Meredith Raley and junior guard Ali Saunders. Eastern Illinois was forced to take an immediate timeout. The Screaming Eagles’ lead grew to 10, 16-6, by the 3:15 mark of the first quarter after a layup by Raley. Saunders nailed her second triple of the game to push USI ahead 20-9 through the opening quarter.

The second period was more evenly contested. After a three-minute dry spell for USI in the first portion of the second, back-to-back baskets by graduate forward Madi Webb increased Southern Indiana’s to 14, 26-12. Later in the quarter, Eastern Illinois closed in a little with two unanswered makes, but a three by sophomore guard Triniti Ralston halted any significant run from mounting. The Panthers scored twice in the 90 seconds of the first half, as USI carried a 32-21 lead into halftime.

The USI advantage remained around 11 in the early going of the second half. Senior guard Vanessa Shafford canned a pair of threes near the seven-minute mark of the third quarter to reach double figures for the game and place the Eagles in front by 14, 42-28. The two sides exchanged buckets down the stretch of the third period. Eastern Illinois cut USI’s lead down to single digits by the end of the third, 51-42.

Southern Indiana controlled the fourth frame to pull away, orchestrating an 11-0 run over the first six and a half minutes of the quarter. Shafford scored five points during the run, while Raley added a couple of layups to also reach double digits in the game. By the end of the scoring run, the Screaming Eagles led by 20, 62-42. The scoring differential stayed at 20 by the final buzzer.

Southern Indiana shot an efficient 47.3 percent (26-55) from the floor and nearly 39 percent (7-18) from beyond the arc. USI went 7-10 at the foul line. The Eagles dominated the glass, 40-25, over the Panthers. Shafford led all scorers with 18 points on 7-11 shooting and 3-6 from three with seven rebounds. Raley tallied 11 points and six boards. Webb also finished in double figures with 10 points.

Eastern Illinois shot for under 37 percent (18-49) overall and was limited to 1-17 for six percent from three-point range. The Panthers were 9-14 for 64.3 percent at the free-throw stripe. Eight Panthers scored in the contest but all were held to single digits.

The Screaming Eagles close out the regular-season home schedule Saturday at 5 p.m. against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Saturday is Senior Night, as USI Women’s Basketball will celebrate its senior class. Guards Lexie Green and Vanessa Shafford will be recognized alongside forwards Madi Webb, Lauren Carie, and Meredith Raley. Additionally, Saturday is Fan Appreciation Night, presented by Ascension. Fans should wear red to red out Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles, and arrive early for a free t-shirt giveaway to the first 500 fans.