EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball battled Southeast Missouri State University but lost 84-76 Thursday evening at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles go to 3-12 overall and 0-5 in the OVC, while the Redhawks are 9-7, 4-1 OVC.
USI had the early momentum in the contest, leading 7-0 and 12-4 before four minutes had passed in the contest. SEMO got into the scoring column and knotted the game at 14-14 with 13:13 to play in the first half.
The Screaming Eagles and Redhawks would trade leads until SEMO used an 11-2 run to take command, 34-26, with 5:11 before the intermission. USI would rally to cut the deficit to four points, 36-32, but SEMO would respond and take a 43-36 advantage into the break. Junior guard Ismail Habib led USI in the first 20 minutes with 11 points.
The second half did not get off to a good start for the Screaming Eagles as the Redhawks extended the lead to 51-38 with an 8-2 surge to start the second half. SEMO would continue to extend the margin to as many as 14 points, 54-40, before USI starts to chip away at the margin.
Junior guard Amaree Brown pulled the Screaming Eagles back to within seven, 58-51, when he was able to convert a three-pointer from the corner and an old-fashioned three-point play on back-to-back possessions with 13:53 remaining. USI closed the gap, 60-56, even further when senior guard Cardell Bailey connected on a pair of free throws and a three-pointer from the top of the key.
The Redhawks would respond to take back control with a 13-2 run would roll to an 84-76 final.
USI was led by its bench tonight in the scoring column with Bailey leading the way with 20 points. Bailey was five-of-14 from the field, including three from long range, and seven-of-seven from the stripe.
Brown added 15 points off the bench, going five-of-nine from the field with two three-pointers and three-of-four from the line in his USI debut.
Habib rounded out USI’s double-digit scorers with 18 points. The senior had six field goals, one three-pointer, and five-of-six in free throws. He also had a team-high five assists.
USI battles but loses to SEMO, 84-76
Aces Take Down SIU in Carbondale for Second Consecutive Win
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team won their second game in a row on Thursday night, taking down Southern Illinois in Carbondale by a score of 75-70. The win was Evansville’s first in Carbondale since February 17, 2017 and snapped a 28 game road losing streak.
Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) continued her torrid stretch with 26 points, leading all scorers, while adding six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. The sophomore scored 20 points in the second half, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Runner has scored 20-plus points in three of the last four games and sunk a season-high 13 free throws on 14 attempts. Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mount Vernon) added 15 points, two shy of her career-high, while fellow freshman Georgia Ferguson (Waterloo, Ontario/Cairine Wilson Secondary School) added 10 points to match her career-high.
The game was competitive from the jump, with the Aces and Salukis trading blows throughout the first quarter. Evansville grabbed their first lead of the night at 9-7 with an and-one from Mireia Mustaros (Barcelona, Spain/Ins Argentona). The two sides continued to go back and forth, as the score would become tied five times in the next five minutes, before the Salukis pulled ahead with a 21-19 lead at the end of the quarter.
Evansville regained the lead at the 8:33 mark of the second quarter on a three-pointer from Huber, but the Salukis quickly took the lead back with a 9-0 run. Facing their largest deficit of the game at 32-24, the Aces stormed back, scoring eight unanswered points to tie it at 32. The run was punctuated by another and-one, this time from Ferguson. SIU woud respond, however, scoring the final four points of the half to take a 36-32 lead into the break.
The Salukis remained in front for most of the third quarter, but the Aces made a run late in the period on consecutive baskets by Ferguson, Huber, and Jelena Savic (Melbourne, Australia/Kurunjang Secondary College) to retake the lead at 52-49 before ending the quarter with a 5-51 advantage.
Once again, the teams traded punches in the fourth quarter, with SIU taking a 59-58 lead at the 6:14 mark. Georgia Cox (Ballarat, Australia/Eastern Illinois) gave the Aces the lead back with a tough left-handed finish at the rim, while a three from Runner after a Saluki basket made it 63-61.
With the score all tied up at 67 with 3:05 remaining, Runner took over, beating the shot clock on a baseline out of bounds play to before finding Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) in transition for a tough finish in traffic to give the Aces a 71-64 lead. Needing to hit her free throws to seal it, Runner went a perfect 4-for-4 from the line down the stretch to lead Evansville to a 75-70 win.
Evansville remains on the road this weekend, looking to win their third game in a row with a trip to Illinois State on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 2 PM.
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EWSU Seeks Gradual Adjustments in Sanitation Fee
Indiana candidate filings start amid Republican conflict, Democratic optimism
The bruising Statehouse fight over Indiana congressional redistricting is looming over the formal start of the legislative campaign season.
Indiana’s month-long candidate filing period opened Wednesday — with Republican senators who opposed redrawing the maps braced for primary challengers and Democrats believing the issue will boost their chances to break the GOP’s supermajority hold on the Legislature.
The first-day filers included Sen. Travis Holdman, one of the top Republican Senate leaders and among those who voted against the redistricting bill demanded by President Donald Trump.
Trump, Gov. Mike Braun and Trump-aligned groups have vowed to support Republican primary challengers to lawmakers who weren’t on board.
Holdman, R-Markle, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle he knew pro-redistricting groups were “looking for somebody” to oppose his bid for a fifth term.
When asked whether the eight Republican senators who opposed redistricting and are poised to seek reelection this year were taking the primary threats seriously, Holdman simply replied: “Oh, yeah.”
Democrats see political hope
Democrats expressed enthusiasm for their chances this election cycle, with about two dozen joining in a mass-filing effort at the Statehouse for legislative seats organized by the Indiana Rural Summit Coalition.
Michelle Higgs, the coalition founder and a Democrat who is seeking the seat now held by Republican Rep. Peggy Mayfield of Martinsville, said the candidates would share technology and research in order to help their campaigns.
“We showed up at the Statehouse to lend our voices that redistricting was a power grab to remove power from the people,” Higgs said. “It will be part of every candidate’s campaign to bring power back to the people.”
A top goal of Democrats in 2026 is to pick up the four Indiana House seats they need to break the Republican two-thirds supermajority that allows them to take action even without Democrats being present.
Republicans now hold a 70-30 House majority and have had supermajority control since the 2012 elections. The GOP has a 40-10 hold on the Senate, where its supermajority has been in place since the 2010 elections.
Democratic House Caucus Chair Carey Hamilton said candidate recruitment hasn’t been as difficult as it was in past election cycles — and that the redistricting fight helped her party.
“It made people more aware of what’s going on at the Statehouse, and even more people kind of coming out of the woodwork wanting to be involved,” Hamilton said. “I think there are some folks who maybe were considering running, where it really kind of sealed the deal.”
While Democrats are looking to have serious candidates in more legislative races around the state, the focus starts on about a half-dozen districts that had tight outcomes in the 2024 elections.
One of those is the Bloomington-area district where Democrat Amy Oliver, an attorney and Brown County School Board member, is looking to challenge Republican Rep. Dave Hall after he won with 51% of the vote in 2024.
Oliver said Wednesday she believed the supermajority control has led to the public being locked out of the Legislature’s decision making.
“One-party rule is not good for anybody, I think, in either direction,” Oliver said. “We want to flip all those districts because it’s really important that they debate in public.”
Republican Senate primaries expected
The first day of candidate filings saw redistricting opponent Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, reverse his previous decision to retire from the Legislature and enter the race for a fifth term.
Walker will face at least one Republican primary challenger in Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, who supported the redistricting bill.
Redistricting could also be a key issue in the reelection bid of Republican Sen. Jim Buck of Kokomo, who filed for a fifth term after voting against the proposed new map. Tipton County Commissioner Tracey Powell filed to challenge Buck.
Republican former Sen. John Ruckelshaus, meanwhile, is seeking a Statehouse return by filing for the seat now held by Democratic Sen. J.D. Ford of Indianapolis. Ruckelshaus previously served an adjoining district during 2017-21.
That could become an open seat as Ford told the Capital Chronicle he was considering a run for the 5th Congressional District seat now held by Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz.
Republican Sen. Greg Goode of Terre Haute, who voted against redistricting and plans to seek reelection this year, expressed hope that the map debate will fade away.
“I’m optimistic, from the standpoint of this is now ’26 and we’ve got a lot of work that we ought to be focused on during this legislative session,” Goode said in an interview. “I personally want to move forward.”
Goode was among the legislators to face intimidation threats over redistricting, with a swatting call that brought police to his home hours after Trump called him out by name as a “RINO,” or “Republican in name only,” in a social media post.
Goode said he wasn’t thinking about who might run against him in the May primary.
“It’s a free country,” he said. “Everybody should have the opportunity to run.”
Dean of Harlaxton College Departing
Becker: Blind and disabled Hoosiers, seniors, should apply for new property tax credits by Jan. 15
STATEHOUSE — Blind and disabled Hoosiers and seniors should apply for property tax credits by Jan. 15, 2026 to ensure they receive the benefits they are due, said State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville).
Blind and disabled Hoosiers are now eligible for the more generous $125 Blind/Disabled Credit, rather than the Blind/Disabled Deduction, and should apply by Jan. 15, 2026, even if they were previously receiving the deduction, in order to ensure there is no disruption in receiving it. Eligible Hoosiers can download the application form here or contact their local county auditor’s office for assistance.
Hoosiers over 65 can download the one-page application for property tax credits here or contact their county auditor’s office to receive an application.
Thanks to the passage of historic property tax relief in Senate Enrolled Act 1, which is estimated to save homeowners $1.3 billion over the next three years, the Over 65 Deduction was switched to a more generous Over 65 Credit of $150, meaning all eligible property owners will experience savings even if their bill is at the property tax cap. SEA 1-2025 also removed the maximum assessed value limit to receive this credit.
SEA 1-2025 also expanded eligibility to help seniors who did not previously qualify for the Over 65 Circuit Breaker Credit, which prevents property tax liability on qualified homestead property from increasing more than 2% compared to prior year tax liability. Specifically, the law removed the assessed-value limit for a home to qualify, and it increased the income limit for the Circuit Breaker credit to $60,000 for individuals and $70,000 for couples.
Hoosiers over 65 are encouraged to apply for these credits before Jan. 15, 2026 in order to receive the credits beginning with property taxes paid in calendar year 2026, even if they were previously receiving the benefit, in order to ensure there is no disruption in receiving it.
To apply for the Over 65 Circuit Breaker Credit and Over 65 Credit:
- A filer must be at least age 65 on or before Dec. 31 of the year prior to the year in which the credit is claimed.
- The application must be filed with the county auditor on or before Jan. 15 of the calendar year in which the property taxes are first due and payable.
- The application for both the Over 65 Credit and the Over 65 Circuit Breaker Credit are on the same form.
- The form – Application for Senior Citizen Property Tax Benefits 43708 – can be downloaded here.
- An individual wishing to claim one or both of these credits must file the application with the county auditor and provide documentation necessary to substantiate the individual’s eligibility for the credit.
- An individual who remains eligible for the credit(s) in the following year is not required to file a statement to apply for the credit in the following year.
Hoosiers should also be advised that if they receive one of these credits in a particular year and become ineligible for the credit in the following year, they must notify the auditor of the county in which the homestead is located of the ineligibility no later than 60 days after the individual becomes ineligible.
Hoosiers with questions about the application process or their eligibility should contact their county auditor’s office.
No. 3/10 Indiana Visits No. 11/4 Michigan
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 3/10 Indiana swimming and diving will take on a top-15 challenge Friday (Jan. 7), visiting No. 11/4 Michigan for its first dual meet of the new year.
The meet will begin at noon ET. Fans can stream the action via the B1G+ digital platform.
Friday’s action will feature several eye-catching matchups, especially on the women’s side. Freshman Liberty Clark’s 1:41.27 200-yard freestyle ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten, right behind Michigan’s Bella Sims (1:41.17) and just in front of U-M’s Stephanie Balducinni (1:41.40). In the 100-yard backstroke, Miranda Grana (49.89) is expected to face off against Sims (49.17), the current Big Ten leader.
The last time Indiana visited Michigan, the women’s dual meet came down to the wire. IU returned to Bloomington victorious, winning the final relay to finish with a 152-148 result.
MEET INFO
Friday, Jan. 9 • Noon ET
Canham Natatorium • Ann Arbor, Mich.
Opponent: No. 11/4 Michigan
Live Results (Swimming): Meet Mobile (App)
Live Results (Diving): divemeets.com
Live Stream: B1G+
OF NOTE…
HOOSIERS SET BIG TEN, NATION-LEADING TIMES
Five Hoosier men set the set the conference’s best times of the season in the fall. Junior Dylan Smiley owns the best time in the 100-yard freestyle (41.59), and sophomore Miroslav Knedla’s 1:39.69 in the 200 backstroke has set the early standard. Senior Owen McDonald leads the Big Ten in three events: the 100 back (44.13), 100 fly (44.68) and 200 IM (1:40.90), and classmate Zalán Sárkány currently holds the nation’s best times in the 500 free (4:09.57) and 1,650 free (14:23.85).
On the women’s side, freshman Liberty Clark’s program record 46.83 100 freestyle leads the Big Ten. Junior Miranda Grana has the conference’s best 200 butterfly time with a 49.98.
INDIANA MEN TOP MIDSEASON TABLE, LADIES TAKE SECOND
Indiana swimming and diving broke four program records and won 19 of 42 events at its midseason meet, the Ohio State Invitational, from Nov. 18-21.
Three Hoosiers earned Big Ten weekly awards for their performances in Columbus.
Junior Miranda Grana earned her third Big Ten Swimmer of the Week award after winning three events at the Ohio State Invitational, including all three of her individual events as well as a sweep of the backstroke events. Grana swam a program record 49.98 in the 100-yard butterfly and a 49.89 in the 100-yard backstroke to become the fifth woman to go sub-50 seconds in both events, joining Olympians Claire Curzan, Maggie MacNeil, Regan Smith and Gretchen Walsh. Her times in the 100 back, 100 fly and 200 back (1:49.06) all rank No. 3 nationally this season.
Senior Zalán Sárkány won the Big Ten Men’s Swimmer of the Week honor after setting the nation’s fastest times in the 500-yard freestyle (4:09.57) and 1,650-yard freestyle (14:23.85). Sárkány narrowly missed program record in those events but achieved the school standard in the 400-yard IM (3:39.73), finally beating the 11-year old record after tying it last season in a third-place finish.
Liberty Clark, earning her fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor, won five events at her first midseason meet. In the 50-yard freestyle, Clark set a program record (21.54) in a second-place performance as well as IU’s best-ever relay leadoff (21.61). In the 100-yard freestyle, the freshman broke the program record twice with an individual-event winning 46.87 before trimming it to a 46.83 in a relay leadoff. Her 200-yard freestyle performance earned “Arena Swim of the Week” honors from SwimSwam.com, as Clark’s 1:41.27 made her the 16th-fastest woman all-time and No. 6 American in the 17-18 age group.
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