DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball’s offense cooled in the second half and fell to the University of the Incarnate Word, 87-81, in the first round of the Boardwalk Battle at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Screaming Eagles go to 1-4 in the non-conference schedule, while UIW is 3-2.
Despite being on fire through the first 20 minutes, USI led only once in the first half (2-1 on a basket by senior guard Ismail Habib) and trailed by three at the break, 41-38. The Eagles shot 57.7 percent from the field (15-26), 55.6 percent from beyond the arc (5-9), and 75 percent from the stripe (3-4).
USI trailed by as many as nine points (29-20) once in the first half but battled back with a 10-4 run in the final two minutes before halftime to trail by three. Senior guard Cardell Bailey led USI’s comeback with 13 points off the bench, including a trio of field goals beyond the three-point arc.
UIW took command in the second half with a 20-8 run in the first seven minutes to lead 61-46 with 13:14 to play. USI also would go without a field goal for seven minutes (15:25 to 8:17), managing only seven free throws to trail 67-53.
After falling behind by as many as 16 points twice, the Eagles tried to rally in the final eight minutes. USI used a 22-13 run to pull to within five points, 80-75, with 36 seconds left on the clock after Bailey converted an old-fashioned three-point play. Senior forward Ola Ajiboye led the USI run with nine of the 22 points, while Habib and Bailey added six points and five points, respectively.
The Cardinals stopped the Eagles’ offensive push by connecting on seven-of-eight trips to the free throw line in the final 36 seconds to close out the 87-81 final.
In the second half, USI fell below 50 percent from the field by shooting 42.9 percent (15-35) and was 0-of-12 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes. The Eagles also lost the battle on the boards, 38-27, for the contest.
For the game, Habib reached 21 points for the second-straight game to lead the USI scorers. He was eight-of-15 from the field, including a three-pointer, and a perfect four-of-four from the stripe.
Bailey and Ajiboye posted season highs with 18 points each. Bailey finished seven-of-12 from the field, three-of-seven from beyond the arc, and one-of-two from the stripe. Ajiboye was six-of-eight from the field and six-of-nine from the charity stripe.
Next Up For USI:
USI finishes out the Boardwalk Battle Saturday at 4 p.m. (CST) when it plays the loser of the University of Illinois Chicago – High Point University game. UIC and High Point play this afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
UIC is 3-1 overall after starting the year with a win and has won its last two outings. High Point is 4-1 in 2025-26, starting the year with a three-game winning streak before splitting its last two contests.
After this week’s trip to Florida, USI has a trip to Valparaiso University November 26 for a 2 p.m. tipoff and comes home to Liberty Arena to face off with Kentucky State University November 29 at 3 p.m.
