The University of Southern Indian’s Men’s Golf Head Coach Grant Saylor announced three new additions to the 2019-20 squad. USI Men’s Golf welcomes Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana), Blake Golden (Mount Carmel, Illinois) and Peyton Short (Greenwood, Indiana).

Day attended Bloomington High School North where he was a dual sport athlete in Golf and Tennis for the Cougars. Day was selected to the All State Golf Team in 2019 during his junior year. Day won the Cardinal Ritter Invitational in 2019. He also won the Medalist Tournament in 2018 and 2019. In 2019 he set a new tournament record carding two 70s for a 140 total.

Day received All-Area First Team honors in his sophomore and junior seasons. Day helped the Cougars’ Golf team reach the regionals in his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. He also was a part of the 2019 conference championship team. Day was named to the All-Conference Team in both of his sophomore and junior seasons.

Golden attended Mount Carmel High School where he played for the Aces. In 2017, he was named to the All-State Team. Golden later attended John A. Logan where he recorded a 78.2 strokes-per-round average. In August of 2019 Golden was the champion of the Region XXIV Preview which also lead the Vols to a first-place team finish in the tournament. The NJCAA transfer now joins the Screaming Eagles for the spring of the 2019-20 season.

Short attended Center Grove High School where he was on the golf team for three years. Short won the City C Short was named to Golf Week’s All-Midwest Team in 2016. Also, Short is a three-time Golf Week Junior Tour champion. He received All-Johnson County and All-MIC Conference honors in 2019. Short’s career low as a Trojan was a two-round total of 131 including a seven-under-par 65 and six-under-par 66. Short showed his character of the course when chose to play for the Indianapolis Junior Golf Foundation in which he raised $17,000 from 2016 to 2019. Each birdie Short recorded added to his fundraising efforts. In 2019 alone, Short had 87 birdies in the season.

Short helped the Trojans win a state championship in 2017, as well as two runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019. Short also was a member of three Section and Regional Championship teams in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Short and Trojans were MIC Conference Champions in 2017 and 2018.

Coach Saylor was enthusiastic about the newest additions saying, “The team is really excited to have Jace Day, Peyton Short, and Blake Golden joining our golf team this coming fall. With us losing four players due to graduation, this will help replace some of the talent that we will be losing. These 3 players will help start a solid foundation for the golf team in the years to come”.

Up next, Saylor and the Eagles will tee-off the spring season at the SVSU Spring Valley Invitational held on March 14-15 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Aces and Braves to meet at 6 p.m

On Wednesday, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team looks for its first Missouri Valley Conference win when the Purple Aces welcome Bradley to the Ford Center for a 6 p.m. game.  ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the coverage.

West Side Game

– It is the fifth annual Royal Express Car Wash West Side Game

– Fans can receive a voucher for $5 tickets by showing the voucher that is linked above

 Setting the Scene

– Evansville looks to put an 0-2 MVC start in the rearview mirror when the Braves come to town on Wednesday; following a 65-52 loss at Missouri State, the Aces dropped an 81-79 overtime game to Valparaiso on Saturday

– UE also looks to end a recent skid against Bradley that has seen them drop three in a row to the Braves and five of the last six meetings

– Second half defense has been one of the stories in the first two Valley games for UE

– In the opening 20 minutes, the opposition has hit 42.6% of its attempts while that number has risen to 50% in the latter half

Last Time Out

– After trailing Valparaiso by as many as 10 points in the first half, Evansville rallied to take an 8-point advantage with under four minutes remaining, but a late rally sent the game to overtime before the Crusaders finished with an 81-79 victory

– DeAndre Williams was 11-for-13 from the field on his way to 28 points; he was 3-3 from long range

– Artur Labinowicz had an efficient 5-for-7 shooting game on his way to 16 points while Sam Cunliffe and K.J. Riley posted 15 and 12 points, respectively

– Riley added 10 rebounds to finish with his fourth career double-double

– Valpo did its damage from outside, knocking down 12 of its 26 3-point tries

Nice Start

– In his first two Missouri Valley Conference games, DeAndre Williams averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds per game

– He shot 61.5% from the field and tallied four assists, four blocks and three steals.  At Missouri State, Williams notched his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds

– He upped his game against Valparaiso, recording 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting; he was a perfect 3-of-3 from long range while adding six rebounds, three blocks and three assists

Making his case

– Jawaun Newton showed that persistence pays off as he saw 15 minutes of action against Valparaiso while finishing with a team-best +14 on the day

– Newton was held out of the lineup in the games against Murray State and Missouri State and played 12 minutes or fewer in each game since the start of December

– He picked up two rebounds and was 1-1 on the day against the Crusaders, but his defense was key in his time on the floor

Scouting the Opponent

– Bradley stands at 10-5 on the season and are an even 1-1 through their first two MVC games

– After starting the league slate with an 80-72 home win over Drake, the Braves dropped a 69-64 game at UNI on Saturday

– Elijah Childs is the leading rebounder and scorer for Bradley, checking in with 14.2 points and 9.1 rebounds

– His 9.1 caroms leads the conference by a full rebound over Loyola’s Cameron Krutwig while his point tally is 9th in the league

– Senior Darrell Brown averages 13.5 points per game while his 76 assists leads the squad and ranks second in the conference

– Nate Kennell has notched 12.6 PPG while his 21 steals leads the team

The 20th-ranked University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball faces one of its toughest weeks of the season when it travels to 16th-ranked University of Indianapolis Thursday and hosts top-ranked Bellarmine University Saturday. Game time Thursday versus UIndy is set for 6:30 p.m. (CST), while tip-off against Bellarmine is a special Saturday start time of 7:30 p.m.

Game coverage for USI Men’s Basketball in 2019-20, including live stats, video, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.

In the national polls, USI fell to 20^th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25, falling eight spots. UIndy fell five to 16th, while Bellarmine remains in the top spot for the fifth-straight week.

The Eagles also fell out of the Division 2 Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Top 25 poll for the first time this season, but received votes for the poll. Bellarmine also was ranked number one in the D2SIDA poll, while UIndy fell to 21st.

USI Men’s Basketball Week 9 Quick Notes:

USI finishes homestand 4-1. USI finished its longest homestand of the season, 4-1, after a GLVC-weekend split to open the 2020 calendar. Junior forwards Josh Price and Emmanuel Little led the way during the homestand with double-doubles. Price averaged 17.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while Little posted 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest.

In the rankings. USI fell to 20th nationally in the NABC Top 25 poll, dropping eight spots. The Eagles also fell out of the D2SIDA Top 25 poll for the first time this season.

Eagles stumbled during homestand finale. The Eagles stumbled during the homestand finale to Southwest Baptist University, 71-69. Junior forward Josh Price and junior guard Mateo Rivera led the way with 17 points each, while junior guard/forward Clayton Hughes and senior guard Joe Laravie followed with 13 points and 11 points, respectively.

Leading the Eagles. Junior forward Emmanuel Little leads four USI players averaging in double-digits with 17.1 points per game with junior forward Josh Price following with 15.6 points per outing. Price has the team-lead in rebounding with 8.7 per contest, Little is second with 8.2 per contests.

Price doubling it up. Junior forward Josh Price was double-trouble for opponents during the homestand, posting three double-doubles in five games. Price has a team-best five double-doubles this season.

USI vs. Indianapolis. USI leads the all-time series versus the University of Indianapolis, 58-22, and has won the last four meetings. The Eagles swept the two meetings last year, defeating the Greyhounds on the road, 85-70, and in the final game in the Physical Activities Center, 67-65, on a game-winning shot by guard Alex Stein.

#16 Indianapolis in 2019-20. UIndy is ranked 16th nationally this week and has a 9-2 overall record, 1-2 in the GLVC. The Greyhounds have split their last four contests after starting the year 7-0.

USI vs. Bellarmine. USI leads the all-time series versus Bellarmine University, 52-44, after splitting four games last season. The Eagles lost at home 92-80, but bounced back to win on the road, 80-76, during the regular season before falling to the Knights in the GLVC Tournament, 67-61, Edwardsville, Illinois, and winning the NCAA II Midwest Regional, 76-69, at Romeoville, Illinois.

#1 Bellarmine in 2019-20. Bellarmine comes to the Screaming Eagles Arena ranked number one nationally. The Knights, who play at McKendree Thursday before coming to Evansville, start the week 10-0 overall and 3-0 in the GLVC.

NABC Division II Top 25 Poll
1. Bellarmine (Ky.)
2. Northwest Missouri State
3. Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)
4. Nova Southeastern (Fla.)
5. West Texas A&M
6. UC San Diego
7. St. Edward’s (Texas)
8. West Chester (Pa.)
9. Indiana (Pa.)
10. DBU (Texas)
11. Ferris State (Mich.)
12. Missouri Southern
13. Alabama Huntsville
14. Florida Southern
15. St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.)
16. Indianapolis (Ind.)
17. Bentley (Mass.)
18. Grand Valley State (Mich.)
19. Dixie State (Utah)
20. Southern Indiana
21. Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
22. Catawba (N.C.)
23. Missouri-St. Louis
24. Western Oregon
25. Cal Poly Pomona

D2SIDA Men’s Basketball
1. Bellarmine
2. Northwest Missouri State
3. UC San Diego
4. Lincoln Memorial
5. Nova Southeastern
6. West Chester
7. St. Edward’s
8. West Texas A&M
9. Indiana (Pa.)
10. Ferris State
11. St. Thomas Aquinas
12. Missouri Southern State
13. Dallas Baptist
14. Barry
15. Florida Southern
16. Catawba
17. Grand Valley State
18. Bentley
19. Dixie State
20. Azusa Pacific
21. Indianapolis
22. Charleston
23. Minnesota Duluth
24. Queens (N.C.)
25. Jefferson

Others Receiving Votes (on more than one ballot): Embry-Riddle – 42;
Alabama-Huntsville – 24; Southern Indiana – 15; Concordia Irvine – 14;
Missouri-St. Louis – 10; Southeastern Oklahoma State – 5; Lee – 4;
7 teams named on one ballot each

Morales working to help Puerto Rico advance to 2020 Tokyo Olympics

 Since traveling to his native Puerto Rico in December, University of Evansville head volleyball coach Fernando Morales hard at work with the Puerto Rico Women’s Volleyball National Team as they hope to earn a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

This weekend, Puerto Rico is one of four countries vying to win the NORCECA Women’s Qualification Tournament.  Virgilio Travieso Sports Palace in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic is the host venue for the tournament.  Canada, Mexico and the Dominican Republic are the other three teams.  The tournament begins on Friday, January 10 and goes through Sunday the 12^th.  In a round robin event, Puerto Rico will begin on Friday with a 3 p.m. CT game versus Canada.

On Saturday, Morales and his team face Mexico at 4 p.m. CT with Sunday’s finale against host Dominican Republic also set for a 4 p.m. CT start.  The final match is crucial as the 2016 meeting between the teams saw Puerto Rico outduel the Dominican Republic to earn their spot in the Olympics.

“This is a great experience to grow as a coach and learn from the other coaches and players on the team,” Morales said.  “I have been around the national team for the last few years and it is always an education for me.  There are a lot of things that I will be able to bring back to the UE program.”

Morales explained that when he arrived in Puerto Rico on December 16, roughly half of the players were on hand with the remainder making their way back from Europe where they play professionally.  The team took on Peru in four friendly matches with each team winnings twice.

“In the first two games against Peru, we did not have our full team, but when the rest of the players made their way back, we won the final two matches,” Morales continued.  “We hope to have enough time to find our rhythm as a team and be ready for the weekend.”

The team travels to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and will prepare to open the tournament on Friday.

University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball takes on a pair of longtime Great Lakes Valley Conference rivals this week as it visits the University of Indianapolis Thursday at 4:30 p.m. (CST) at Nicoson Hall before hosting Bellarmine University Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Screaming Eagles Arena.

Both games this week will be aired on 95.7 The Spin as well as the GLVC Sports Network, while live stats, audio and video can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.

The Screaming Eagles (6-3, 2-1 GLVC) were 1-1 last week, falling to No. 1 Drury University, 94-69, before defeating Southwest Baptist University, 70-63. Senior guard Ashley Johnsonaveraged 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game to lead the Eagles last week.

Johnson currently leads USI with 13.1 points and 3.6 assists per contest, while junior guard Emma DeHart is chipping in 10.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Hannah Haithcock is contributing 9.3 points per contest, while sophomore forward Ashlynn Brown in adding 9.2 points and a team-high 5.1 rebounds per outing.

USI Women’s Basketball Notes
• Eagles end weekend on winning note. USI Women’s Basketball got 17 points from senior guard Ashley Johnson and freshman forward Hannah Haithcock and a late 7-0 run gave the Screaming Eagles a much-needed 70-63 GLVC win over league-newcomer Southwest Baptist. The game featured eight lead changes and seven ties before USI’s 7-0 run broke a 56-56 fourth-quarter stalemate.

• Third quarter sinks Eagles. A rough third-quarter led to a 94-69 setback in the Eagles’ game against No. 1 Drury Thursday. Johnson had a career-high 22 points, keeping the Eagles in the contest throughout the first half, but a six-point halftime deficit ballooned to 28 points 10 minutes into the second half as Drury outscored the Eagles 33-11 in the third period.

• Weekend leaders. Johnson averaged a team-high 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game to lead the Eagles last week, while her 2.5 assists trailed junior guard Emma DeHart’s team-best 3.0 assists per contest.

• Tough schedule. USI has had a tough schedule throughout its first nine games, with games against three nationally-ranked opponents. Seven of USI’s first nine opponents have posted winning records this season, while USI’s opposition has a combined 70-41 record in 2019-20. USI’s next three opponents have a combined record of 21-10, while only three GLVC teams currently have sub-.500 records.

• Double-figures. USI has had eight different players reach double figures in the scoring column this year, with seven different players scoring at least 10 points in multiple games.

• Johnson’s career week. Senior guard Ashley Johnson scored a career-high 22 points in USI’s loss to Drury. She came back to post her first-career double-double with 17 points and  a career-high 10 rebounds in USI’s win over Southwest Baptist. She also had a season-high four steals against Southwest Baptist.

• Big rebounding effort. USI’s 53 rebounds against Southwest Baptist were a season-high, surpassing its previous high of 42 (Hillsdale). Four USI players—Johnson, senior guard Kiara Moses (8), senior guard/forward Morgan Sherwood (7) and freshman forward Hannah Haithcock (6)—recorded career rebounding highs in the win over Southwest Baptist, while junior center Audrey Turner recorded a season-high five rebounds.

• DeHart scores 15. Junior guard Emma DeHart had 15 points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists in USI’s win over Southwest Baptist.

• Haithcock posts career highs. Haithcock posted three career highs in USI’s win over Southwest Baptist, including points (17), rebounds (6) and assists (3).

• Sherwood reaches double-figures. Senior guard/forward Morgan Sherwood reached double-figures for the second time in three games when she scored 10 in USI’s loss to Drury.

• Brown leads USI in blocks, rebounds. Sophomore forward Ashlynn Brown had six points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and two blocks in USI’s loss to Drury.

• Eagles go 8-of-10 in fourth quarter. USI shot 80.0 percent (8-10) from the floor in the fourth quarter of their loss to Drury. The Eagles were 3-of-5 from three-point range and 4-of-5 from the free throw line as USI outscored the Panthers 23-20 in the final 10 minutes of the game.

• Johnson perfect at FT line. Senior guard Ashley Johnson went a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line in USI’s loss to Drury.

• Blackwell leads USI in steals. Freshman guard Addy Blackwell had a team-high two steals in USI’s loss to Drury.