EPD REPORT
HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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Eagles pull away in back-and-forth affair for GLVC win
With the score tied at 56, senior guard Ashley Johnson made 3-of-4 free throw attempts in a 30-second span to jump-start the game-deciding run. Junior guard Emma DeHart drew a charge on the other end of the court following Johnson’s last two free throws and freshman forward Hannah Haithcock hit a jumper on the other end to put USI up 61-56 with just under four minutes to play.
Haithcock capped off the 7-0 run 30 seconds later when she hit a jumper in the middle of the paint, giving the Screaming Eagles a 63-56 advantage with less than 3:30 to play in the contest.
Southwest Baptist (7-4, 1-2 GLVC) got a three-pointer from senior guard Bailey Rezabek to cut the Eagles’ lead to four with just over three minutes to play, but a bucket by Haithcock followed by a three-pointer by DeHart gave USI a nine-point edge, the largest lead by either team, with 1:36 to play.
Haithcock and Johnson each had 17 points to lead the Eagles, while DeHart added 15 points and four assists. Johnson finished the game with a career-high 10 rebounds and four steals to pick up her first-career double-double, while Haithcock added six rebounds and three assists to her stat total.
Rezabek paced Southwest Baptist with 19 points and nine rebounds, while junior guard Kyleigh Vaught added 16 points.
Earlier in the game, USI (6-3, 2-1 GLVC) used a 10-0 run that began in the second quarter and ended in the third period to turn a four-point deficit into a 35-29 lead. The Bearcats rallied to take a 45-41 lead midway through the third, but the Eagles regrouped to take a 50-48 lead into the fourth period.
The contest featured eight lead changes and seven ties, including four lead changes in the third period alone. USI led 15-13 after the first period and 31-29 at the break.
USI (6-3, 2-1 GLVC) returns to action Thursday at 4:30 p.m. (CST) when it travels to Indianapolis to take on the University of Indianapolis. The Eagles return to Screaming Eagles Arena next Saturday to host arch-rival Bellarmine University.
Men’s basketball drops overtime contest to Valparaiso
UE looks to rebound on Wednesday against Bradley
Sophomore DeAndre Williams led the University of Evansville with 28 points, but Javon Freeman-Liberty countered with 25 to lift Valparaiso to an 81-79 overtime win against the Purple Aces on Saturday at the Ford Center.
Williams was 11-of-13 from the floor and hit all three 3-point tries. Artur Labinowicz had another efficient game posting 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Sam Cunliffe had 15 points while K.J. Riley had a double-double with 12 points and 10 caroms for UE (9-6, 0-2 MVC).
Leading the Crusaders (8-7, 1-1 MVC) with 25 points was Freeman-Liberty. He hit eight field goals and all six free throws. Eron Gordon scored 11.
“We had a few tough turnovers down the stretch, I feel if we could have hung on to one or two of them, it could have been a different result,†UE interim head coach Bennie Seltzer said. “Our kids are resilient, this one hurts. Our guys played their hearts out; but we will get back to practice and be ready for Wednesday.â€
“The crowd was awesome, they were loud and you could feel the intensity. They were pulling for us and that felt good.â€
Sam Cunliffe helped the Aces open the game by scoring the first five points. After DeAndre Williams got things started with a layup, Cunliffe drilled a three. Valparaiso responded with its first run of the game, posting the next seven to take a 7-5 lead. Daniel Sackey hit a triple to finish the run.
A 19-4 Valpo run continued as they took their largest lead of the half at 19-9 when a Ben Krikke basket came with 13 minutes on the clock. Evansville countered with a run of its own, outscoring the Crusaders by a 17-5 margin over the next eight minutes. A 5-0 spurt got it started with Williams adding his second field goal before Artur Labinowicz drained a triple on a feed from Shamar Givance.
After Valparaiso went back up by eight points (24-16), the Aces reeled off ten in a row. Cunliffe added two more baskets, including his second from outside. Following a pair of K.J. Riley free throws, Labinowicz connected on his second triple to put the Aces in front at 26-24 with just over five minutes left in the half.
The final minutes of the half saw the Crusaders wrestle away a 36-31 halftime lead. Inside the final ten seconds, Javon Freeman-Liberty connected on a three to push their lead to five.
DeAndre Williams dished it to Labinowicz for a dunk to begin the second half, but Valpo the outside shooting for Valpo kept them in front. Over the first four minutes of the second half, the Crusaders added four triples to lead by a 48-39 tally.
Minutes later, the Valpo lead reached ten points before UE started to feel it from outside. Williams and Labinowicz hit consecutive treys that quickly made it a 54-50 game with under 12 minutes on the clock. The run continued when a Cunliffe jumper made it a 56-55 Valpo lead with the clock approaching eight minutes.
K.J. Riley was able to put UE back in front with 6:43 remaining with a free throw and Williams added a three to put UE up by four. The lead reached was pushed out to 69-61 on another field goal by Williams, but the Crusaders had one final run set up in the final minutes. A triple from Eron Gordon with 1:34 remaining got them back within two at 70-68.
Freeman-Liberty capped off the run with a minute left, tying it at 70-70 on his 7th basket of the game. Following an Aces turnover, the Crusaders had a chance for the win, but a triple fell short and sent the game into overtime.
Valparaiso posted the first two buckets of the extra period and never gave up the lead, holding on for an 81-79 victory.
Evansville finished with a 38-32 rebounding advantage while outshooting Valpo, 47.3%-43.9%. The difference for Valpo came in its long range shooting as they went 12-of-26 from downtown.
UE is back at the Ford Center on Wednesday evening to take on Bradley at 6 p.m.
Eagles lose seesaw affair with Bearcats, 71-69
 12th-ranked University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball lost a seesaw contest with Southwest Baptist University, 71-69, Saturday afternoon at the Screaming Eagles Arena. USI goes to 9-2 overall and 1-2 in the GLVC, while Southwest Baptist is 9-2, 2-1 GLVC.
An extremely close game through the first nine minutes, USI tried to break away with a 14-5 run to post the largest lead of the first half, 28-17. Senior guard Joe Laravie triggered the run with five points as the Eagles hit five-of-eight shots, including a pair of threes during the surge.
The Bearcats responded with a surge of their own (17-5) and cut the Eagles advantage to three points, 35-33, by the intermission. Laravie and junior forward Clayton Hughes topped the USI leader board after the break with eight points each.
USI junior forward Josh Price and Hughes combined for seven points in the first two minutes of the second half to push the Eagles’ lead back to 10 points, 42-32. Southwest Baptist, however, exploded on a 13-2 run, hitting six-of-10 from the field in four minutes, to take a 45-44 advantage and their first lead of the game.
The Bearcats pushed their lead to eight points, 53-45, to cap off a 21-3 run with 12:09 to play when the Eagles began to mount a comeback of their own. USI junior guard Mateo Rivera scored five points and propelled the Eagles on an 11-2 surge to regain the lead, 56-55, on a jumper in the lane by Price with 6:12 left.
The Eagles dropped back into the negative column two possessions later, 57-56, and were never able grab the lead back. USI saw the margin climb to as many as five three times in the final minutes and was able close the deficit back to one twice, but could not connect on the go ahead field goal attempts to fall.
Individually, Rivera and Price led four Eagles in double-digits with 17 points each. Rivera, who posted a season-high in the loss, was five-of-eight from the field, three-of-five from downtown, and four-of-four from the stripe. Price, who missed his four-straight double-double by one rebound, was eight-of-13 from the field and one-of-two from the line.
Hughes followed with 13 points on three-of-five, a blistering three-of-four from beyond the arc, and four-of-four from the line, while Laravie rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.
On the glass, USI lost its first battle on the board for the first time this season, 35-34. Price and junior forward Emmanuel Little led the way for the Eagles, tying for a game-high nine rebounds each.
USI starts next week’s action on the road when it travels to the 11th-ranked University of Indianapolis for a 6:30 p.m. (CST) contest. The Greyhounds watched their record to 9-2 overall and 1-2 in the GLVC after falling to the University of Illinois Springfield, 79-69, at home this afternoon.
The Eagles hold a 58-22 all-time series lead over the Greyhounds after sweeping the series last season. USI defeated UIndy on the road, 85-70, before closing out the Physical Activities Center and the 2018-19 regular season with a dramatic 67-65 victory on a last second shot by guard Alex Stein.
Father Leaves Children in Vehicle After Fleeing From Deputies
Shortly after 2 am on 01/04/2020 a Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s deputy spotted a white Buick LeSabre in the area of US 41 and Morgan Avenue in which the driver was suspected of being impaired. When the deputy attempted to stop the vehicle the driver decided to flee and led deputies on a pursuit into the 2200 block of E Tennessee Street. As the deputies pursued the driver suddenly stopped and abandoned his vehicle on foot. Deputies found an adult passenger, a four-year-old child and a ten-year-old child remaining in the vehicle. The four-year-old child was not in any type of restraint system. The pursuing deputies were unaware of the young passengers in the vehicle until after the vehicle stopped. A handgun was located inside the vehicle on the driver’s floorboard. The suspect was able to evade the pursuing deputies and assisting Evansville Police Department Officers and was unable to be located after an exhaustive search. The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) responded to the scene in order to ensure the welfare of the young children involved. The investigation into the known suspect’s whereabouts remains ongoing.
Indiana’s 2019 Graduation Rate Is Steady, But Fewer Students Are Passing The Exit Exam
Indiana’s 2019 Graduation Rate Is Steady, But Fewer Students Are Passing The Exit Exam
By EMMA KATE FITTES FOR CLARKBEAT, INDIAN
A growing number of high school students in Indiana are graduating without passing the state’s exit exam, according to newly released state data.
Indiana’s overall graduation rate remained largely steady in 2019, amid nearly a decade of stagnant results. In 2019, 87% of seniors graduated, compared to 88% in 2018. But that number drops to 76% when accounting for students who used a test waiver.
Waivers allow students to graduate without passing the state’s mandated test if they complete a list of other requirements, which can include retaking the exam and maintaining a high attendance rate and at least a C average.
The waiver option allows students with special education needs, who are English language learners, or who have just struggled repeatedly to pass the test an avenue to earn a high school diploma. But some education advocates are concerned that schools could graduate students who don’t have the necessary knowledge and skills.
Statewide, around 9,000 students used this option to graduate — the highest number the state has seen in nearly a decade. Almost twice as many students used a waiver in 2019, compared to nine years ago.
Database: Search for your school’s 2019 graduation rate
When asked about the drop in non-waiver graduates, Adam Baker, a state education spokesperson, pointed to the change in Indiana’s required exam. Graduates in 2019 were the first class required to pass the state’s ISTEP test in grade 10, as opposed to high schools’ end-of-course exams.
The state will undergo another change to the exit exam by 2023 when high schoolers will be required to take either the SAT or ACT. Lawmakers are expected this year to choose one of the college entrance exams, which will be administered by the state.
Indiana could see fewer students require waivers as it adopts what’s known as graduation pathways, which offers Indiana high schoolers multiple options for completing the requirements to graduate, thus deemphasizing testing. Students choose their path based on their interests, such as going to college or earning a technical certification.
Supporters of the approach say pathways better prepares students for careers, but critics insist the options could lower the bar for Indiana’s students and devalue the state’s diploma.
The new data also shows that virtual schools continue to post some of the lowest overall graduation rates in the state. Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy, which closed in September after the state found it inflated enrollment, saw 5.6% of its senior’s graduate. Achieve Virtual Education Academy graduated 48%, and Indiana Connections Academy graduated 61%.
Nationally, only about half of virtual students graduate on time, said Gary Miron, a national policy fellow at the National Education Policy Center.
Lawmakers will have to consider these numbers as they look to improve the state’s struggling virtual schools. The stakes are high for Indiana high schoolers, particularly the population these schools say they serve: students who struggle in traditional schools.
“These schools are universally failing and we continue to send millions of dollars to them,†said Miron, a critic of virtual schools.
Among the state’s virtual schools, Indiana Connections Academy stood out with the highest proportion of its graduates relying on waivers. About half of Connections’ nearly 600 graduates used a waiver.
The school did not respond to Chalkbeat’s request for comment on Thursday.
In Marion County, almost all school districts had graduation rates above 85%. One exception: Beech Grove City Schools’ graduation rate dropped 10 percentage points from the year prior, to 79%. On the other end of the spectrum, Franklin Township had the highest graduation rate in the county, 97%.
Indianapolis Public Schools’ graduation rate remained relatively steady after three years of gains. This year, 82% of students graduated, down one percentage point from 2018.
Across the state, racial inequities persist. Some 94% of seniors who are Asian and 89% of seniors who are white graduate. By contrast, students who are black and those with special needs had graduation rates below 80%. Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch also posted lower graduation rates.
“There is still work to be done,†said State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick in a press release. “The Department will continue to commit its resources to local districts, working together to ensure our children graduate prepared for life beyond high school.â€
Commentary: OK, Boomer, 5 Things To Get Ready For In 2020
By Michael Leppert
MichaelLeppert.com
I am not a baby boomer. Not technically. All four of my older siblings are though, which I enjoy pointing out. I am just young enough to say “OK Boomer†to people who need to hear it and am clearly old enough for people to say it to me.
Don’t know what “OK Boomer†means? Then you probably are one. Because I’m a good sport, I’ll clarify it. “OK Boomer†is a catchphrase, sometimes a meme, that younger generations use to dismiss attitudes stereotypically attributed to the baby boomer generation. It is also an expression used toward an older person, say about my age, who just might not be as with it as he should be.
We used to call it the generation gap. Today, it is more often generically referred to as “ageism.†I don’t care for today’s whiny perspective much. I am, and always have been, a believer that older generations certainly have an obligation to teach, but they also have one to learn. And the “ism†part of this one is as snowflakey as just about anything.
2019 was the OK Boomer year. In 2020, it will likely continue.
Here’s a shortlist of exactly how.
1. Climate change. For those of you claiming that it is a hoax, OK Boomer. Seriously, who under the age of 55 actually still needs convinced that our planet’s climate is changing and human behavior is the reason? If you are the one, contact me and I will give you a smidgen of the evidence–assuming you have a truck to haul it away. Let the fantasy of this being someone else’s fault and responsibility to try and fix have it’s funeral in 2020, because trust me, this fantasy is dead.
2. Transit options are a waste. Indianapolis had a setback in the world of transit this week, when Blue Indy, the electric car rental service, announced it would discontinue service in the state capital. Resolving the use of its controversial parking spaces and charging stations will take a while to figure out. However, only a Boomer would use this failure to dissuade us from the next legitimate idea to find a more modern, efficient and sustainable way to move people. Our dependence on car ownership and driving our own cars everywhere we go is getting old. Sort of like fighting better transportation ideas is. Like it or not, Boomer, 2020 will only see growing support for new ideas here.
3. Your iPhone’s flashlight is on, Boomer. Admit it, nine out of 10 times a person is spotted obliviously walking around with their flashlight on, it is someone born before 1980. Now, that includes me and my much younger wife, but I almost never see a young person doing this. I spotted a teenage girl on the sidewalk committing this faux pas yesterday. Saying “hey Boomer, your flashlight is on,†to her was a holiday treat for me.
4. Gun rules and laws will get stricter. That’s right, Boomer, America is turning a corner on this one. The school shooting generation has grown in number and age, their patience has shrunk, and younger people simply disagree with the thought that more guns make anyone safer. The National Rifle Association ironically seems like a wounded duck, and 2020 will continue this trend. Congress passed a spending bill that will finally fund the study of gun violence, and science will find that a different course is necessary. Science trumps propaganda every time, eventually.
5. Religion is struggling. Data is bringing bad news to all kinds of churches, temples, and mosques: fewer and fewer Americans are active there. While this is a troubling sign for the spiritual health of our nation, only those who lack faith would be overly pessimistic about the future of our individual souls. Boomer, we need you on this one. We need you to encourage your religion to set a better example for the youngsters. No religion I know condones cruelty. The rift caused by the Christianity Today editorial last week is not the greatest recruitment tool.
Baby boomers are most commonly referred to as Americans who were born between 1946 and 1965. Thankfully, it does not include me (barely). Even if it did, I would find the group difficult to defend, as a group. Boomers really need to show more of an interest in tomorrow than yesterday.
But this really isn’t about that sharp definition though. It is more about the state of mind of older people who don’t understand new perspectives on a much longer list than I give you today. OK Boomer, does any of that sound familiar?
FOOTNOTE: Michael Leppert is a public and governmental affairs consultant in Indianapolis and writes his thoughts about politics, government and anything else that strikes him at MichaelLeppert.com.