Aces and Sycamores meet for first time this season

For the first time since Arch Madness last season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team faces Indiana State as the squads match up on Wednesday evening for a 7 p.m. ET game at the Hulman Center

On Sunday, the Aces fell behind by a 20-6 margin in the opening minutes, but rallied to take a second-half lead before falling to Illinois State by a final of 69-59.  Jaylon Brown finished the game with 17 points while David Howard matched his career-high with 16 points.  UE played the conference leaders very well, finishing with a 36-26 edge in points in the paint but the Redbirds shot 48.9%, accounting for the difference.

Senior David Howard had a great week for the Purple Aces, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game against UNI and Illinois State.  After recording 11 points and 8 boards at UNI, Howard came back home against the Redbirds, finishing with 16 points, which tied his career high.  For the week, he hit 11 out of 14 attempts.

Despite going 10-of-28 from the field, Jaylon Brown still managed to average 15 points per game over the last week and remains atop the league with 20.4 points per game.  He continued to get to the free throw line, hitting 7 out of 9 from the line.  He also averaged 5 assists and 5 rebounds in the two games.

Over the last week, Evansville showed great fight despite trailing by 18 points and UNI and 14 points in the first half against Illinois State.  In Cedar Falls, UE trailed by 18 early but was able to get within four in the second half.  Sunday against the Redbirds, the Aces overcame the early ISU lead to take a lead of their own early in the second half.

Indiana State comes into Wednesday’s game with a 7-15 overall mark and a 1-9 record in league play.  Brenton Scott is the lone Sycamore averaging double figures; he checks in with 16.7 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 5.5 rebounds per contest.  Everett Clemons is averaging 9.5 points and is tied with Scott as the top rebounder with 5.5/game.  The Sycamores excelled in non-conference play, defeating Butler by a 72-71 final on December 7, that win came just four days after a hard-fought 62-61 triumph at Utah State in the MVC/Mountain West Challenge.

The Sycamores hold an 89-78 lead in the overall series against the Purple Aces and are 58-23 in home contests played in Terre Haute.  UE has dropped its last five games at the Hulman Center.  Last season, Evansville won two out of three games against the Sycamores, including a 68-42 win in St. Louis.

The 17th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team returns to the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center for Homecoming week and host a two-game homestand. The Screaming Eagles (19-2, 9-2 GLVC) are slated to host Missouri University of Science & Technology Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Drury University for Homecoming Saturday at 3:15 p.m.

Game coverage for this week’s games, including live stats, video streams, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on WEOA 98.5FM/1400AM and 95.7FM The Spin.

The Screaming Eagles start the week tied for second in the GLVC East Division with 22nd-ranked University of Wisconsin-Parkside with 9-2 conference marks. USI and UW-Parkside also are a game behind front-running and eighth-ranked Bellarmine University, which has a 10-1 mark.

Following this weekend’s action, the Eagles will have only two home games remaining in the 2016-17 regular season. USI concludes the regular-season home schedule February 16 when it hosts the University of Illinois Springfield and February 18 when it welcomes McKendree University to the PAC for Senior Day.

USI Men’s Basketball vs. Week 14 Quick Notes:

• USI in national rankings.The University of Southern Indiana fell in the NCAA Division II rankings for the second week, dropping to five spots to 17th in the NABC Division II Top 25 and falling six spots to 14th in the D2SIDA Media Top 25.  USI also is ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II and 11th in the HeroSports.com power rankings.
• Looking for win number 20.USI is making its second attempt to win its 20th game of the year on Thursday night. The Eagles are looking to win 20 games for the first time since 2013-14 and reach the 20-win plateau for the 22nd time since 1992-93. USI has won 20-or-more games 25 times, advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament in 23 of those seasons.
• Eagles win marathon at Saint Joseph’s.USI won a triple-overtime marathon at Saint Joseph’s College, 122-113, Thursday night to go to 19-1 overall, 9-1 GLVC. Senior guard Jeril Taylor led USI with 38 points in 51 minutes of action.
• Eagles suffer first road loss.The Eagles suffered their first road loss at the University of Indianapolis, 81-66. USI, 5-1 on the road this year, is averaging 96.2 points per contest on the road.
• Taylor named Player of the Month.Senior guard/forward Jeril Taylor was named the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month. Taylor averaged 24.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, while being named the GLVC Player of the Week twice.
• Lighting up the scoreboard.USI is lighting up the scoreboard this year, averaging a GLVC-best 93.5 points per game. The highest scoring average by an Eagles’ team was 1993-94 when the squad averaged 101.7 points per game and reached 100-or-more points 18 times. The last time a USI squad averaged 90-or-more points a game was in 2001-02 (90.3 points per game).
• Holding the boards.The Eagles have won the battle of the boards 18 times this season. USI was outrebounded only by Ashland University and Kentucky Wesleyan College, while tying Quincy University.
• USI vs. Missouri S&T.USI leads the all-time series, 14-3, and has won the last three meetings. USI, which holds a 7-2 series lead at the Physical Activities Center, won the only meeting last season, 94-87 in Rolla, Missouri, and was led by the 26 point performance by sophomore guard Alex Stein.
• USI vs. Drury.USI leads the all-time series, 10-9, and has an advantage at the PAC, 4-3, but has lost the last two meetings and four of the last five versus Drury. The only time USI has defeated Drury in the last four years was in the 2014 GLVC championship game at the Ford Center in Evansville. Drury won last year, 75-62, in Springfield, Missouri, with USI senior guard Bobo Drummond posting 15 points to lead four Eagles in double-digits.

University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball has cracked the Top 25 for the first time since January 22, 2013 thanks to the four-game winning streak it takes into its 5:30 p.m. game Thursday against Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Missouri S&T.

The Screaming Eagles (18-3, 10-1 GLVC) begin the week in a tie for No. 20 in the Division II Media Poll, sponsored by D2SIDA, and are essentially No. 26 with 46 votes in the WBCA Coaches’ Poll. USI, which hosts No. 9 Drury University Saturday at 1 p.m. for Homecoming, also is ranked No. 20 by Herosports.com.

USI, which enters the week in sole possession of first-place in the GLVC East Division, is coming off road wins over Saint Joseph’s College (85-66) and the University of Indianapolis (58-47). Senior guard Tanner Marcum (New Albany, Indiana) averaged 16.5 points and 3.0 steals per game, while junior forward Morgan Dahlstrom (Grayslake, Illinois) chipped in 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest.

On the year, Marcum is second on the team with 13.5 points and 3.4 assists per game, while junior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) is averaging a team-best 15.6 points per appearance.

Missouri S&T (8-11, 3-8 GLVC) has won two of the last three games after suffering through a seven-game losing streak. Junior guard Janie Arand averages 10.1 points per game to lead the Miners, who opened the year by winning six of their first nine games.

Drury (19-2, 11-0 GLVC), which begins the week with a trip to No. 15 Bellarmine University Thursday, has won 11 straight games and sits atop the GLVC West Division standings. Junior guard Heather Harman averages 16.4 points and 4.1 assists per game to lead the Panthers, who have four players averaging in double-figures this year.

Both games this weekend will be aired on WSWI 95.7 FM and on the GLVC Sports Network. GLVCSN coverage along with live stats and audio can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.

USI Women’s Basketball Notes

• Eagles move into sole possession of first place in GLVC East.Senior guard Tanner Marcumaveraged 16.5 points and 3.0 steals per game as USI Women’s Basketball moved into sole possession of first place in the GLVC East Division with its 2-0 week. The Eagles started the week with an 85-66 win over Saint Joseph’s Thursday and ended the week with a 58-47 win over Indianapolis. Junior forward Morgan Dahlstrom added a double-double with 12.5 points and a team-best 10.5 rebounds per game for the Eagles, who were aided by Bellarmine’s loss to Indianapolis Thursday.

• Two more road wins for Eagles.USI picked up two more road wins last week to remain unbeaten away from the Physical Activities Center. USI is 8-0 on the road this year and 1-0 in neutral site games.

• USI can clinch GLVC Tournament berth.The Eagles can clinch a spot in the GLVC Tournament Thursday with a win over Missouri S&T.

• 20-win plateau in reach.With seven games remaining in the regular-season and at least one post-season game all but assured, the Eagles are just two wins shy of reaching the 20-win plateau for the 10th time in program history. Each of the previous nine times USI has won 20 or more games, the Eagles have advanced to the NCAA II Tournament.

• USI cracks Top 25.The Eagles have cracked the Top 25 for the first time since January 22, 2013. USI is tied for No. 20 in this week’s Division II Media Poll and is essentially No. 26 with 46 votes in the WBCA Coaches’ Poll. USI also is ranked No. 20 in the latest Herosports.comDivision II rankings.

• Eagles looking to match longest win streak.The Eagles are looking to match their longest winning streak of the season when they take on Missouri S&T Thursday. USI has followed each of its three losses this year with winning streaks of at least four games, but have not won more than five straight games at any point this year.

• Marcum reaches 1,000-point plateau, Grooms next?Senior guard Tanner Marcumbecame the 16th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau in USI’s win over Indianapolis. Junior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms is the next closest USI player to 1,000 points as she needs just 105 to become the 17th player in program history to eclipse the mark.

• Trends.Senior guard Tanner Marcumis averaging a team-best 21.4 points per game in USI’s last five outings, while junior guard Randa Harshbarger is chipping in 11.0 points per contest in that same span. Senior forward Hannah Wascher and junior forward Morgan Dahlstromeach are averaging 8.2 rebounds per game in the last five outings.

• Upcoming events.Thursday’s game against Missouri S&T is Heart Awareness Night, while Saturday’s game against Drury is Homecoming. USI will be in pink uniforms for its Play4Kay game against Illinois Springfield February 16, while Senior Day is February 18 against McKendree.

• Wascher puts up big numbers.Senior forward Hannah Wascherhas put up big numbers in her collegiate career. Including two seasons at Parkland, Wascher has racked up 1,793 career points and 1,073 career rebounds.

• Scouting the opposition (S&T).Junior guard Janie Arand averages 10.1 points per game to lead the Miners, who have won two of their last three games after suffering through a seven-game losing streak. Missouri S&T won six of its first nine games prior to the seven-game slide.

• Last year against S&T.The Miners shot 52.8 percent from the field and sank half of their 18 three-point field goal attempts en route to a 76-69 win over the Eagles. Hannah Wascher had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Eagles, who erased a nine-point first-quarter deficit before going into a double-digit hole in the fourth quarter.

• Scouting the opposition (Drury).Junior guard Heather Harman averages 16.4 points and 4.1 assists per game to lead the Panthers, who have won 11 straight games. Drury has four players averaging in double-figures, including freshman forward Hailey Diestelkamp, who is averaging 11.5 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game.

• Last year against Drury.The Panthers drained 11 three-pointers en route to a 70-56 win over the Eagles in Springfield, Missouri, last year. USI traded leads with Drury in the opening half, but after going into the break in a 34-34 tie, the Panthers outscored the Eagles 26-11 in the first 11 minutes of the second half to create separation between the two teams.