University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball rallied from a pair of 13-point second half deficits to defeat Ashland University, 74-62, Sunday afternoon in the final day of the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge hosted by the University of Indianapolis. USI completes the first weekend of 2016-17 action with a 2-0 mark, while Ashland starts the year 1-1.

In the first half, Ashland built a nine-point halftime margin with a five-point run midway through the half and a six-point run before halftime to lead 36-27. USI, which shot 36 percent in the opening half (9-25), was led by junior forward Julius Rajala (Finland) with nine points in the half. Senior guard Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky) and sophomore guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) followed Rajala in the scoring column with eight points each.

In the second half, Ashland continued to build upon its halftime advantage, expanding the lead to as many as 13 points twice, 42-29 and 44-31, when USI’s offense kicked into high gear. The Eagles went on a 26-5 run to take the lead, 57-49, with 5:45 left and never look back.

After Ashland cut the USI advantage to four points, 59-55, the Eagles connected on eight-of-eight free throws by Taylor and Stein to nail down the 12-point win, 74-62.

USI was led in the second half by the 26-point explosion of Stein. The sophomore guard, who finished the game with a career-best and game-high 36 points, was 9-of-15 from the field and 10-10 from the line during the second half. He also had 17 of the 26 points when the Eagles’ erased the 13-point deficits.

The Eagles, as a team, shot 60 percent (15-25) and 94.4 percent from the line (17-18) during the final 20 minutes, while holding Ashland to 30.8 percent from the field (8-26).

Following Stein in the scoring column for USI is Taylor and Rajala with 18 and 13 points, respectively. Taylor also had a team-high eight rebounds.

USI comes home to Evansville next weekend when it takes part in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic Friday and Saturday. The Eagles are slated to play Florida Southern College and Kentucky Wesleyan College at 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The Hall of Fame Classic also features second-ranked Lincoln Memorial University, third-ranked Bellarmine University, and fifth-ranked University of Alabama-Huntsville. Additional classic game times are 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day.

University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer bowed out the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional with a 3-1 loss to sixth-ranked Rockhurst University Sunday afternoon in Kansas City, Missouri. USI, the fourth seed, concluded 2016 season to 13-4-4, while Rockhurst saw its record go to 17-2-2.

Rockhurst struck early to take a 1-0 lead at 6:35 of the first half. The Hawks would control most of the opening 45 minutes and had the lead in shots, 4-1.

In the second half, USI rallied to tie the match, 1-1, when junior forward Pedro Castro (Brazil) scored at 63:24. Castro was assisted on his third goal of the season by freshman midfielder Drew Albert (Eureka, Missouri).

The Hawk responded quickly, scoring the eventual game-winning goal at 67:25 to re-take a 2-1 lead. Rockhurst would add an insurance goal at 80:27 for the 3-1 final.

The Midwest Regional moves to Hays, Kansas, Friday when Rockhurst plays sixth-seeded Drury University in the championship game. Drury defeated second-seeded Tiffin University to advance in Saginaw, Michigan earlier today. For all of the results in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament, visit NCAA.com.

Aces to face Alcorn State

The sixth season at the Ford Center officially begins for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team as they take on Alcorn State on Monday evening at 8 p.m.

Fans with tickets to the men’s game are encouraged to arrive early as your ticket is good for admission to the women’s basketball game against Eastern Illinois, which starts at 5 p.m.

Veteran’s Appreciation Night sponsored by Fifth Third Bank will take place at the game.  It will be held in conjunction with the Military Warriors Support Foundation.  All veterans and active military members and their family can receive $5 tickets to the game by presenting a valid Military ID at the Ford Center Box Office on game day. At halftime, Military Warriors Support Foundation will be presenting a military veteran with a mortgage-free home in a very special presentation for their contributions.

Evansville got off to a great start at Louisville, but the #13 Cardinals roared back with a 20-0 run on their way to a 78-47 win on Friday in the season opener.  Jaylon Brown matched his career mark with 19 points as he drained three triples and hit six free throws.  David Howard, making the start at center, finished the night with a team-best seven rebounds.

Freshman Dru Smith played very well in his collegiate debut, seeing 22 minutes of action against the Cardinals.  Smith notched five points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal.  Perhaps nobody truly appreciated the Aces playing their opener on Veteran’s Day more than Solomon Hainna.  After serving in the Air Force for five years, Hainna is now focused on his college basketball career and made his debut on the holiday.  Hainna was on the floor for 10 minutes and had a rebound.

Monday’s contest will be the sixth home opener at the Ford Center.  The Purple Aces have won four of the five opening games at the arena with the only defeat coming against Buffalo in 2012

Alcorn State opened its 2016-17 campaign on Friday evening at Loyola in Chicago, dropping a 69-44 decision.  Pacing the Braves was Marquis Vance, who registered 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in 29 minutes of work.  Denzel Dulin recorded 11 points for ASU.  Head coach Montez Robinson enters his second season leading Alcorn State.  In his first season, he inherited a team that went 6-26 the previous year and led them to a 15-15 mark and was a finalist for both the 2016 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year and 2016 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year awards.

University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball rode out a storm by Lake Erie College and posted a season-opening win, 90-77, Saturday afternoon in the first day of the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge hosted by the University of Indianapolis. USI (1-0) starts the season with win for 31^st-straight year, while Lake Erie begins 2016-17, 0-1.

USI completes action in the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge Sunday at 1:15 p.m. (CST) when they play Ashland University. Ashland began its season in the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge this evening against host UIndy in the nightcap.

In the first half, junior forward Julius Rajala (Finland) scored six of the first nine points of the season for the Screaming Eagles to give USI an early 9-4 lead. Lake Erie responded with a 15-3 run to lead 19-12 before USI could swing the momentum back in its direction.

The Eagles took control with 12:18 left in the opening half, going on a 28-12 run of their own to build the largest margin of the first 20 minutes, 40-31. US would add a three-pointer by senior guard Cortez Macklin (Louisville, Kentucky) to go into the locker room with a 43-38 lead at the intermission.

Rajala was dominating during the opening half with 17 points, hitting six-of-seven from the field and five-of-five from the free throw line. USI, as a team, shot 51.9 percent from the field (14-27), 41.7 percent from beyond the arc (5-12), and 83.3 percent from the line (10-12).

In the second half, USI quickly raced out to an 11-point lead, 51-40, before Lake Erie stormed back to pull to within two points, 52-50, with 14 minutes left. The Eagles responded with an 11-1 run of their own to take control for good, 63-51.

USI would cruise the rest of the way, building its largest lead of the game, 16 points, 75-59. The Storm would pull to within 10 points, 87-77, with 1:54 remaining before the Eagles closed out the win, 90-77.

Individually, Rajala led the way for the Eagles with a team-high 29 points, hitting 11-of-13 from the field and seven-of-seven from the line. He also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

Sophomore guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) followed with 19 points, 17 coming in the second half after hitting 15-of-16 from the line. Macklin rounded out the USI double-figure scorers with 11 points, including a team-high three three-point field goals.

As a team, USI shot 56.8 percent from the field (25-44), a blistering 64.7 percent in the second half (11-17). The Eagles also did the job at the charity stripe, converting 84.6 percent from the line (33-39), and won the battle on the boards, 35-21.

LEBANON, Ill.—University of Southern Indiana Volleyball ended its 2016 season with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-13 Great Lakes Valley Conference loss to host McKendree University Saturday evening.

USI (9-21, 3-15 GLVC), which lost its final 10 matches of the year, fought off set-point four times before succumbing to the Bearcats in the opening frame. McKendree used a pair of 4-0 runs early to take control of the set.

McKendree (21-9, 16-2 GLVC) used a 10-2 run to establish an insurmountable lead in the second set; then used a 9-2 run in the third frame to put separation between the two teams.

Freshman right side hitter Amanda Jung (Belleville, Illinois) had a match-high 12 kills and a .391 attacking percentage to pace the Screaming Eagles. Sophomore setter Erika Peoples (Bloomington, Illinois) had 24 assists, while junior libero Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana) added a team-best 11 digs to lead USI’s back row.

Farrell finishes the season with 568 digs, just 22 digs shy of the single-season school mark of 590, set by Kayla Heldman in 2013. Her 5.41 digs per set surpassed Heldman’s single-season school-record average of 5.00, which also was set in 2013.

In 2017, Farrell will enter the season ranked third all-time at USI with 1,359 career digs after surpassing USI and GLVC Hall of Famer Shannon Wells (1,353) Saturday. Farrell trails only Heldman (1,848) and Amanda Probst (1,490) on USI’s all-time digs’ list.

Saturday’s match was the final match for USI seniors Amy Zwissler (Bloomington, Indiana) and Quin Shoultz (Columbus, Indiana). Zwissler finishes her career ranked sixth all-time at USI with 255 career block assists and tied for fifth since 2000 with 285 total blocks; while Shoultz concludes her career ranked sixth all-time at USI with 2,168 career assists.