University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball looks to stay atop the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division standings this week as it travels to Rensselaer, Indiana, to take on Saint Joseph’s College Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and to Indianapolis to take on the University of Indianapolis Saturday at noon (CST).

Both games will be aired on WSWI 95.7 FM, while live stats, audio, and GLVC Sports Network coverage can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com. The GLVC Sports Network also is available on Apple TV (4^th generation), Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku.

USI (16-3, 8-1 GLVC) is tied with No. 11 Bellarmine University for first place in the GLVC East Division following its 2-1 showing in conference play last week. The Screaming Eagles suffered an 88-83 loss to then No. 4 Bellarmine, but bounced back with a 78-71 win over the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and an 85-65 win over then No. 24 Lewis University.

Senior guard Tanner Marcum (New Albany, Indiana) was named the GLVC Player of the Week after leading the Eagles with 24.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game. Junior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) added 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest to aid the Eagles, who are receiving votes in both the WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll and Division II Media Poll for the second straight week.

For the season, Grooms leads the Eagles and ranks sixth in the GLVC with 16.2 points per game, while Marcum is second on the team and 16^th in the GLVC with 13.2 points per appearance.

Saint Joseph’s (8-11, 4-5 GLVC), which defeated the Eagles twice a year ago, have lost four of its last six games. Senior forward Kalea Parks averages 15.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to lead the Pumas, who had won 6-of-9 after losing four straight to begin the year.

Junior guard/forward Sydney Brackemyre and junior guard Martha Burse lead Indianapolis, which has won six of its last seven games to improve to 13-6 overall and 7-2 in GLVC play. Brackemyre averages a team-best 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Burse is chipping in 14.5 points and a team-best 3.6 assists per contest for the Greyhounds, who defeated the Eagles 73-64 last year at the PAC.

USI Women’s Basketball Notes

• Five-minute stretch separates USI from Lewis. USI Women’s Basketball turned a 39-39 tie against No. 24 Lewis into a blowout in a matter of five minutes Saturday. The Eagles forced Lewis into seven turnovers and got scoring contributions from four different players as they went on a 22-0 run to take a 61-39 lead with nine minutes to play in the game. USI sank 14-of-16 free throw attempts in the last three minutes to preserve the 85-65 win.

• Marcum nets GLVC honor.Senior guard Tanner Marcumearned GLVC Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career after averaging 24.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game last week. Marcum had 30 points in USI’s loss to No. 4 Bellarmine, 24 points in the Eagles win over UW-Parkside and 20 points in USI’s win over No. 24 Lewis.

• Free throws become huge for USI.The Eagles made the most of their trips to the charity stripe last week, shooting a blistering 86.3 percent (63-73) from the free throw line during their games against Bellarmine, UW-Parkside and Lewis. The Eagles have moved up to second in the GLVC in free throw shooting (.745) after ranking 8th at the beginning of the month (.705) and 15th a year ago (.658).

• Marcum increasing scoring contributions, eyes 1,000.Senior guard Tanner Marcumhas stepped up her scoring contributions in USI’s last five games as she is averaging 22.2 points and 4.2 assists per game during that span. She needs 26 points to become the 16th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau in her career.

• USI in the polls.The Eagles are receiving votes in this week’s Division II Media Poll as well as this week’s WBCA Coaches’ Poll. USI ranks No. 28 with 27 votes in the Media Poll and is No. 29 with 26 votes in the Coaches’ Poll. USI also is ranked No. 23 in the latest Herosports.comDivision II Top 25 rankings.

• Harshbarger becoming scoring threat.Junior guard Randa Harshbargerhas been becoming more of a scoring threat during the month of January, especially in USI’s last three games. Harshbarger is averaging 8.6 points per game in January, including 11.3 points per game in USI’s last three contests.

• Scouting the opposition (SJC).Senior forward Kalea Parks averages 15.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to lead the Pumas, who have lost four of their last six. SJC, at one point, had won 6-of-9 after losing four straight to begin the year.

• Last year against SJC.USI dropped a heart-breaking 67-64 decision to the Pumas in overtime at the PAC during the regular season before falling to SJC, 71-59, in the first round of the GLVC Tournament. Kaydie Grooms averaged 16.5 points per game to lead the Eagles in the two contests, while Kalea Parks averaged 24.0 points and 10.5 rebounds to lead the Pumas.

• Scouting the opposition (UIndy).Led by junior guard/forward Sydney Brackemyre and junior guard Martha Burse, the Greyhounds have won six of their last seven games. Brackemyre, a transfer from Louisville, averages a team-best 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Burse is chipping in 14.5 points and a team-best 3.6 assists per contest.

• Last year against UIndy.Princess German scorched the Eagles for five three-pointers and 25 points as UIndy defeated the Eagles, 73-64, at the PAC. Kaydie Grooms and Tanner Marcum had 15 and 14 points, respectively, to lead the Eagles.

• Marcum leads GLVC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Senior guard Tanner Marcumleads the GLVC with her 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. The next closest player to Marcum in the GLVC has a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

• Record book watch.Several players are starting to make appearances in USI’s record books:

–Tanner Marcum ranks 17th in scoring (974) and is tied for 13th in assists (205);

–Kaydie Grooms is 20th in scoring (875) and is 18th in blocks (45);

–Randa Harshbarger is ninth in assists (221);

–Hannah Wascher is ninth in blocks (60) and 39th in scoring (577);

–Morgan Dahlstrom is 22nd in blocks (36) and tied for 28th in rebounds (366).

• USI in statistical rankings. USI begins the weekend leading the GLVC in nine statistical rankings and is in the top six of 18 GLVC statistical categories. The Eagles are ranked in the top 25 of 10 NCAA Division II statistical rankings.

Aces to play on Wednesday evening

The University of Evansville men’s basketball team returns to action on Wednesday evening, traveling to Cedar Falls, Iowa to take on UNI in a 7 p.m. game.  Live coverage of the game will be on “The Valley on ESPN3” along with 91.5 WUEV.

In a close game for the duration of the contest, Loyola defeated the Purple Aces by a final of 67-61 on Saturday in Chicago on Saturday afternoon.  Duane Gibson had his best game in three seasons, posting 21 points in the game; he also had 9 rebounds while seeing the floor for a career-high 37 minutes.  UE put a smaller lineup on the floor to begin the contest, starting four guards.  Jaylon Brown and Ryan Taylor totaled 16 and 10 points, respectively in the game.

Duane Gibson had one of his best college games in his 4th season with the Purple Aces, tallying 21 points at Loyola.  Averaging 5.7 points per game over the course of his career, Gibson has enjoyed playing the Ramblers as he averages 15.0 points against them.  Gibson hit 8 out of 12 attempts and all five free throws while grabbing nine rebounds; he also played a career-high 37 minutes.  He has started 17 games this year and currently stands with an average of 5.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

After starting conference play with an 0-5 mark, UNI has fought back to win its last three games, including a double over time home win over Loyola and a 58-57 win at SIU on Saturday.  The Panthers sit at 8-11 overall and 3-5 in league play as Jeremy Morgan has led the way with 16.3 points per game.  Morgan, the Preseason MVC Player of the Year, also leads UNI with 6.4 rebounds per game, 56 assists, 40 steals and 26 blocked shots.

A 70-58 win on New Year’s Day saw the Aces tie the all-time series against UNI at 25-25.  The Aces are 7-15 on the road in Cedar Falls and have lost their last three trips to the McLeod Center after winning there in 2012 and 2013.

University of Southern Indiana Men’s Track & Field junior Bastian Grau (Höchstadt, Germany) was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week.

Competing against top talent at the Gladstein Invitational hosted by Indiana University, Grau notched an NCAA provisional mark in the fast section of the mile. His time of 4 minutes, 8.38 seconds was good enough for a sixth-place finish, about nine seconds behind the top finisher.

Grau’s mark in the event represents the fastest time in the GLVC this season. It is also ranked the second best at the NCAA Division II level, while being 56th across all levels.

Last week, Grau earned the award after a win in the 800-meter and a second-place showing in the 3,000-meters at the Robert H. Johnson Little Giant Open.

It is the second GLVC weekly honor of Grau’s career. Former USI All-American Johnnie Guy earned the award three straight weeks during the 205-16 track & field season.

The Screaming Eagles returns to action this weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana competing in the Tom Hathaway Distance Classic January 27-28.

The 12th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team begins a two-game road swing Thursday when it visits Saint Joseph’s College (9-10, 3-6 GLVC) for a 7:30 p.m. contest in Rensselaer, Indiana. USI (18-1, 8-1 GLVC) ends the road trip Saturday at 2:15 p.m. (CST) with a visit to the University of Indianapolis (10-7, 7-2 GLVC).

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 first in the GLVC East Division with 10th-ranked Bellarmine University with 8-1 conference marks. USI and Bellarmine are a game ahead of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and UIndy, each with 7-2 league records.

Following the Eagles’ road trip, USI returns to the friendly surroundings of the Physical Activities Center February 2 when it begins Homecoming Week by hosting Missouri University of Science & Technology for a 7:30 p.m. tip. The Eagles finish the weekend with their Homecoming game February 4 at 3:15 p.m. when they host Drury University.

USI Men’s Basketball vs. Week 13 Quick Notes:

• USI moved up in national rankings.The University of Southern Indiana fell in the NCAA Division rankings for the first time in a month, dropping to 12th in the NABC Division II Top 25 and eighth in the D2SIDA Media Top 25. USI also is ranked 10th in the NCAA Division II and seventh in the HeroSports.com power rankings.
• USI last week.USI went 2-1 last week, losing to 15th-ranked Bellarmine University, but defeating 22nd-ranked University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis University. USI was led for the week by senior guard Jeril Taylor with 19.7 points per game, and sophomore guard Alex Stein with 17.7 points per game.
• A tie for first in the East.USI and 10th-ranked Bellarmine University are tied for first in the GLVC East Division (Bellarmine currently has the tie-breaker) with 8-1 conference marks.
• Tale of two seasons.Last year during the latest five-game stretch, the Eagles were 1-4 and in the midst of a four-game losing streak. USI reversed that stretch this year by winning four of five versus Truman State University, Quincy University, Bellarmine University, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and Lewis University.
• Lighting up the scoreboard.USI is lighting up the scoreboard this year, averaging a GLVC-best 93.4 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).
• USI season leaders.Senior guard Jeril Taylor leads USI with 20.8 points per game, 21.6 in GLVC games, while sophomore guard Alex Stein is posting 17.7 points per contest, 16.7 in the league. Junior forward Julius Rajala rounds out the double-digit scorers with 11.9 points per outing.
• Holding the boards.The Eagles are holding the line on the glass, outrebounding opponents 14 of the last 15 games.
• Crashing the boards.Senior guards Jeril Taylor and Cortez Macklin lead the Eagles in rebounding with 8.0 and 5.2 rebounds per contest, respectively. Macklin, who is averaging three rebounds per contest more than last year, averaged 6.0 rebounds per contest last week.
• USI vs. Saint Joseph’s.USI leads the all-time series, 54-20, and has a 18-10 advantage in Rensselaer, Indiana. The Eagles won last year’s meeting, 98-81, and have taken the last 12 match-ups with the Pumas. Senior guard Bobo Drummond led the Eagles in the 98-81win with his third-straight 22 point game.
• USI vs. UIndy.USI leads the all-time series, 54-21, and has a 16-13 advantage at the University of Indianapolis. The Greyhounds, who have won three of the last four match-ups with USI, defeated the Eagles last season at the PAC, 82-78, with sophomore guard Alex Stein leading USI with 18 points.

NABC Top 25 Poll 

1. Northwest Missouri State (12)
   2. Fairmont State, W.Va. (4)
   3. West Liberty, W.Va.
   4. California Baptist
   5. Shippensburg, Pa.
   6. Indiana, Pa.
   7. Hawai’i Pacific
   8. Queens, N.C.
   9. Wheeling Jesuit, W.Va.
   10. Bellarmine, Ky.
   11. Kutztown, Pa.
   12. Southern Indiana
   13. Barry, Fla.
   14. Tarleton State, Texas
   15. Western Washington
   16. Fort Lewis, Colo.
   17. Kentucky Wesleyan
   18. Arkansas-Monticello
   19. Alabama-Huntsville
   20. West Texas A&M
   21. MSU Moorhead, Minn.
   22. Colorado School of Mines
   23. Chico State, Calif.
   24. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn.
   25. Wisconsin-Parkside

   D2SIDA Top 25 Poll 
   1. Northwest Missouri (14)
   2. Fairmont State
   3. California Baptist
   4. Shippensburg
   5. Queens
   6. Bellarmine
   7. West Liberty
     8. Southern Indiana
   9. Tarleton State
   10. Barry
   11. Western Washington
   12. Arkansas -Monticello
   13. Lincoln Memorial
   14. Wheeling Jesuit
   15. UT-Permian Basin
   16. MSU-Moorhead
   17. Ferris State
   18. West Texas A&M
   19. Hawai’i Pacific
   20. Ch. ico State
   21. Valdosta State
   22. St. Thomas Aquinas
   23. Indiana (PA)
   24. Augusta (Ga.)
   25. Wisconsin-Parkside