Screaming Eagles snap streak with 80-73 win
Harrison leads the way with season-high 26 points
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball snapped a five-game losing streak with an 80-73 victory over Lindenwood University Thursday evening at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles are 7-10 overall and 2-5 in OVC action, while the Lions are 8-10, 3-4 OVC.
USI and junior guard Damoni Harrison exploded out of the gate to a 12-0 lead before the first media timeout. Harrison led the way to the game-opening lead with six of the 12 points.
Defensively, USI held Lindenwood to below 10 percent (1-12) from the field and two points for the first 7:45. The Lion, however, got hot and erased the Eagles’ lead with a 13-0 run to lead 15-14 with 9:35 left before halftime.
The lead would swing back and forth for the next few minutes until Lindenwood used a 10-0 surge to take control at the 6:15 mark, 26-16. USI would rally to tie the contest at 38-38 after surging with a 22-12 dash to the intermission.
Harrison, who had a team-best 13 first-half points, and junior guard Jayland Randall had seven points each during the six-minute run to halftime. USI was six-of-seven as a team during the rush to tie, including a pair of three-pointers and eight-of-nine from the stripe.
The first 10 minutes of the second half saw both teams scramble to take command with 16 lead changes and three ties. USI attempted to take control with nine minutes to play, building a four-point lead, 59-55, on a pair of free throws by sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi.
The lead would grow back to eight points, 65-57, after a jumper by Harrison to cap off a 13-2 run. Harrison and Olowoniyi would lead the offensive swell with a combined 11 of the 13 points.
Lindenwood, however, was not done as the Lions cut the USI lead to one twice before a three-point bomb by graduate forward Jack Mielke gave the Eagles some breathing room, 75-71, with 1:20 to play. The Lion would get to within two points, 75-75, one more time before USI closed out the 80-73 win on a bucket by Harrison and free throws by junior guard Jack Campion and Randall.
For the game, Harrison would add 13 more points in the second half and ended with a game-high and season-high 26 points. The junior guard was eight-of-16 from the field, three-of-five from downtown, and seven-of-nine from the line. Harrison also had a team-high and season-high 10 rebounds for his first double-double as an Eagle.
Randall followed with 17 points in his first game back after missing the last two contests due to an injury, while Mielke closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Next Up For USI:
USI concludes the homestand Saturday when it hosts Western Illinois University for Military Appreciation Day. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. after the USI Women’s Basketball game at 1 p.m.
The Leathernecks of WIU are 8-9 overall, 2-4 in the conference, after losing at Morehead State University, 51-47, tonight in Morehead, Kentucky. WIU has lost five of its last six games after tonight’s action.
WIU leads the all-time series, 5-1, after taking both games from USI last season. The Leathernecks won at Liberty Arena, 73-68, and in Macomb, Illinois, 78-76.
Saturday’s USI-WIU matchup is Military Appreciation Day at Liberty Arena. Veterans and their guests will receive free tickets with proof of service (limit to five per veteran) on Military Appreciation Day, which is sponsored by the USI Student Veteran Association.
Tickets for the homestand and all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
Following Saturday’s action, the Eagles will be on the road for a pair of OVC contests. USI visits Southern Illinois University Edwardsville January 23 in Edwardsville, Illinois, and Eastern Illinois University January 25 in Charleston, Illinois.
