SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball junior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) and junior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) combined for 48 points and led the Screaming Eagles to an 81-63 victory at Drury University Thursday evening in Springfield, Missouri. USI goes to 14-5 overall and 9-4 in the GLVC, while Drury is 7-12 overall, 4-7 in the league.
Simmons got the offense rolling in the first half, hitting six of his first nine shots, and propelled the Screaming Eagles on a 20-4 run that gave them command of the opening half lead, 24-8. USI would go on to lead by a game-high 23 points, 36-13, with 3:14 until halftime and went into the locker room with a 36-17 lead.
USI, as a team, also did the job on the defensive end, holding the Panthers to 17 points on 27.6 percent (8-29) from the field.
The first buzzer sounded with Simmons posting 15 first half points on six-of-11 from the field and three-of-six from beyond the arc. Polakovich joined Simmons with double-digits and posted a double-double in the first 20 minutes on 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Eagles would cruise offensively in the second half, shooting 70.4 percent from the field (17-24), but was outscored by the Panthers, 46-45, in settling for the 81-63 victory. Drury cut the 19-point USI halftime advantage to 12 points, 54-42, mid-way through the final, but that would be as close as the Panthers would come to the Eagles.
USI regained total control of the game in the final 10 minutes, outscoring Drury 27-21. Polakovich guided the way to the final buzzer, scoring 12 of USI’s final 27 points.
The way to the USI victory also came through hustle as the Eagles recorded a commanding 41-25 lead on the glass.
Individually, Polakovich finished with a game-high 26 points by dropping in 16 second half points and adding three boards for a game-high 13 rebounds. The junior forward was a blistering 13-of-17 from the field to produce his 26 points.
Simmons followed with a season-high 22 points by tallying seven additional points in the final 20 minutes. He finished nine-of-16 from the field and four-of-nine from beyond the arc.
Sophomore guard Tyler Henry (Brooklyn, New York) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points. Henry reached double-digits in the second half by being perfect – two-of-two from the field, one-of-one from three-point range, and three-of-three from the stripe.
COMING UP FOR USI:
USI complete the two-game road swing Saturday when it visits GLVC West Division leading Southwest Baptist University for a 3 p.m. tipoff in Bolivar, Missouri. The Bearcats, who have won five-straight, are 16-4 overall and 10-3 in the GLVC after defeating the University of Indianapolis, 72-62, this evening at home.
The Bearcats hold a one-game lead in the season series, 3-2, after defeating USI in January, 65-61, at Screaming Eagles Arena. The teams have alternated wins in the five games of the series, dating back to 1984.
The Eagles come back to Screaming Eagles Arena next week to host Maryville University February 17 and Missouri University of Science & Technology February 19.
