University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball junior forward T.J. Tisdell (Cape Girardeau, Missouri) scored a season-high 21 points and led the Screaming Eagles to a 101-89 victory at McKendree University Saturday afternoon in Lebanon, Illinois. USI watched its record rise to 17-10 overall and 9-8 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, while McKendree went to 12-13, 5-12 GLVC.
Tisdell led five Eagles in double-digits with his 21 points by hitting 10-of-12 from the field and one-of-three from the line, while grabbing team-high 10 rebounds for his third-straight double-double. The junior forward has averaged 20.0 points, hitting 78.1 percent from the field (25-32), and 10.0 rebounds over the last three games.
Freshman guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) followed Tisdell in the scoring column with 17 points and dished a season-high nine assists. Stein also was hot from the field, shooting eight-of-15 from the field, including a three-point field goal.
In addition to Tisdell and Stein, junior guards Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky) and Bobo Drummond (Peoria, Illinois) reached double-digits with 16 points and 14 points, respectively, while senior guard Travis Britt (Rantoul, Illinois) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points. Britt has reached double-digits off the bench four times in the last five games and is averaging 11.2 points per outing since February 6.
USI led from nearly start to finish, trailing only once in the first half, 25-24, with 9:03 left in the opening half. The Eagles used an 8-2 run with five minutes left in the first half to put some distance between them and the Bearcats, leading by as many as 11 points, 50-39, before going into the locker room with a 50-42 lead at the intermission.
In the second half, the Eagles methodically extended the lead to 16 points, 84-68, with 7:16 remaining. The Bearcats would chip away at the lead, closing to within seven points, 89-82, with 4:41 left on the clock before Tisdell helped the Eagles close out the 101-89 win with five points and five rebounds in the final minutes.
As a team, USI shot 54.9 percent (39-71) from the field, 50 percent from long range (13-26), and 76.9 percent (10-13) from the stripe.
The USI victory clinched a GLVC Tournament first round home game on February 28 at the Physical Activities Center. Following the first round, the GLVC Tournament continues March 4-6 with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game in at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri.
The Eagles host its regular season finale and Senior Day February 25 when Bellarmine University comes to visit the Physical Activities Center for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
