USI at home to end regular season Eagles host Lindenwood, SEMO during final week​​​​​​​

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball enters the final week of the 2023-24 regular season when it hosts Lindenwood University Thursday and Southeast Missouri State University Saturday at Screaming Eagles Arena. Tipoff Thursday versus Lindenwood and Saturday versus SEM0 is set for 7:30 p.m. each night.
 
The USI-Lindenwood Thursday showdown is the Heart Health Red Out Game, sponsored by Ascension St. Vincent of Evansville, while the Eagles will celebrate Senior Night prior to the USI-SEMO contest.
 
Fans can track your Eagles by visiting the schedule on USIScreamingEagles.com for links to follow all of the action on the ESPN+, ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com), and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com/).
 
USI is tied for eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference with Tennessee Tech University with the two games left in the regular season for both squads. The Screaming Eagles (8-21, 5-11 OVC) owns the tiebreaker if Morehead State University is the top seed in the upcoming tournament.
 
The TTU Golden Eagles (10-19, 5-11 OVC) are scheduled to visit the University of Tennessee at Martin Thursday and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Saturday to finish the 2023-24 regular season. TTU has the tiebreaker with USI if UT Martin or Little Rock finishes ahead of MSU.
 
If USI and TTU should stumble this week, SEMO has a chance to jump both with a sweep of MSU and the Screaming Eagles.  
 
The top eight teams at the end of OVC play advance to the league tournament March 6-9 at the Ford Center in Evansville.
 
The Eagles were 1-3 during the road trip, after posting a split last week. USI defeated MSU, 80-73, on Tuesday, but lost to Western Illinois University, 82-76, Saturday. Junior guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) led the Eagles last week with 27.5 points per game, while sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois) posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds per game. Junior forward Jack Mielke (Downers Grove, Illinois) also averaged in double-digits last week with 12.5 points per game.
 
For the season, Hernandez leads USI with 17.3 points per game this season, 21.3 points per contest in the OVC. Smith follows Hernandez with 14.0 points and a team-best 9.2 rebounds per outing, while posting a team-high 12 double-doubles.
 
The Lions of Lindenwood (8-21, 2-14 OVC) enter the week having lost seven-straight. Lindenwood started last week with a 106-82 loss to the University of Tennessee at Martin Thursday at home and concluded its home schedule with an 82-73 loss to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Saturday.
 
USI took the first meeting versus Lindenwood in St. Charles, Missouri, 73-62, and leads the all-time series, 7-0. Eagles’ Smith led USI to the victory in the first meeting with a career-high 27 points and nine rebounds. Hernandez and sophomore forward Kiyron Powell (Evansville, Indiana) followed with 16 points and 11 points, respectively.
 
The Redhawks of SEMO (8-21, 3-13 OVC) start the week still in the hunt for a spot in the OVC Championship despite having lost five-straight. SEMO, who visits Morehead State University before coming to USI, was 0-2 last week after losing at home to Little Rock, 83-61, and UT Martin, 82-72. 
 
USI lost the opening game of the season series with SEMO, falling in overtime, 93-91, on a last second shot in the extra period and trails the all-time series, 5-3. Hernandez led the Eagles with a career-high 35 points, while Smith had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Tickets for the final homestand of the season are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the USI Ticket Office on-line. For more information, call the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189.