University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball could not stop 15th-ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis in the second half and lost 73-68 Thursday evening in St. Louis, Missouri. Â USI goes to 14-5 overall and 6-5 in the GLVC, while UMSL finishes the evening 19-2, 10-1 GLVC.
The Screaming Eagles never trailed during the opening half, building a 34-26 margin by the intermission after leading by as many as 12 points, 34-22, on the strength of an 11-2 run. USI built the opening stanza lead on the defensive end, holding UMSL to 18.8 percent from the field (6-32) and holding an 18-13 lead in the defensive glass.
USI senior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell paced the Eagles with 11 first place points.
The Eagles maintained the eight-point lead through the first four minutes of the second half when the Tritons rallied with a 13-3 run to take their first lead of the game, 46-44, with 13:06 to play in the game. USI bounced back to tie the game 46-46, setting off a string seven ties and nine lead changes over 10 minutes.
USI junior guard Mateo Rivera gave the Eagles their final lead of the game, 64-62, with a three-pointer with 3:33 left in the game. The Tritons, however, would outscore the Eagles, 11-2, in the final three minutes to snap USI’s winning streak.
For the game, Caldwell added seven second-half points to lead USI and tie a season-high with 18 points. Rivera followed Caldwell and was the only other Eagle to reach double-digits with 13 points.
USI continues the first half of the four-game road swing Saturday at 3 p.m. when it visit Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. Lindenwood saw its record go to 8-11 overall and 2-9 in its first season in the GLVC after losing a heartbreaker in overtime to McKendree University, 121-116, at home this season.
The USI-Lindenwood game Saturday will be the first ever meeting between the two men’s basketball programs.
Following Saturday’s game, USI concludes the four-game road swing with visits to Maryville University February 6 in St. Louis and Missouri University of Science & Technology February 8 in Rolla, Missouri.
