EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball lost a second-straight heartbreaker in overtime, falling to Bucknell University in the 2024-25 home opener, 75-69, Thursday evening in Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles start the year 0-2, while Bucknell begins 2024-25, 2-0.
The Eagles have played in back-to-back overtime games for the first time since the end of the 1996-97 season when they played in three straight. The third in the series was a triple-overtime contest in the first round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional.
USI busted out of the gate with an 8-2 lead behind four points each from junior guard Jayland Randall and sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi to start the game. Bucknell rebounded to tie the game, 8-8, before the Eagles produced another set of five-point leads at 13-5 and 16-11.
After trading buckets and USI going up 22-19, the Bison went on a 7-0 spurt to grab the lead and went into the break with a 30-27 advantage.
Randall and junior guard Damoni Harrison led the Eagles in the first half with seven points each. USI was a better team from the field, hitting 42.3 percent from outside (11-26), but trailed in rebounding, 21-13.
The second half began with Bucknell increasing the margin to eight points, 35-27, before USI kicked the offense into gear and began to chip away at the deficit. The Eagles took the lead back, 39-37, with 16:31 to play with a 12-2 explosion that was led by five points each by Randall and Harrison.
The advantage would bounce back and forth (five lead changes and two ties) for the next six minutes when USI went up by six, 56-50, on a bucket by graduate forward Jack Mielke. The Eagles nursed the margin to the final minute when the Bison rallied to send the contest into overtime tied at 63-63.
In overtime, USI was never able to get out in front of Bucknell as the Bison outscored the Eagles, 12-6, to put a stamp on the 75-69 final. The Eagles were two-of-eight from the field in the extra five minutes, while the Bison were three-of-four from the field and six-of-eight from the stripe.
Individually for the Eagles, Randall led four players in double-digits with 17 points. The junior guard was seven-of-17 from the field, including three three-point field goals.
Harrison followed with 15 points, while Olowoniyi and junior guard Sam Kodi rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points each. Olowoniyi was an efficient five-of-eight from the field and two-of-two from the line before fouling out in the final minute of regulation.
Next Up For USI:
USI begins the first of three three-game road swings in 2024-25 Monday when it visits Marshall University for a 6 p.m. (CST) matchup in Huntington, West Virginia. This is the first game of the I-64 Showcase for USI.
Marshall, who hosts the University of Toledo Saturday, started the year 1-0 after posting a 90-57 season-opening victory over Davis & Elkins College at home Monday.
Monday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between USI and Marshall in men’s basketball.
The I-64 Showcase concludes November 13 when the Eagles make a stopover in Louisville, Kentucky, to play former GLVC-rival Bellarmine University. The road trip comes to an end November 16 when USI visits to another former GLVC-rival Purdue University Fort Wayne.
