University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball shot a blistering 68.4 percent in the second half and cruised to a 101-77 victory over Lindenwood University Thursday evening at Screaming Eagles Arena. USI, which has reached 100-or-more points twice this season, goes to 18-5 overall and 10-5 in the GLVC, while Lindenwood finishes the evening 9-14, 3-12 GLVC.
The Eagles had to battle to get out of the first half with a three-point, 38-35, lead after the opening 20 minutes featured eight ties and seven lead changes. USI put together the largest lead of the half at 31-26 with 4:42 remaining when senior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell converted on a pair of free throws.
USI junior guard Mateo Rivera paced the Eagles during the opening half with nine points, while junior forward Josh Price and Caldwell followed with eight points each.
The Eagles raced out of the locker room to start the second half, quickly building a 10-point advantage, 45-35, with a 7-0 run that was capped off by a three-pointer by Rivera. USI took command for good by pushing the lead to 14 points, 58-44, with a 13-9 burst and never looked back with 14:24 to play.
The USI lead would be extended by the 20-point mark, 86-65, when junior forward Emmanuel Little converted a jumper in the lane with 5:06 remaining. Lindenwood shrank the lead back to 14 points, 88-74, before USI made a final run to surpass 100 points and post the largest lead of the game, 24 points, with the 101-77 final.
The Eagles were red hot from the field in the second half, shooting 68.4 percent (26-38) and 70 percent from downtown. USI, which won the battle of the boards, 39-37, finished the game 55.7 percent shooting (39-70), 52.6 percent from the beyond the arc (10-19).
Individually for the game, Price dropped in a team-high 19 points to lead six players in double-digits. The junior forward was nine-of-12 from the field and one-of-three from the stripe in 25 minutes of action.
Caldwell and Rivera followed with 15 points each, while Little and senior guard Darnell Butler dropped in 12 points apiece. Junior guard/forward Clayton Hughes rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Little also led USI on the glass, grabbing 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.
USI concludes the two-game homestand with the 2020 Homecoming game against #19 (D2SIDA)/#20 (NABC) University of Missouri-St. Louis. The Tritons are 21-4 overall and 12-3 in the GLVC after defeating McKendree University, 68-65, this evening in Lebanon, Illinois.
The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Tritons, 38-12 all-time despite being defeated in the first meeting, 73-68, in St. Louis two weeks ago. Caldwell led the Eagles in the loss with a season-high tying 18 points. USI also held a 19-1 lead in games at the old Physical Activities Center.
