USI starts marathon road swing Screaming Eagles on the road for the next four​​​​​​​

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball starts a marathon road trip through the Ohio Valley Conference, beginning with visits to the University of Tennessee at Martin Thursday and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Saturday. Tip off Thursday in Martin, Tennessee, is set of 8 p.m., while tipoff in Little Rock, Arkansas Saturday is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
Fans can track your Eagles all season 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 (7-18, 4-8 OVC) hits the road after splitting the Homecoming homestand last week. The Eagles stumbled in the opening game, 81-71, to Eastern Illinois University, but bounce back to win on Homecoming, 84-67, over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. USI sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois) led the Eagles with 17.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in the two home games last week, shooting 50 percent from the field (10-20).
 
Sophomore guard Jack Campion (Milton, Wisconsin), who posted a career-high 20-point game versus EIU, followed with 16.5 points per contest with junior forward Jack Mielke (Downers Grove, Illinois) and junior guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) completing the double-figure scoring with 12.5 points and 10.5 points per contest, respectively.
 
For the season, Hernandez leads USI with 16.6 points per game this season, 20.5 points per contest in the OVC. Smith follows Hernandez with 13.0 points and a team-best 9.1 rebounds per outing, while posting a team-high 11 double-doubles.
 
USI has six games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season, five in February and one in March. The Eagles, currently eighth in the OVC, are on the road for four and at home for two as they fight for a spot in the league’s post-season tournament at the Ford Center March 6-9.
 
Following the trips to UTM and Little Rock, USI completes the road swing with a trip to Morehead State University February 20 and Western Illinois University February 25. The Eagles complete the 2023-24 regular season with visits to Screaming Eagles Arena by Lindenwood University February 29 and Southeast Missouri State University March 1.
 
The Skyhawks of UTM (15-10, 8-4 OVC) rose into a three-way tie for second in the OVC after posting a 62-59 win at Western Illinois University Saturday. UTM has won five of its last six games following the match up with WIU and splitting last week.
 
USI and UTM split last season with both teams winning on their respective home court. USI took the first meeting in 2022-23, 80-66, at Screaming Eagles Arena, but UTM got the second round in overtime, 86-83, in Martin, Tennessee. 
 
The Trojans of Little Rock (14-11, 8-4 in the OVC) won its only game last week, defeating WIU, 63-60. Little Rock, which hosts Morehead State University Thursday, enters this week’s action on a three-game winning streak and has won six of the last seven. The six of the last seven stretch started with USI on January 18.
 
USI lost the opening game of the 2023-24 series with Little Rock in close 77-75 decision that came down to the final seconds. Hernandez led the Eagles in the loss with 28 points, while Mielke and junior guard/forward Javius Moore (McComb, Mississippi) followed with 17 points and 15 points, respectively.