USI stumbles late to TTU, 73-59

 
USI and TTU exchanged buckets and leads through the first 10 minutes of the contest, featuring a tie and four lead changes. Junior guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) provided nearly all of the offense in the early minutes, scoring nine of USI’s first 11 points.  
 
With TTU leading 19-16, the final 10 minutes of the opening frame began with both squads going cold and scoreless for over five minutes. Hernandez broke the scoreless drought to pull the USI Eagles back to with one, 19-18, on a jumper in the lane with 5:16 to play in the half.
 
USI sophomore guard Jack Campion (Milton, Wisconsin) gave USI its fourth lead of the game, 20-19, with a second-straight runner in the lane. The TTU Eagles bounced back, converting on back-to-back trips down the floor to regain the lead, 23-20, with 3:44 on the clock. TTU followed with a pair of free throws and a bucket to post its largest lead to that point, 27-20, with 60 ticks on the game clock.
 
Hernandez, who had 13 opening half points, pulled USI back to within five, 27-22, with his sixth bucket of half, but TTU got the final basket of the half, a three-pointer, to lead 30-22 at the break.
 
The TTU margin would grow to nine points three times in the first 10 minutes of the second before USI rallied to tie the score, 47-47, with an 11-2 run that was punctuated by a thunderous dunk by sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Indiana).
 
Sophomore forward Kiyron Powell (Evansville, Indiana) extended the run to 13-2 at the 7:29 mark and gave USI a 49-47 lead. The 49-47 lead was the first for the USI Eagles since the 20-19 in the opening half.
 
USI and TTU would go through another set of three ties and three lead changes before the TTU Eagles pulled back in front by 11 with under 2:30 to play, 63-52, on a 12-1 surge. USI could not generate a comeback in the final two minutes before losing a 73-59 decision.
 
Hernandez finished the contest with a game-high 18 points. He was eight-of-13 from the field, two-of-four from beyond the three-point arc, and did not attempt a free throw the game after averaging 13 trips over the last three appearances.
 
Smith and Campion followed Hernandez in the scoring column with 12 points and 10 points, respectively. Smith scored all 12 of his points in the final 20 minutes, while Campion had eight down the stretch.
 
Next Up For USI:
USI is next week for a single OVC game, visiting Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for a 7 p.m. contest at the First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Illinois.  
 
The Cougars of SIUE are 8-8 overall and 1-2 in the OVC after falling at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Thursday, 88-80. SIUE is idle on Saturday before hosting USI next week.
 
SIUE and USI split the season series a year ago with each winning on its home floor (SIUE 69, @USI 62; USI 82, @SIUE 72). The Cougars took the deciding game of 2022-23 matchups in the first round of the OVC Championship, defeating the Eagles 68-54. 
 
In the overall series between the two teams, USI leads the all-time series, 45-22, but trails in 1-2 in OVC.
 
Fans can find all the ways to follow USI Basketball action at home by visiting USIScreamingEagles.com