The 25th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team travels to play the University of Illinois Springfield Thursday before hosting seventh (NABC)/eighth (D2SIDA)-ranked Bellarmine University Saturday for Senior Night at the Physical Activities Center this week. Tipoff both evenings is 7:30 p.m. with the four Screaming Eagles seniors being honored after the game Saturday.
Game coverage for all of USI’s game action, including live stats, video stream, and audio broadcasts, is available at GoUSIEagles.com. The games also can be heard on ESPN 97.7 WREF and 95.7FM The Spin.
Following 2017-18 home finale and potentially the final game in the PAC, USI will play its final four regular-season games on the road. The Eagles will visit William Jewell College (February 15), Rockhurst University (February 17), the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (February 22), and Lewis University (February 24) to finish out the 2017-18 regular season.
USI Men’s Basketball Week 13 Notes:Â
USI continues to receive votes for a national poll. For the first time this year, USI was ranked in the D2SIDA Media Poll, entering the poll at number 25. The Screaming Eagles also received votes for the first time this season in the NABC Top 25 Poll this week.
Eagles celebrate homecoming with two wins. USI celebrated Homecoming 2018 with a pair of victories. The Eagles won a thriller in the final seconds to start the week, posting a 61-59 victory over Maryville University. Junior guard Alex Stein hit the game-winner with 2.6 seconds left and had a game-high 22 points. Senior forward Julius Rajala followed with 11 points.
The Eagles concluded the week with a Homecoming Day 92-65 win over Quincy University. Freshman forward Emmanuel Little exploded for 25 points, including 10 of the first 12 USI points, while freshman guard Mateo Rivera followed with a season-high 18 points.
Stein in the top five. USI junior guard Alex Stein moved into the Eagles top-five all-time in scoring with 1,390 points, passing Billy Harris (1,381 points; 1999-2004) during the win over Quincy. Stein is 172 points behind fourth-place Cris Brunson (1,562 points, 2001-05).
Eagles on a six-game winning streak. USI is on a six-game winning streak, the second longest stretch of the season. Junior guard Alex Stein leads three players averaging in double-digits with 16.5 points per game, while freshman forward Emmanuel Little is second with 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest.
Home winning streak. USI has won 20-straight on the PAC floor, dating back to last season and 28 of the last 29 dating back to 2015-16. Junior guard Alex Stein is posting 20.5 points per game during the streak and is shooting 56.2 percent (141-251) from the field, while senior guard Marcellous Washington follows with 11.1 points during the 20 games. As a team, USI is outscoring the opposition 84.4-66.6 and outrebounding the visitors 42.8-31.6 per game.
Washington and Stein among GLVC, NCAA leaders. Junior guard Alex Stein is first in the league and the NCAA II in free throw percentage (.958; 113-118) and 26th nationally in free throws made (113). Senior guard Marcellous Washington leads the GLVC and ranks 14th nationally for assist-turnover ratio (3.03). USI, as a team, is first in the GLVC and fourth nationally in rebounds (969), and second in the league and 12th nationally in rebound margin (8.7 per game).
USI in GLVC action. USI is slated to travel to the University of Illinois Springfield February 8 before returning home for Senior Night against seventh (NABC)/eighth (D2SIDA)-ranked Bellarmine University February 10.
