University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball junior guard Mateo Rivera capped off an upset of  #19 (NABC)/#20 (D2SIDA) University of Missouri-St. Louis with a free throw with 4.2 seconds remaining in a 67-66 victory Saturday afternoon at Screaming Eagles Arena. USI goes to 19-5 overall and 11-5 in the GLVC, while UMSL finishes the afternoon 21-5, 12-4 GLVC.
With four conference games remaining in 2019-20, the victory put the Screaming Eagles in a four-way tie for third in the GLVC Standings with the University of Indianapolis, Southwest Baptist University, and Rockhurst University. USI lost its only meeting with SBU and the first meeting with UIndy, which visits for the final game of the regular season February 29. The Eagles won their only meeting with Rockhurst in January.
The first half belonged to the Eagles after the teams traded buckets through the first four minutes of the contest. USI began its first half surge with a 12-3 at 16:47 and had a five-point cushion by 11:29, 16-11, behind junior forward Emmanuel Little and senior guard/forward Kobe Caldwell, who combined for nine of the 12 points during the run.
The Eagles continued to expand the margin, reaching a 12 point lead, 30-18, with 2:23 left before halftime when junior forward Justin Carpenter converted in the paint. USI kept UMSL at bay for the final two minutes of the half and took a 34-23 lead into the intermission.
After USI extend the lead to open the second half to 13 points on a bucket by junior forward Josh Price, UMSL began to chip away at the Eagles lead and erased an 11-point margin with a 11-2 run to take a 44-43 lead with 13:36 to play. The Tritons continued on their rally and extended the lead to as many as 10 points with 4:55 showing on the clock, 62-52.
USI regained its stride behind a nine-point explosion by Little, who sparked a 15-4 run to the final buzzer and tied the game, 66-66, with an old-fashion three-point play with one minute remaining. The Tritons missed a chance to regain the lead with 33 seconds left when Little blocked a shot and freshman guard Chance Coyle grabbed the rebound.
Rivera charged down the floor and made a drive to the bucket with 4.2 second left getting fouled on the way. The junior guard clinched the win on his second free throw, while the Eagles’ defense did not allow the Tritons to get off a shot in the final ticks of the clock.
Overall in the game, USI controlled the glass, 39-26, and shot 46.4 percent from the field (26-56).
Little led three Eagles in double-digits with a game-high 21 points and 16 rebounds for his third-straight double-double and his eighth of the season. The junior guard was a blistering eight-of-11 from the field and five-of-seven from the stripe.
Rivera followed with 15 points and narrowly missed his own double-double with nine boards, while Caldwell rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points.
USI has a split week next week, traveling to play the University of Illinois Springfield Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and comes home to host Lewis University Saturday at 3:15 p.m. The Eagles hold a 12-4 all-time series lead over Illinois Springfield after defeating the Prairie Stars twice last season, winning 100-72 at the Physical Activities Center and 93-83 in Springfield, Illinois.
The Prairie Starts watched their record rise to 14-10 overall and 7-9 in the GLVC after an 82-79 victory at Maryville University this afternoon.
The Eagles also hold a 47-27 all-time series lead versus the Flyers of Lewis after winning one of three meetings in 2018-19. Lewis took the two regular season meetings, winning in Romeoville, Illinois, 79-69, and at the Physical Activities Center, 83-73, while USI won in the final seconds of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinals, 62-61. USI also held a 30-11 advantage in games at the old Physical Activities Center.
Lewis is 13-11 overall and 8-8 in the GLVC after defeating Missouri University of Science & Technology,67-63, this afternoon in Romeoville. The Flyers host McKendree University Thursday before coming down to the Screaming Eagles Arena next Saturday.
