Credit to: usiscreamingeagles.com
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball lost a second-straight heartbreaker in overtime, falling to Bucknell University in the 2024-25 home opener, 75-69, Thursday evening in Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles start the year 0-2, while Bucknell begins 2024-25, 2-0.
The Eagles have played in back-to-back overtime games for the first time since the end of the 1996-97 season when they played in three straight. The third in the series was a triple-overtime contest in the first round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional.
USI busted out of the gate with an 8-2 lead behind four points each from junior guard Jayland Randall and sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi to start the game. Bucknell rebounded to tie the game, 8-8, before the Eagles produced another set of five-point leads at 13-5 and 16-11.
After trading buckets and USI going up 22-19, the Bison went on a 7-0 spurt to grab the lead and went into the break with a 30-27 advantage.
Randall and junior guard Damoni Harrison led the Eagles in the first half with seven points each. USI was a better team from the field, hitting 42.3 percent from outside (11-26), but trailed in rebounding, 21-13.
The second half began with Bucknell increasing the margin to eight points, 35-27, before USI kicked the offense into gear and began to chip away at the deficit. The Eagles took the lead back, 39-37, with 16:31 to play with a 12-2 explosion that was led by five points each by Randall and Harrison.
https://usiscreamingeagles.com/mens-basketball/2024-2025/boxscore/vs-bucknell-university/11517/pdf
The advantage would bounce back and forth (five lead changes and two ties) for the next six minutes when USI went up by six, 56-50, on a bucket by graduate forward Jack Mielke. The Eagles nursed the margin to the final minute when the Bison rallied to send the contest into overtime tied at 63-63.
In overtime, USI was never able to get out in front of Bucknell as the Bison outscored the Eagles, 12-6, to put a stamp on the 75-69 final. The Eagles were two-of-eight from the field in the extra five minutes, while the Bison were three-of-four from the field and six-of-eight from the stripe.
Individually for the Eagles, Randall led four players in double-digits with 17 points. The junior guard was seven-of-17 from the field, including three three-point field goals.
Harrison followed with 15 points, while Olowoniyi and junior guard Sam Kodi rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points each. Olowoniyi was an efficient five-of-eight from the field and two-of-two from the line before fouling out in the final minute of regulation.
Next Up For USI:
USI begins the first of three three-game road swings in 2024-25 Monday when it visits Marshall University for a 6 p.m. (CST) matchup in Huntington, West Virginia. This is the first game of the I-64 Showcase for USI.
Marshall, who hosts the University of Toledo Saturday, started the year 1-0 after posting a 90-57 season-opening victory over Davis & Elkins College at home Monday.
Monday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between USI and Marshall in men’s basketball.
The I-64 Showcase concludes November 13 when the Eagles make a stopover in Louisville, Kentucky, to play former GLVC-rival Bellarmine University. The road trip comes to an end November 16 when USI visits to another former GLVC-rival Purdue University Fort Wayne.
