Southern Indiana men's basketball shoots their way to a 70-63 win over Lewis

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Scoring big: Lewis freshman guard Ryan Jackson posted a team-high 19 points in the game against Southern Indiana on Saturday. | Photo by Steve Woltmann

Evansville, Ind. - No. 14 Southern Indiana parlayed a 12-2 run over the final four minutes of the first half and a dominating performance on the glass into a 70-63 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over Lewis University at USI's Physical Activities Center on Saturday (Feb. 11) afternoon.

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Southern Indiana out-rebounded Lewis 40-26, including 16 offensive caroms, which led to 14 second-chance points. USI also enjoyed a sizeable advantage down low, as they recorded 28 points in the paint to Lewis' 16.

Lewis freshman guard Ryan Jackson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) posted a team-high 19 points, while senior guard Chris McClellan (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Wheeling) pitched in 16 points and three trifectas in the loss. Flyer senior forward Lonnie Lawrence (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) added 10 points off of the bench.

With the win, Southern Indiana improves to 19-4 on the season and 11-4 in GLVC action, while the Flyers fall to 14-9 overall and 6-9 in conference play.

USI senior forward Isaac McClure topped the Screaming Eagles with 22 points, while guards Kenyon Smith (11 rebounds) and Brandon Hogg posted 14 and 10 points respectively.

The turning point came in the first half, as the Flyers and Screaming Eagles were tied at 25 with 4:39 remaining in the opening stanza. USI finished the half with a 12-2 flurry to take a 37-27 lead heading into the intermission. Smith and McClure each scored four points apiece during that stretch.

USI extended that lead to as many as 15-points in the second half and held a 61-49 advantage over the Flyers with 2:22 left following a tip-in by Romaric Lasme (6 points).

Despite the deficit, Lewis would not let the Screaming Eagles cruise to victory, as the Flyers went on a 14-4 run over the next 90 seconds to cut USI's lead to 65-63 with 32 ticks left on the clock. McClellan led Lewis with six points during that stretch.

Forced to foul, Lewis sent USI to the line six times over the final 30 seconds and the Screaming Eagles knocked down five charity tosses to secure the win.

"I thought we competed today and we never quit," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "We just didn't shoot the ball as well as we did (against Kentucky Wesleyan) on Thursday night and you always look better when they go in.

"We're teetering right on that edge, but we're right there."

Lewis returns to action on Thursday (Feb. 16), as the Flyers head to Indiana to take on Indianapolis for a 7:45 p.m. (EST) tip-off.

For the full box score of the game, click here.

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