Evansville, Ind. – The Bearcats upset the #12 team in the nation Saturday afternoon, defeating Southern Indiana by a score of 71-69. The win boosts SBU to a 9-2 (2-1 GLVC) record.
Brady Smith had the hot hand early, scoring SBU's first 11 points. In that span, SBU trailed just 11-14.
Godfrey Rolle then contributed a free throw, and
Damian Prgomet nailed a three pointer to bring the score to 15-16. USI answered with a run of their own, building their lead to 11 with 6:12 to go in the half. With 32 seconds left,
Quinn Nelson made a layup assisted by
Brady Smith to create a 32-35 halftime score.
The Screaming Eagles quickly jumped back to a 10-point lead to begin the second half, but SBU stuck with it. A
Joe Miller,
Quinn Nelson,
Godfrey Rolle,
Mitch Ganote scoring spree gave SBU their first lead of the afternoon in a 45-44 score with 14:34 on the clock.
Damian Prgomet and
Joe Miller hit back-to-back three's shortly after, providing some cushion. With 6:12 left, USI took the lead for a short time before SBU took it back for the remainder of the game.
Godfrey Rolle went on to convert back-to-back three point plays, one being an and-one and the other a three pointer. It was Rolle finishing out the scoring for SBU, making 8 straight free throws to make the score 71-66. USI did make a three with 2 seconds left, but they weren't able to score again, creating a 71-69 final.
Godfrey Rolle finished with 20 points, shooting 12-13 from the free throw line.
Brady Smith added 19 points on 7-13 field goals, and
Damian Prgomet had 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
The Bearcats return home to take on fellow former MIAA opponent Lindenwood on Thursday, January 9 with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 PM. The 2020 SBU Hall of Fame class will be recognized the following Saturday, January 11 against UMSL.
