WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Southern Indiana 78, Anderson University 47
Ball State 76,
@Eastern Illinois 59
Purdue Fort Wayne 89,
@Southeast Missouri 68
SOUTHERN INDIANA 78, ANDERSON 47
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Men's Basketball graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) scored a career-best 29 points to lead the Screaming Eagles to a 78-47 win over Anderson University Wednesday at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Eagles are 4-5 after tonight's action, while the Ravens are 3-5.
Lakes posted a collegiate and season-high 29 points with 15 points in the opening half and 14 in the final 20 minutes. He was 11-of-19 from the field, including four three-pointers, and three-of-four from the stripe.
He was followed by senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio), who reached 20-or-more points for the fourth time this season by dropping in 23. Simmons was a blistering eight-of-11 from the field, six-of-seven from downtown, and one-of-one from the line.
From the opening tip, the Eagles took command of the game and jumped out to an early 15-4 lead on a 13-2 run. Simmons drove the surge with nine of his 15 first half points.
The Ravens tried to fly back into the game with a 12-5 run of their own to cut the margin to 20-16 with 11:23 left in the half. USI responded with a 28-11 surge in the final 10 minutes of the half to take a 48-27 lead into the locker room at the intermission. Lakes propelled the offensive wave with 13 of his 15 opening half tallies.
USI was a blistering 64 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes (16-25), including 75 percent from beyond the arc (9-12). The Eagles also helped their cause by forcing 11 Anderson turnovers.
In the second half, the Ravens tried to muscle their way back into the game with a 13-4 run to start the final 20 minutes and shrink the Eagles' margin to 12 points, 52-40, with 14:54 remaining. USI responded with a 26-7 run to seal the victory and run away with a 78-47 victory.
Lakes led the final push for the Eagles adding another 12 points during the final 12:27 of the game.
As a team, USI dominated the glass, 41-26, and forced 20 Anderson turnovers in the contest. The Eagles also shot 50 percent as a team from the field (28-56) and had 22 assists in the contest.
BALL STATE 76, EASTERN ILLINOIS 59
CHARLESTON, Ill. - – Eastern Illinois shot 52 percent from the field in the opening half on Wednesday but cooled off in the second half as the Panthers lost 76-59 to Ball State at First Mid Court at Lantz Arena.
The Panthers trailed 36-29 at the half despite the hot shooting as Ball State took advantage of its size to post a 20-13 rebound margin in the first half. Mickey Pearson came off the bench to score 10 first half points for the Cardinals and grabbed three of Ball State’s ten offensive rebounds in the opening half.
Paul Bizimana tied the game at 19-19 for EIU after a trip to the free throw line. EIU had seven different players score in the opening half led by Kinyon Hodges with six points.
Following Bizimana’s free throw, Ball State used a 9-2 run over the next three and half minutes to give themselves a cushion as EIU would cut the margin to a one possession game only one time the remainder of the first half.
In the second half, EIU was held to 35 percent shooting as Ball State warmed up from the floor. The Cardinals shot 63 percent from the floor including 7-of-12 from 3-point range.
Nick Ellington joined Hodges with team-high honors for EIU with both players finishing with 12 points.
EIU did a better job limiting second chance points for Ball State in the second half as they finished with 12 offensive rebounds in the game. Pearson had 20 points to along with nine rebounds to lead the Cardinals.
EIU fell to 2-8 on the year. Ball State moved to 5-4.
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 89, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 68
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - – Phillip Russell scored 25 points and Israel Barnes added 23, but it wasn't enough as Purdue Fort Wayne (6-4) defeated Southeast Missouri (5-5), 86-66, Wednesday night at the Show Me Center.
SEMO started strong out of the gate scoring the first nine points of the contest.
Russell got the Redhawks going with back-to-back jumpers and Ohio Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week Barnes followed with five points, including a 3-pointer to put the Redhawks ahead, 9-0, less than three minutes in.
After Russell's two free throws gave SEMO a 25-24 edge with 6:01 remaining, PFW countered with a 12-2 run to build a double-digit lead.
Quinton Morton-Robertson and Jarred Godfrey each knocked down a 3-pointer with Godfrey's make putting the Mastodons ahead, 37-26, at the 2:20 mark.
Godfrey went to the free throw line and made two shots to give PFW a 41-29 lead at the half.
The Mastodons shot 50 percent from the field with seven of their 13 field goals coming from downtown.
It was a two-possession game in the second half when PFW went on a 12-0 run to stretch its margin to 54-38.
A 3-pointer by Morton-Robertson extended the Mastodons lead to 23 (61-38), their largest of the night.
PFW didn't let its lead drop below 17 points the rest of the way.
Russell made 7-of-19 field goals, drained a pair of 3-pointers and hit 9-of-10 free throws. He dished out six assists and had two steals, as well. Barnes was 10-of-22 from the floor with three 3-pointers. He scored over 20 points for the third-straight game. Kobe Clark scored seven points to go along with 11 rebounds.
PFW finished just under 50 percent (49.1) from the field. The Mastodons made 13 three-pointers and 20 free throws. Godfrey led four PFW players in double figures with 19 points.