USI started its basketball season Monday with the men’s team traveling to the University of Missouri and the women’s team at home facing Oakland City University.

USI Men’s Basketball vs. University of Missouri

The men fought hard but fell short at the University of Missouri 97-91, in a high-scoring match-up that saw the Screaming Eagles put up 60 points in the second half while shooting 82% from 3-point range.

The men’s game was a tale of two halves. In the first half, USI shot 28% on 32 total attempts and only 7% from three. However, in the second half, the Screaming Eagles caught fire, shooting 71% in the half with a scorching 82% from deep. 

The team followed the lead of Trevor Lakes, graduate forward. Lakes started the game shooting 0-4 from 3-point range but then went 6 for 7 in the second half, ending the game with 18 total points off the three. 

Turnovers were the true problem for the Screaming Eagles on Monday. Missouri caused a total of 22 turnovers in the game, which resulted in 22 points for the Tigers. 

Jacob Polakovich was missed during this game. Due to his absence, Missouri dominated the paint, where they scored 50 of their 97 due to USI’s lack of paint defense. Missouri’s leading scorer was Kobe Brown, a 6’8 combination guard and forward. Brown scored 20 points, all of which came from close to the basket. Polakovich should return to the court mid-December after suffering a Jones foot fracture. Read more about Polakovich’s return here.

Here are some things people might be talking about:

Overreactions:

• The men’s team played at Missouri, possibly the toughest environment they will encounter all season, with Missouri starting the season off at 41 in the Kenpom rankings. Losing by six points to a Power 5 program shows they are in a great position for their first season in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• There are some good shooters on the roster, but they’ve also been streaky. They lived and died by the 3-pointer at Missouri, so there will be games this season when the long-range shot is not there and the team will have to adapt.
• Senior guard Jelani Simmons could make the all-OVC first team. Simmons started off the season with an impressive 23-point, six-rebound, two-assist performance while also shooting 53% from the field and 65.5% from deep. Performances like this against tough competition will get him plenty of attention.

The men’s team continues its season Sunday at Screaming Eagles Arena against Southern Illinois. See the rest of the USI schedule here.

The game on Nov. 11 will be the first USI game where alcohol sales are allowed. The game will serve as a test run for the decision. Read more about that decision here.

USI Women’s Basketball vs. Oakland City University

The women had a convincing win over Oakland City University 87-39 in a matchup that saw a defensive masterclass from USI, causing 33 total turnovers, with 19 coming off steals. 

USI’s impressive performance was headlined by Hannah Haithcock, senior forward. Haithcock tallied 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists. She also had a team-leading three blocks on defense. 

The Screaming Eagles shot 50% from three on 14 attempts. However, they did struggle inside the line shooting below 50% on 53 attempts. 

Rebounding was possibly the biggest advantage USI had in the game. The Eagles outrebounded OCU 53-32, with sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford grabbing nine boards.

USI’s team defense was great all around, as the Screaming Eagles held OCU to just 20.7% shooting with an even lower 13.6% shooting from 3-point range. USI also forced 19 steals and had seven blocks.

Turnovers were an area of concern for the Screaming Eagles. While they forced an impressive 33 turnovers, they also committed 30 of their own.

Overreactions:

• The women’s team showed they could be one of the best defensive squads in the OVC this season. The frontcourt of Haithcock and Ashlynn Brown, graduate forward, will be a deterrent for other teams attacking the paint.
• Meredith Raley, a junior forward, was a key player off the USI bench putting up a 14-point, five-rebound, four-assist performance. Counting stats was not the most impressive part of her performance, though, as she also played efficiently, shooting 57%from the field and hitting the only three-pointer she attempted. If Raley continues to have performances like this, she could be fighting for a starting spot by the end of the season.

The women’s team continues its season Friday at 6 p.m. in the Screaming Eagles Arena against Western Illinois University. Check out the rest of the schedule here.