FINAL FOUR: Men’s basketball team falls short against Point Loma 71-81
Jordan Auker and Katie Thompson
April 1, 2019
PAC Comeback
Nik Cunningham, Sports Editor
March 12, 2019
Rodney Watson said the Senior Night game was something no one would be able to ever forget. “To win a game dramatically like that... no one will ever be able to forget, whether it was the players, the coaches, the fans,” the head men’s basketball coach said. “That kind of took place of the ...
High hopes for men’s basketball season
Rachel Lowhorn, Sports Editor
September 17, 2018
As the Men’s Basketball team is preparing for the season, Rodney Watson begins his 9th year as head basketball coach. Coach Watson is 203-65 overall in his eight years with the team. Watson and the team constructed a 20 game winning streak making them 20-11 in the 2017 season. The Shield sits down ...
After tribulation comes triumph
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
December 6, 2017
Before Aaron Nelson started donning the uniforms of professional basketball teams, he had much to overcome. The 26-year-old Chicago Heights native was blessed with his on-the-court skills, but parts of his life off the court have been far from blessed. Aside from personal issues he’s had to overc...
Hansen returns from suspension
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
November 17, 2017
He’s back. Nate Hansen is finally back. The junior guard/forward has played in two games since being suspended for the first three games of the season for a “violation of team rules.” In those two games, USI (3-2) is 2-0 and has outscored its opponents 180-143. With Hansen sidelined, USI w...
Freshmen fitting into the formula
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
November 8, 2017
In the most recent regular season game, the USI men’s basketball team played, an 88-75 win against Kentucky Wesleyan Saturday to conclude the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the Ford Center, Alex Stein had a rough night. The junior shooting guard went 1-of-9 from the floor and neede...
The Sideline View: What happens when Hansen comes back?
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
November 8, 2017
Nate Hansen is two-thirds of the way through his three-game suspension for a “violation of team rules,” and the team felt that during the regular season opener Friday night against Augustana University (2-0). In front of a subpar crowd (826 people) for the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame C...
‘His effort was incredible’
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
October 26, 2017
Alex Stein has the lost art. The junior shooting guard can do something on the court other players can’t or don’t. He can nail a consistent mid-range jumper.
Rajala, Dickson aim to add range
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
October 19, 2017
One of the advantages the University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team has over other Division II teams is the size of its forwards. Last seasons starters, Julius Rajala and DayJar “Day Day” Dickson are both 6-foot-9. They’re two of the three tallest players on the team. The two haven’...
Reunited on the West Side
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
October 19, 2017
Five miles and a 13-minute drive are all that separate the campuses of Reitz High School and the University of Southern Indiana. That short distance is how far from USI Alex Stein, Jacob Norman and Nate Hansen played high school basketball. At Reitz, while seniors, they played on an up-tempo team...
Stein receives preseason honor
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
September 26, 2017
Stein is the first USI player to receive preseason honors since Jamar Smith in the 2009-10 season and only the 10th Screaming Eagle overall.
Love of the game
Taylor O'Neil Hall, Sports Editor
September 19, 2017
Kyle Aiton still loves basketball, even though he left the USI men’s team with a year of eligibility still on the table. However, he doesn’t love everything that goes into being a college basketball player. From the offseason workouts to the early morning and afternoon shootarounds sandwiched ...