Flyers Fall, But Not Without A Fight :: Lewis battles 9th-ranked Southern Indiana in 82-68 defeat

Jan. 25, 2007

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Lewis gave nationally ranked Southern Indiana a run for its money Thursday night before USI pulled away in the final moments to register an 82-68 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory.

USI, ranked No. 9 in NCAA Division II, improved to 19-2 overall and 8-2 in the GLVC. Lewis slipped to 10-8 overall and 5-5 in league play.

Southern Indiana led 47-38 at halftime and 49-38 after scoring the first basket of the second half. Lewis chipped away, however, and drew to within a single point on three occasions.

Jason Genova scored eight of his 14 second-half points in a 16-6 Flyer surge that sliced the USI advantage to 55-54 with 13:13 remaining. The Screaming Eagles went back in front by three points twice in the next few moments, only to see Stephan Bolt score a pair of baskets to reduce the margin to one.

Geoff Van Winkle sank a 3-pointer to give USI a 62-58 lead at the 10:36 mark. Lewis never drew closer than three points the rest of the way, but the Flyers hung around and were still in the game after Brandon Dagans' conventional 3-point play made it 76-68 USI with 2:37 left.

USI took command, however, when Rashard Sullivan made two free throws and Melvin Hall sank a jumper to put the Eagles on top 80-68 with 1:31 to play.

Southern Indiana jumped in front for good with 18:47 left in the first half, and the Screaming Eagles expanded their lead to 12 points. Dagans and Bolt kept the Flyers in the game by scoring 17 and 12 points, respectively, in the opening period.

Bolt (9-of-14 shooting) led all players with 21 points - his fourth consecutive game with 20 or more - and added a team-high eight rebounds. Dagans had 20 points and a game-high seven assists, Genova scored 19 points while playing all 40 minutes, and Dustin Warfield collected seven rebounds.

Hall led five USI players in double figures with 16 points. Sullivan and Kenny Page scored 12 apiece, Nick Brooks tallied 11 and Van Winkle added 10. Sullivan grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass, as the Eagles earned a 43-28 rebounding advantage that included a 22-9 margin in the second half.

The Flyers host Kentucky Wesleyan Saturday at 3 p.m.