EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The first time Missouri S&T and Southern Indiana faced off this season, the Miners were able to hang in with the nationally-ranked Screaming Eagles for much of the afternoon before running out of gas in the second half.

 

Saturday's rematch at USI took a similar course – but unfortunately for the Miners, the result was similar as well as the Eagles claimed a 94-73 victory in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

 

S&T answered a fast start by the Eagles by running off eight straight points to take an  11-9 lead on a three-pointer by Curtis Mosley (Chicago, Ill./) at the 15:18 mark. The Miners held the lead for the better part of the next four minutes, moving back up 19-16 on a three by Justin Taylor (Webster Groves, Mo./Webster Groves) with 11:47 to play in the half.

 

However, an eight-point run by USI, with all eight points coming from University of Illinois transfer Jamar Smith, put the Eagles back in front and the hosts retained the lead for nearly the remainder of the half.

 

The Miners were able to stay close and tied the score at 43 on two free throw by Owain Hall (Kingston, Jamica/) with 1:30 remaining before the break.  Smith answered with a basket just seconds later that put the Eagles back in front as they took a 47-43 lead to the locker room.

 

A dunk by Adam Knollmeyer (Linn, Mo./Linn) two minutes into the second half got the Miners to within four at 51-47, but USI ran off 12 of the next 14 points to take its largest lead of the game at the time of 14 at 63-49.

 

S&T came back and held the Eagles scoreless for more than three minutes, scoring 10 straight points in that stretch to get the lead down to four. Baskets by Mosley and Taurance Townsel (Houston, Texas/) got the margin cut to 10, then Hall converted a three-point play and Marquis Jones (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) knocked down a three-pointer to make it 63-59 with just under 10 minutes to go.

 

The teams swapped baskets over the next minute before fatigue hit the Miners, as the Eagles put together a 15-2 run to put the game in their control.

 

The Miners had four players in double figures, led by Mosley with 18 points. S&T also got 11 points apiece from Knollmeyer and Hall and 10 from Taylor as it shot 45 percent from the floor and connected eight times from three-point range.

 

Smith led all scorers with 29 points and had assistance as Brandon Russ added 22 for the Eagles, who stayed on Rockhurst's heels at the top of the GLVC West Division. USI (23-5, 12-3 GLVC) shot 61.1 percent from the floor in the contest.

 

Missouri S&T (8-17, 3-13 GLVC) will wrap up its 2008-09 campaign next Saturday when it hosts Missouri-St. Louis in a 7:30 p.m. game on Military Appreciation Night at Billy Key Court.