USI men's basketball bows out of OVC tournament, but season might not be over

EVANSVILLE — There's not a storybook ending to the University of Southern Indiana's first postseason in Division I men's basketball.

At least, not yet.

The opportunity was there with this week's Ohio Valley Conference tournament at Ford Center, where the Screaming Eagles were met with a friendly, exhilarated crowd in their home city. It sure felt louder Wednesday night than the announced attendance of 1,650 people. The Eagles hoped to string together a run, possibly contending for the title as the No. 7 seed.

USI, however, was bounced out of the first round by No. 6-seeded Southern Illinois-Edwardsville after a 68-54 loss. Although the Eagles led at halftime, their advantage never surpassed two points and they spiraled late.

There was plenty to take away as USI exited the tournament with a 16-16 overall record.

Ohio Valley Conference:Six things to know about the tournament at Ford Center

USI’s season might not be over just yet

The Eagles have been offered a bid to play in the College Basketball Invitational, commonly known as the CBI. It has an entry fee of $25,000 and is the only postseason tournament they’re eligible to play in as they complete a four-year transition to D-I.

But will they accept?

“It costs a lot of money,” USI coach Stan Gouard said postgame as the clock neared midnight. “But I know our administration is behind us playing so I need our guys all in. It’s going to take a different mindset if we take this trip. We’re going to let the team decide if they want to do it or not.

“I’m a player’s coach and I let these guys make those decisions. I won’t force them or take it away from them, either.”

The CBI will be played in Daytona Beach, Florida, from March 18-22 with a 16-team, single-elimination format. USI received its invitation as part of a contract, records requested by the Courier & Press, with The Gotham Classic. It stated USI will be included "if they have a win-loss record of .500 or better.”

At least one player isn’t ready to turn in his jersey quite yet.

“I still have to finish my career here,” senior Jacob Polakovich said. “I’m not ready to be done, personally. I think I have a lot more to prove here in a USI jersey.”

What went wrong Wednesday against SIUE

Troubles executing late and finishing at the rim proved to be the biggest differences.

USI missed 13 layup or dunk attempts and shot just 29.2% overall. Yet, it was a one-possession game with six minutes remaining until the Eagles went scoreless for 4 minutes, 40 seconds. Then the game got out of hand late when USI's Trevor Lakes was called for flagrant and technical fouls in the final minute.

“I thought we lost the game tonight on the offensive end,” Gouard said. “We didn’t shoot the ball very well and that’s been our forte all year. That’s how we’ve squeaked some out.”

USI carried a one-point lead into the break before it was outscored by 15 the rest of the way. SIUE also attempted 35 free throws, making 22, compared to USI's 8-of-12 showing at the line.

Isaiah Swope led the Eagles with 15 points. Polakovich was limited to just two but grabbed 20 rebounds for the sixth time this season. Gouard commended him for continuing to attack the glass despite the offensive woes.

“I wasn’t making shots,” Polakovich said. “I thought I did a good job of getting into position to get the ball for the most part. They double-teamed me, but at the end of the day, shots have to fall. It’s another reason we have to get back in the gym and get better.”

Swope and Polakovich were each named to the All-OVC First Team as the only Eagles to earn all-conference honors.

Inside Tyler Henry’s return to the court

Tyler Henry collapsed during a timeout two weekends ago at Southeast Missouri State. First responders attended to him for about 20 minutes before he was put on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.

He was ruled out for the final two regular-season games.

Henry since was cleared by two doctors, but Gouard said he did not want to play him without assurance from Henry’s parents. That incident sparked his paternal instincts. So, they all talked on the phone Wednesday for 45 minutes and the Henrys gave Gouard their blessing.

Henry scored 11 points and provided an energy boost during 20 minutes of action. He will graduate in May with a master’s degree after spending three years at USI.

“He has a year to play, but he wants to get back closer to (Brooklyn) New York to play closer to mom and dad and we’re going to honor that,” Gouard said. “That was a conversation we had at the beginning of the year, so if you see him in the portal, nothing happened. I’m going to help him attain his goal.”

The Screaming Eagles will build on first OVC campaign

Although every team in the OVC tournament entered with a chance at bringing home a championship, the odds were stacked against the four who played Wednesday. Only once since the OVC moved to a stepladder format in 2011 has a team that played in the first round won the title.

Still, USI’s coaching staff believed since the summer they had the pieces to win a championship in this first season at the D-I level. It didn’t ultimately go as well as they hoped. Perhaps it’s already over.

The roster will undergo an offseason overhaul as a talented senior class departs. That could be said for most programs in the transfer portal era, though.

Gouard hopes those who do come back are hungrier to reach greater goals. Particularly his standout sophomore guard, Swope.

“I think his future is very bright, but I hope he has a bitter taste in his mouth after tonight,” Gouard said. “I hope he’s going to get back in the gym in the next few days to start prepping for next year because we’re going to build our team around Isaiah Swope.”

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: USI men's basketball loses to SIUE in OVC Tournament first round