USI men's basketball makes statement with win over old 'big brother' Indiana State

EVANSVILLE — With less than a minute remaining and the University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team trailing Indiana State by three points, Isaiah Swope took the ball up the floor. As the seconds ticked away, he looked for an option and thought about what to do.

He cut toward the top of the key, now 43 seconds remaining. He stepped back and dribbled between his legs with a defender picking him up a moment later. Trevor Lakes set a screen and made that opposition a non-issue. Between the logo and the 3-point line, all that stood in Swope’s way was a mismatch.

Swope fumbled with it for a moment, regained control and drew another defender near.

“I got the opportunity to shoot it,” he said. “I was just gonna pull it.”

Jackpot.

With a stepback jumper, the Castle graduate tied the game with 33.9 seconds to play. That was just three of his game-high 28 points, but it was the most important moment in the Screaming Eagles’ 88-85 overtime win over the Sycamores.

That shot — the shot — gave USI a signature win in front of a Screaming Eagles Arena crowd of 2,989. Swope was on target throughout the afternoon, finishing 8-for-9 from deep, with a 40-foot shot for the win at the end of regulation being his only miss. He is the first USI player to hit at least eight 3-pointers in a game since Jeril Taylor in 2017, and the praise came from everyone on Swope's side — players, fans and coaches alike.

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"That's nothing spectacular for Isaiah Swope. He does that every day in practice," USI guard Gary Solomon said. "That was just something normal, it was just good he did it at a time that we needed it."

The history between the Screaming Eagles and Indiana State is well documented. USI was once ISU-Evansville before becoming independent in 1985. The former satellite school welcomed what was once big brother into its home, and showed that it belonged at the Division I level.

“I want to make sure that we are well prepared, well organized and don’t look because it’s Indiana State,” coach Stan Gouard said. “That’s probably something the fans get into, but I’m just thinking about the next ball game.”

With the past understood, the raucous home crowd provided an atmosphere to match the spectacle on the court. When Swope hit the shot to send it to overtime, only those few clad in ISU blue remained seated.

A group of nine students who painted their chests with “USI SCREAGLES” fronted their section, one with the full “USI” and another with “ES,” but the man with the final “ES” encrusted on his torso wasn’t to be seen for Swope’s final-minute heroics.

Swope went to high school 16 miles from his home arena, and seeing that at a hometown school while having the game meant “everything” to him.

“I know I got a lot of friends and family that come out, people that support me,” Swope said. “It’s just good to feel the support. … It’s always good to know that I’m from here and I’ve got people supporting me.”

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And when that shot, the shot, fell in, the arena erupted for the hometown kid. Forward Jacob Polakovich told him during a timeout he wanted Swope to have the opportunity at the end of the game.

The result? Jackpot.

“Isaiah’s special, man. That’s a special player,” Polakovich said. “It goes without saying how good he is in those clutch situations. … The kid’s special. He’s good, man.”

Swope was at it throughout the evening, with 12 points in the first half before adding 14 more the rest of the way. Ten of them came in the second half, a crucial time for them to fall in. Indiana State led by as many as 10 points after the break, making it look like big brother was going to put an end to the fun.

But Swope didn’t allow that. He wasn’t going to lose. He intended on hitting that decisive shot.

There were other factors at play, as well. The Eagles’ defense wasn’t getting stops, something Gouard emphasized to his players. He also thought they were using the playbook too much and allowed them to play free.

That’s when Swope produced.

“He can create his own shot and I had enough trust in him to do that,” Gouard said. “He was on a different level in terms of his hunger, his thirst for creating plays. I just saw a different look in his eyes tonight in terms of willing us to victory.”

Swope produced his jackpot shot, handing Indiana State its second loss of the season.

Building on the win is key for USI. The Eagles lost their previous two games against D-I teams prior to Sunday against Chicago State and Western Illinois — “bad losses,” Gouard said.

USI hosts NAIA St. Mary of the Woods on Thursday before going to Fort Wayne for games against IUPUI and Purdue-Fort Wayne. The Eagles have slipped in contests like those this season, and building momentum before Ohio Valley Conference play begins is paramount in their first D-I season.

“Overall, we’ve been coming together throughout any mishaps, mess-ups, miscommunications. We’ve just stayed together as a team and giving each other confidence,” Swope said. “Whenever the game is on the line or we need to get a stop, we believe in each other.”

For the next couple days, though, USI will take time to enjoy the win and remember Swope’s shot to beat its former big brother school.

“It’s real important that we string some wins together,” Polakovich said. “Don’t let these games slide that we should win.”

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: USI men's basketball upsets Indiana State with overtime victory