EVANSVILLE — The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team, as it has in spurts throughout the season, showed what it could be for a brief moment. The Screaming Eagles were moving in transition, hitting timely shots and playing the defense they’ve been capable of throughout.

USI looked like a team that had momentum and was in the midst of a winning streak. Tennessee Tech had few answers. In a tight game in which neither team led by more than eight points at that stage, a 9-2 run gave the 2,460 in attendance life. Something to cheer for.

But alas, it wasn’t to be, as it hasn’t been most of the season. TTU’s Diante Wood, who was a shoe size away from putting the Golden Eagles in last season’s NCAA Tournament, hit a tough layup with the foul going into the under-8 media timeout. “That was a backbreaker,” coach Stan Gouard said. The energy departed. The inevitable set in.

USI, in the 73-59 loss, was outscored 24-10 from that point on. Only one team was winning, and it wasn’t the host.

“Total let down throughout this game on both sides of the basketball,” Gouard said. “We allowed these guys to dictate the flow of the basketball game.”

The same issues plagued USI (5-11, 2-2 Ohio Valley Conference): Unbalanced scoring, sloppy turnovers, not getting to the free-throw line. Coach Stan Gouard wasn’t happy with the energy on the bench — “That’s gonna change. It’s unacceptable in my eyes that we’re in a game and guys are not uplifting each other,” he said. 

Jeremiah Hernandez, who scored 18 points with four assists and three rebounds, was the Screaming Eagles’ only player in double figures until Jack Campion joined him at the 1:22 mark. Masses began heading for the door 22 game seconds later.

The need for another scorer, particularly when one of Hernandez or AJ Smith has an off night, has been evident since the Nov. 6 opener at Saint Louis.

That’s still a question 61 days later.

Last game: USI men’s basketball creates tangible momentum with home win over Tennessee State

“We need someone to step up. Right now, nobody is,” Gouard said. “We gotta have more poise about ourselves, especially when it’s a one- or two-possession game.”

The loss is deflating. A tight win against Tennessee State felt like a cornerstone moment, like something to build on. The atmosphere was exuberant, players enthralled. USI, after beating Lindenwood in the previous game after a tight overtime loss to Southeast Missouri State, had a winning streak. Tangible momentum.

Then Tennessee Tech (5-11, 1-3), coming off four consecutive losses and without an OVC win, came into Screaming Eagles Arena and pulled away.

“We just came out a little flat today,” Hernandez said. “We were smelling ourselves a little bit off those two wins, and it’s just dealing with a team like this, we gotta figure out how it is to win and carry it along.

“We did a good job with the two game win streak, but it’s all about just being consistent.”

One OVC loss doesn’t derail a season. It doesn’t diminish the progress shown in the first three league showings. But the performance, outside the second-half 9-2 run, left plenty to be desired.

“It’s a good league,” Campion said. “We can’t take the backseat. We’ve got to come out and stay hungry.”

Let level heads prevail. The season isn’t over. There’s still plenty to play for. But the same issues, murked by a brief spell of excellence and excitement, cannot continue if USI is going to meet its goals.

Saturday was a frustrating reminder of the non-conference slate. Changes need to come.

“The energy level, our mental approach, our ability to get stops on the defensive end, playing through fatigue, taking care of the basketball, get great shots: All of that stuff,” Gouard said. “I know where we went wrong at, but I’m gonna go back and look at it just to make sure we’re clear on where we struggled at and we’ll have them ready to go next week.”

USI women remain perfect in OVC play

Ali Saunders stepped back in with the USI women’s basketball team needing a basket to make it a two-possession game. There was still some time on the shot clock, so the shot came with calculated risk. The sophomore Valparaiso transfer, who started for the first time this season in place of injured Tori Handley, sank the shot to the roar of Screaming Eagles Arena, hitting the pivotal shot to secure the win over Tennessee Tech.

“I just saw they had a miscommunication,” Saunders said. “Every team makes us pay for miscommunication, so it’s about time we made them pay for one, as well. (I) saw a little bit of daylight and let it fly.”

The Eagles, against the defending OVC Tournament champion and team tabbed as the preseason league favorite, stayed perfect in conference play with a 69-66 victory.

“Most of the games in this league look like that,” coach Rick Stein said. “Those are games we didn’t win last year, so that feels good, but we can’t rest on that.”

USI (9-5, 4-0) showcased its depth in the win. Saunders was an example of that in Handley’s place. Vanessa Shafford and Madi Webb both fouled out in the fourth quarter and Triniti Ralston and Chloe Gannon seamlessly stepped into those roles. You don’t win in league play, or beat Tennessee Tech (6-9, 1-3) without that.

“We have complete confidence in all 14 of our players,” Stein said. “I think our depth has been in every win — in every game — this year. … We go to the bench and we’re not losing strength.”

Saunders, aside from the crucial shot, had arguably her best performance since joining USI. Her 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds almost always came at crucial moments. Vanessa Shafford scored a team-high 16 points with a career-high 15 rebounds, while Madi Webb and Meredith Raley scored 12 points each.

Balance, depth, scoring, defense. That’s the recipe to winning in the OVC. USI has done that to this point and has looked every bit like a team that can compete for a title. The Eagles are alone in first place as the final undefeated team in conference play.

“You just keep building every single day in practice,” Webb said. “Doing what we’re supposed to do, not letting our work ethic waver at all and come in and do what we need to do.”