October 18, 2004

USI women’s Basketball picked to finish fifth in the league in 2004-05
Men’s basketball picked to win the GLVC

EVANSVILLE, IN The University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team was picked to win the GLVC in 2004-05 in vote of the conference head coaches, while the USI women’s team was forecasted to place fifth. The men’s team is picked to win the GLVC for the first time since 1997-98.

In the women’s poll, Bellarmine University is picked to win the GLVC in one of the closest preseason polls in recent memory. The Knights and the University of Indianapolis both received 86 points, but Bellarmine edged out the Greyhounds with four first place votes. Indianapolis received two first place votes, while third place Quincy University received three first place votes and Northern Kentucky University picked up the final two.

Quincy received a total of 85 points while NKU was six points ahead of the USI with 77 points. The Screaming Eagles had 69 points in fifth.

The USI women’s basketball team begins the 2004-05 season on the heels of its seventh appearance in the NCAA II Tournament and a 20-10 overall record. The Eagles finished fifth in the GLVC regular season last spring with a 12-8 league mark and tied for third in the GLVC Tournament after losing in overtime to Quincy in the semifinals.

USI senior guard Jamie Truitt (Owensboro, Kentucky), a second team All-GLVC performer, returns for the Eagles in 2004-05. Truitt averaged a team-best 16.5 points per game and made a single-season school record 84 three-point field goals. The second leading returning scorer is junior forward Ashley Green (Otterbein, Indiana), who averaged 7.8 points per contest and 4.7 rebounds per game.

In the men’s poll, USI received six first place votes and 96 points, edging out Kentucky Wesleyan College, who received three first place votes and 87 points. Northern Kentucky University was picked to finished third after receiving the final two first place votes and 78 points.

The USI men’s team is coming off one of its top seasons all-time, finishing 2003-04 as the NCAA Division II Finalist, the NCAA II Great Lakes Regional championship, and reached 28 victories for the third time in the history of the program. The Screaming Eagles rank eighth among all three NCAA Divisions with 25.5 victories per season since 1992-93.

USI was second during the GLVC regular season a year ago with a 15-5 league record and tied for third in the GLVC Tournament.

The Eagles return senior guard Cris Brunson (Evansville, Indiana), a preseason honorable mention All-American, and senior forward Randy Holbrook (St. Louis, Missouri), USI’s CBS Player of the Game from last year’s championship game. Holbrook is USI’s top returning scorer with 11.1 points per game and rebounder with 5.2 boards per contest. Brunson, who averaged 10.8 points for the 2003-04 season, was USI’ top scorer in the post-season.

The USI women’s team tips off the 2004-05 season with an exhibition game against the St. Louis Goldstars at the Physical Activities Center November 5 at 7 p.m. The men’s team opens a day later, November 6, when its plays the University of Evansville at Roberts Stadium at 7:05 p.m.

GLVC Women's Poll
 1. Bellarmine (4)        86
 2. Indindianapolis (2)   86
 3. Quincy (3)            85
 4. Northern Kentucky (2) 77
 5. Southern Indiana      69
 6. Lewis                 57
 7. Wisconsin-Parkside    48
 8. SIU Edwardsville      33
 9. Missouri-St. Louis    26
10. Kentucky Wesleyan     18
11. Saint Joseph’s        17

GLVC Men's Poll
 1. Southern Indiana (6) &nb