The University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball team defended its home court Jan. 20, with an 83-71 victory over Northern Kentucky University.

USI has won 87 percent of its home games in the last 26 years of play. For this season, the Screaming Eagles’ home record is 11-0.

NKU hasn’t recorded a win at USI in more than a decade. The Norse’s last win at the PAC Arena was a 99-87 victory in the 1996 NCAA II Great Lakes Region championship game.

Junior forward Harrison Morton gave his best effort in coming off the bench for NKU, scoring 13-points, with three rebounds and a steal, while seeing limited action.

NKU’s leading point man, Steven Wright, was held to 14-points for the night, a 2-point drop from his season average. Wright did get 1,000-points for his career in the loss to USI, an impressive mark that NKU was glad to be a part of. That was the only bright spot in the game, however, for the Norse.

USI’s Rashard Sullivan had 19-points and eight rebounds in the winning effort against NKU.

The Screaming Eagles were also powered to the win with a strong effort from the rest of the team with all but one recording a basketball and five players scoring in double figures.

“We had some wide-open shots late in the game, but we couldn’t get one to drop,” said NKU’s Head Coach Dave Bezold, according to the NKU Athletics.

NKU’s lack of success shooting the ball later in the game was a determining factor attributed to the Norse’s loss.

The win boosts the Screaming Eagles to an overall record of 18-2 and a Great Lakes Valley Conference West division leading record of 7-2.

The NKU loss snapped its five-game winning-streak and put the Norse at an overall record of 12-5. In the GLVC, NKU, Lewis University and Bellarmine University are tied for third place at 5-4.

The Norse’s next contest is a home game at 7:45 p.m. Jan. 25, in Regents Hall against GLVC East leader, Indianapolis University.

The Norse will then host Saint Joseph’s College from Indiana 7:45 p.m. Jan. 27. SJC currently sits at second place in the GLVC East division with a record of 5-3.