Box Score
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Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Feb. 9, 2013)-- Bryant Smith drained a deep three with 18 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime as the University of Wisconsin-Parkside men's basketball team increased its buffer atop the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division Standings with a 76-72 victory over 10th-ranked University of Southern Indiana on Saturday inside the Physical Activities Center.

The win increases the Rangers' (16-5, 11-2 GLVC) lead atop the standings to two games and is the first 11-win conference season in program history. UW-Parkside has won six straight with five victories coming against teams ranked in the Top 25.

The Rangers fought back from a 10-point second half deficit in a back and forth affair with eight lead changes and 11 ties.

A pair of free throws with 50 seconds left gave the host Screaming Eagles (16-5, 9-4 GLVC) a three-point buffer before Smith buried a trey from well behind the line to tie the game at 65 with 18 ticks left. The Ranger defense held up on the ensuing possession with Zygimantas Riauka recording a key block to send the game to a five minute extra session.

Southern Indiana tallied the first three points of overtime and led 70-67 midway through the extra frame before Smith drained another three to knot the score at 70. USI answered with a layup by Keith DeWitt off an offensive rebound before Riauka tied the game with 67 seconds left. Colt Grandstaff tallied the go-ahead score with 29 seconds remaining while a USI missed jumper with seven seconds left was scooped up by Smith. Smith sunk a pair of free throws to secure the four-point win and give UW-Parkside a little more breathing room on top of the East Division.

"What a ballgame," said head coach Luke Reigel. "We never give in and different guys keep stepping up. I sound like a broken record but we continue to find a way to win."

Despite shooting just 37 percent (10-for-27) the Rangers trailed by just six, facing a 33-27 deficit at intermission.

The Screaming Eagles collected the first four points of the second half, swelling their advantage to 37-27 with 19:19 remaining. UW-Parkside nibbled the USI lead down to just three with 16:03 remaining before tying the game at 50 with 9:37 remaining. Neither team led by more than three the rest of regulation with the two squads forcing six more ties before overtime.

Four Rangers ended the afternoon in double figures with Smith and Grandstaff leading the way with 17 points apiece. Smith was nearly perfect from the field, hitting six of his seven attempts while grabbing four steals and dishing out four assists. Grandstaff was seven-for-nine with three three-pointers while Riauka added 14 points. Kevin Senechalle added 11 points with Jeremy Saffold contributing eight points and a team-high six rebounds.

DeWitt and Lawrence Thomas led Southern Indiana, both pouring on 20 points in the losing effort. DeWitt grabbed a team-high eight boards while Orlando Rutledge chipped in 14 points.

UW-Parkside overcame its sluggish shooting, finishing the game 29-for-58 (50 percent), shooting 60 percent (15-for-25) in the second half while sinking shots at a 66.7 percent clip (four-for-six) in overtime. USI shot 54.2 percent (13-for-24) in the opening frame and ending the game shooting an even 50 percent (27-for-54).

UWP held a 28-7 edge in bench points whiling owning a 40-30 advantage in the paint.

The Rangers return home on Thursday, hosting McKendree University at 7:30 p.m. inside DeSimone Gymnasium.