MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — In a game defined by grinding defense and critical second-chance opportunities, the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak with a 77-70 victory over the Western Illinois Leathernecks in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Western Hall.

Despite a frigid shooting night from beyond the arc, Southern Indiana leveraged a massive advantage on the offensive glass and capitalized on Western Illinois turnovers to secure just its sixth win of the season. The Screaming Eagles improved to 6-20 overall, while the Leathernecks fell to 5-23.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the final five minutes, as Southern Indiana transformed a narrow, back-and-forth contest into a decisive victory with a relentless closing run. Tied at 61 with just over five minutes remaining, the Screaming Eagles embarked on a 12-3 surge that sealed the outcome.

The pivotal sequence was fueled by defense and hustle. After a Lucas Lorenzen layup brought Western Illinois within 66-64 at the 3:51 mark, Southern Indiana’s Amaree Brown answered with a tough jump shot. Following a Leathernecks miss, Southern Indiana worked the clock before Sheridan Sharp was fouled and hit a free throw. On the ensuing Western Illinois possession, the Screaming Eagles’ defense forced a difficult miss from Danny Stephens, and Sharp secured the rebound.

Brown then took over, drawing a foul on Lorenzen and sinking both free throws to extend the lead to 71-66 with 2:04 left. On the next Western Illinois trip, Stephens committed a costly turnover, which Brown stole and converted into a fast-break layup, pushing the advantage to seven. After a Western Illinois timeout, the Leathernecks came up empty again, and Ismail Habib’s driving layup with 52 seconds left gave Southern Indiana a 75-66 lead, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Brown, a sophomore guard from Chicago, was instrumental in the closing stretch and finished with a team-high 18 points, including 10 in the second half. His backcourt mate, Sheridan Sharp of Indianapolis, orchestrated the offense with a game-high five assists to go with nine points, several coming at the foul line in the final minute.

The Screaming Eagles won despite connecting on only 3 of 16 attempts from three-point range. They compensated by attacking the basket and the boards, attempting 30 free throws to Western Illinois’ 12 and grabbing 16 offensive rebounds, which led to 19 second-chance points. Southern Indiana also forced 12 Leathernecks turnovers, converting them into 18 points.

Western Illinois was led by Francis Okwuosah, who scored 19 points and hit three three-pointers. Lucas Lorenzen added 13 points and three assists, while Danny Stephens contributed 12 points. The Leathernecks shot well from deep, making 9 of 17, but were undone by the turnover margin and Southern Indiana’s dominance on the glass.

Southern Indiana’s interior defense was anchored by Ola Ajiboye, who blocked three shots and altered several others, while adding 12 points and key rebounds. Tolu Samuels facilitated the offense with a game-high six assists.

The first half was a low-scoring, physical affair, with Southern Indiana taking a 30-29 lead into the break. Western Illinois briefly held a five-point advantage early in the second half after an Okwuosah three-pointer made it 42-37, but the Screaming Eagles responded with a 10-2 run, highlighted by two Ajiboye baskets, to retake the lead and set the stage for the tense finish.

The victory provided a measure of revenge for Southern Indiana, which had defeated Western Illinois by 32 points in their previous meeting in January. The Screaming Eagles will look to build momentum when they travel to face Eastern Illinois on Saturday. Western Illinois returns to action at home against Morehead State, also on Saturday.