Box score
VALPARAISO, Ind.- The fourth-ranked Greyhound women's basketball team earned a convincing 67-56 exhibition win at NCAA Division I Valparaiso Sunday afternoon. UIndy grabbed the lead midway through the first half and held control the rest of the way, fending-off a Crusader comeback effort in the closing minutes.
The game was indicative of an early-season game with both teams efforting to find a rhythm. The score was just 2-0 with more than three minutes gone, the lone bucket coming underneath by
Samantha Meissel (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North). UIndy forced the issue offensively, putting itself in the bonus situation with more than 12 minutes left in the half.
The Hounds took control on a Canary three after Meissel poked the ball loose off the in-bounds. The lead would grow to 10 when
Katie Lyons (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) banked-in a triple from the top of the key for a 23-13 score. With the count 25-19, UIndy ran-off ten straight points thanks to forcing turnovers and converting on the break. The capper to the stretch was a
Nickole Gonser (Coal City, Ind./Owen Valley) steal pushed ahead to
Cayla Keegan (Castalia, Ohio/Margaretta) for a fastbreak bucket.
At the half, the Hounds owned a 38-24 advantage, outscoring the host 20-4 in points off turnovers. The Crusaders mustered just one three-pointer in ten first-half tries and hit only 30 percent from the floor overall.
Canary made it more of the same to start the second half, drilling a triple on the first UIndy possession for a 17-point lead. Valpo held the Hounds scoreless for 4:30, scoring ten straight points to close the gap to 51-45. Canary's runner in the lane at the 9:30 mark ended the run. The teams traded buckets with the Greyhound lead hovering around six.
The Crusaders cut it to four before Meissel's lefty lay-in brought it back to six. Valpo's Betsy Smith connected on her fifth triple to give her a game-high 27 points as the home team crept to within three with two-and-a-half minutes to go.
UIndy iced the game from the free throw line as Canary hit a pair then Wenning hit the front end of two and Lyons converted on the back-end of her pair for a 63-56 score. Canary's two freebies at the 1:04 put the game away and UIndy emerged victorious, 67-56.
Meissel led the Greyhounds with 18 points and seven rebounds. Canary added 14 points, Lyons 11 and
Katie Dewey (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) had 10 for Indianapolis.
Indianapolis will travel to Notre Dame Tuesday and will finish the exhibition season Saturday when it heads to Xavier.
Notes: UIndy is ranked No. 4 in the Division II Bulletin Preseason poll ... All 11 players saw the floor for the Greyhounds in the win ... Valpo was picked to finish sixth in the Horizon League's preseason poll ... The Greyhounds have nine letterwinners returning from a team that finished 24-10 and made the school's first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance last year.