Football: The UIndy football team (7-4, 6-4 GLIAC) committed a season-high three turnovers in a 38-26 loss at Ohio Dominican Saturday afternoon. Two interceptions and a fumble led to 21 points for the home team, as the loss put a serious damper on the Greyhounds' playoff chances. UIndy took a 6-3 lead after the opening quarter, but the Panthers (7-4, 6-4) hung 21 unanswered points on the board in a productive second stanza. The last of which came when sophomore DB Justin Bell stripped the ball from redshirt-freshman Matt Ripp and took to 55 yards the other way to make it 24-6 ODU. UIndy closed the gap just before half, as quarterback Chris Mills found receiver Joe Leach for a five-yard TD pass with 39 ticks left on the clock. Leach wasn't done, as the senior took the second half's opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to pull the Hounds within four. It marked the longest UIndy kickoff return since 1982 and the first in four years. The count would remain 24-20 until the fourth quarter, when the Panthers again benefitted from a UIndy turnover. Early in the final period, the Greyhound offense appeared to be clicking. Mills connected with junior Mar'Quone Edmonds on passes of 18, 37 and 10 yards, helping setup 1st & 10 at the ODU 11-yard line. Three plays later, however, Bell came up big again by picking off a Mills pass and ending the Greyhound threat. The Hounds found the end zone a mere 44 seconds later when Leach notched his third score of the day on a 12-yard reception, but a failed two-point conversion ensured that UIndy would need two TDs in the remaining 34 seconds. Saturday's turnovers put an ironic twist on the season, as the Greyhounds had been the best team in the nation all year at taking care of the ball. Mills finished 19 of 39 passing for 255 yards and two TDs, with Edmonds racking up 154 yards receiving on nine catches. Defensively, middle linebacker Max Davis set a season high with 16 total tackles to lead all players. Defensive lineman Justin Robinson's 11 tackles also set a new season best, as two of his stops went for a loss. Fellow d-lineman Jovone Jordan added the team's only sack, as well as a pass break-up. As the ninth-ranked team in the region heading into the weekend, UIndy's fourth loss of the year does not seem conducive to a postseason berth. Six teams from the nation's four “super regions” will advance to the Division II playoffs. The 24-team field will be announced on the D-II football selection show, airing on NCAA.com Sunday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. UIndy quarterback Chris Mills was also named an official candidate for the 2011 Harlon Hill Trophy Friday, as announced by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee. The sophomore signal caller is one of just 22 student-athletes in the running for this year's NCAA Division II college football player of the year.
Wrestling: The Greyhound wrestling team opened its 2011-12 season Saturday at the Michigan State Open. Five UIndy grapplers placed in their freshman/sophomore weight classes, with one winning his weight class. Freshman Aaron Stevenson led the Greyhound finishers, taking the freshman/sophomore 184 title with a 5-0 day. Stevenson recorded one major decision en route to the win, defeating Bryson Hall of Ashland in the championship bout 5-2. Freshman Josh Kieffer took second in the freshman/sophmore 125 bracket, going 4-1 on the day. Kieffer won three of his matches via major decisions in his Greyhound debut, before dropping a 7-4 decision to Alfredo Gray of Kent State. Austin Chamberlain went 5-1 on the day with five pins to take third in the freshman/sophomore 157 bracket. Chamberlain won the third place bout with a pin in 1:13 over Kent State's Andrew Candellio. Taylor Scott took fith in the freshman/sophomore 197 weight class, besting Jackson Lewis of Central Missouri 6-2 in the fifth place bout. Scott went 6-1 on the day en route to the fifth place finish Sophomore Steven Sandefer took sixth in the freshman/sophomore 149 bracket, going 5-1 on the day with a tech fall, a major decision and a 25 second pin. The Greyhounds return to the mat this weekend, heading to Purdue for a dual meet Friday night before heading to the Campbellsville Duals Saturday.
Swimming & Diving: The University of Indianapolis swimming and diving team split in its dual meet at Ashland on Saturday afternoon. The men defeated the Eagles, 149-139, while the women fell, 159-117. Overall, the Greyhounds won a total of 14 events. Bruno Barbosa led the way with four wins in the 200 medley relay with Muzaffer Demirtas, Guy Kogel and Nikolas Aresti (1:34.22), the 400 free relay with Kogel, Justin Klopp and Aresti (3:09.29), the 100 free (47.70) and 100 back (51.81). His time in the backstroke was a NCAA "B" cut qualifying time. Kogel added a win in the 200 fly (1:54.19) to his relay wins in a NCAA "B" cut and was second in the 100 fly (50.57) in an NCAA "B" cut. Justin Rossillo won the 200 back in a "B" cut of 1:53.42. Other male winners were Austin Biefnes in the 1,000 free (10:12.36) and 400 IM (4:18.92) and Tyler Offutt in the one-meter (254.85) and three-meter (247.80) diving events. Maura Donahue led the women with victories in the 200 free (1:58.50) and 500 free (5:18.61), while Shiran Abrahamson won the 1,000 free (11:09.76) and Amber Cooper took the 200 breast (2:31.53). The women return to the pool with a home tri-meet at Ruth Lilly Center Pool against NCAA Division I teams Butler and Marshall on Nov. 17 before both teams head to Wabash on Nov. 18-19 for the Woehnker Invitational.
Men's Basketball: Jarrett Hamilton and Brennan McElroy each recorded career highs in points to lead UIndy men's basketball past Mount St. Joseph, 87-48, in its season opener on Saturday afternoon at Nicoson Hall. Hamilton recorded 20 points, including 4-of-4 three-point shooting, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while McElroy had 14 points, including a trio of dunks, three steals and two rebounds as the Greyhounds opened their season with a win for the sixth year in a row. Wilbur O'Neal added 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 7-of-8 at the free throw line with six rebounds and Adrian Moss tallied 13 points, six steals, four assists and four rebounds. UIndy shot 60.4 percent from the field (29-48), including 10-of-18 three-pointers, and forced 23 turnovers by the Lions that led to 34 points. UIndy also had a 27-2 edge in fast break points and 13-0 advantage in second-chance points with a 33-20 overall rebounding lead. Mount St. Joseph opened the scoring with a three-pointer and eventually led by eight, 16-8, less than seven minutes into the game. UIndy immediately responded with a 12-0 run as Hamilton took over with five points in a row and an assist that led to a Miles Mitchell three-pointer as the Hounds took the lead, 20-16, with 8:23 to play. The lead continued to grow as Mitchell hit another three-pointer to put UIndy up 10, 29-19, but MSJ hung within seven when the Hounds' defense took over. McElroy had back-to-back steals that led to a fast break lay-up and dunk and then another steal by Mitchell led to a Moss fast break bucket to put UIndy up 15, 39-24. The Lions came back with a bucket, but UIndy responded with a Reece Cheatham three-pointer to lead by 16 at halftime, 42-26. The Greyhounds kept up the pressure in the second half and took their first 20-point lead, 57-36, with 11:58 to go after Cheatham found Hamilton for a triple. The Lions were never closer than 18 points the rest of the way as UIndy pulled away to secure the victory. UIndy remains at Nicoson Hall on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to host Cincinnati-Clermont, the national runner-up in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association last season.
Women's Basketball: After a slow start, the UIndy women's basketball team led as late as the two-minute mark but couldn't hang in opener of Saturday's California (Pa.) Tip-Off Tournament, as the host Vulcans went on to earn the 64-57. The Vulcans used a 12-0 run to build a 10-point advantage midway through the first half and a 22-16 lead at halftime, as the Greyhounds shot just 20.7 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. UIndy was much more efficient in the second half, however, as the team converted 16-of-27 field goals after the break, out-shooting its host 59.3 percent to 41.7. After the Vulcans earned a 32-24 edge three-and-a-half minutes into the second, the Greyhounds scored 10 of the next 12 points to knot it at 34 – the first of seven ties in the final half. Later in the game, senior Megan Gardner connected on her lone 3-pointer of the afternoon, giving the Hounds a 57-54 lead with 2:14 to go. But California answered with back-to-back triples and didn't look back, ending the game on a 10-point run to earn the "W". Then on Sunday, the UIndy women's basketball team left the Keystone State Sunday still searching for its first win, as Ashland handed the Greyhounds a 74-69 loss in the consolation game of the California (Pa.) Tip-Off Tournament. UIndy was up three at the half and led by as much as eight early in the second, but with the score 47-39 Hounds at the 15-minute mark, Ashland orchestrated a 12-3 run to pull within a single point. Later, UIndy crept within one on a Shelby Wall 3-pointer at the 3:16 mark but could not retake the lead. Wall hit another triple to make it a three-point game with 10 seconds left. Four Greyhounds scored in double figures, as Megan Gardner and Sydney Weinert each added 12 points. Weinert also chipped in six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. The competition remains stiff for UIndy, as the Greyhounds host Michigan Tech Saturday, Nov. 19. Last year's national runner-up, the Huskies were ranked third in WBCA Division II Preseason Poll. Tip-off from Nicoson Hall is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Volleyball: Courtney Anglemyer had a career-high 27 kills and hit .511 to lead No. 21 University of Indianapolis volleyball past No. 17 Lewis in the finals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament in front of 546 at Ruth Lilly Center on Sunday afternoon. The Greyhounds (22-7) won their third GLVC Championship (2003, 2009, 2011) and earned the GLVC automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. GLVC Freshman of the Year Meghan Binkerd had a career-high 28 digs, 58 assists and three kills, while Kourtney Crawford added 13 kills and First Team All-GLVC outside hitter Kristina Hefferan had 11 kills, 19 digs, two blocks and two assists. Amy Oldenburg added 24 digs, First Team All-GLVC outside hitter Kristina Kerrigan contributed 16 digs and Courtney Roach finished with 11 digs. The Greyhounds hit .164 with 66 kills, while Lewis hit .198 with 79 kills. Both teams were over 100 digs with 115 for UIndy and 110 for Lewis. The Flyers led in blocks, 16-9, but struggled serving with one ace and 12 errors. UIndy countered with one ace and two errors. Even with momentum going against them after dropping the fourth set, Lewis opened the fifth by taking a 3-0 lead and led by two, 8-6, when the teams switched sides. The Flyers were the first to 11, 11-8, when Kerrigan had a kill and two Lewis errors evened the score. Lewis scored the next point, but a block by Crawford and Watkins and Anglemyer kill put UIndy in front, 13-12. The teams traded points with a Crawford kill giving UIndy championship point, 14-13. Lewis answered as the two teams went back-and-forth with six championship points for UIndy and three for Lewis. The Greyhounds finally prevailed, 23-21, as Anglemyer and Hefferan had back-to-back kills to ignite pandemonium in the RLC. Lewis had 18 kills and hit .229 in the final set, while UIndy hit .282 with 14 kills, seven by Anglemyer. Overall, the match had 49 ties and 19 lead changes. The teams traded points to start the first set until Lewis built a three-point lead, 12-9. The Greyhounds couldn't pull back into a tie and the Flyers pulled away to strike first, 25-18. The second set was back-and-forth until UIndy staged a 4-1 run to take the lead, 13-9, after a Koeneman error. UIndy kept Lewis at bay and built the lead to six, 22-16, after consecutive Anglemyer terminations. Lewis staged a rally and went on a 5-1 run to pull within two, 23-21, when Rogers called timeout. Anglemyer had another kill for set point, but then Lewis scored twice. On the third set point, Kelly McConkey of Lewis tried to take advantage of a scrambling UIndy defense after an overpass, but her surprise attack went into the net, 25-23. Another close start in the third set until Lewis went up by three, 16-13, but two Anglemyer kills and a block with Kerrigan on a 4-0 run put UIndy in front, 17-16, when Lewis called time. Lewis tied the score three times until going back ahead, 20-19, but a Crawford kill kept the score tied, 21-21. Lewis answered with three in a row to build a cushion to pull ahead in the match, 25-22. A block by the Flyers gave them the two-point edge, 10-8, but UIndy began to take over from there to extend the match. Back-to-back Hefferan kills capped an 8-2 run to put UIndy up four, 16-12. After a score by Lewis, Anglemyer had a kill to send Roach to the service line for a 5-0 run that put the Hounds up eight, 21-13. Lewis couldn't pull closer than six as Julia Watkins' kill sent the match to a fifth set. This was the fifth consecutive year that UIndy and Lewis met in the GLVC Tournament and the fourth time in the finals. The two teams have split those final match-ups with wins by Lewis in 2007 and 2010 and UIndy this year and 2009. The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced that 2011 All-GLVC Teams voted on by conference head coaches. Outside hitters Kristina Hefferan and Kristina Kerrigan were named to the first team, while middle hitter Courtney Anglemyer and setter Meghan Binkerd are on the third team. This is the fifth year in a row that UIndy has had multiple first team honorees and had four total all-conference selections. This is the third year in a row that Kerrigan has been honored, including the second-straight first team nod. Anglemyer has earned a second-straight third team selection, while Binkerd and Hefferan are first-time selections. The Greyhounds will be making their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and the sixth in program history, all under the leadership of Coach Rogers. The NCAA announced on Sunday night that UIndy volleyball will head to Hillsdale, Mich., for the NCAA Division II Tournament Midwest Regional. The Greyhounds (22-7) are the three seed and will face six-seed Southern Indiana (20-10) on Friday, Nov. 18 at Jesse Phillips Arena.
THE WEEK AHEAD:
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011
Men's Basketball vs Cincinnati-Clermont – 7:00PM
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011
Swimming & Diving vs Butler, Marshall – 5:30PM
Friday, Nov. 18, 2011
Volleyball in NCAA Tournament vs Southern Indiana – 12:00PM
Wrestling at Purdue – 7:00PM
Swimming & Diving at Woehnker Invitational – 7:00PM/10:00AM
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011
Women's Basketball vs Michigan Tech – 1:00PM
Men's Basketball vs Purdue North Central – 3:30PM
Volleyball in NCAA Tournament vs Ferris State/Saginaw Valley State – 5:00PM
Wrestling – TBA
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011
Volleyball in NCAA Tournament Championships – 4:00PM
