Box score

INDIANAPOLIS-  It was another hard-fought battle with a ranked opponent at Nicoson Hall Saturday with the visitors escaping with the win as 13th-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan benefited from second-chance opportunities to edge UIndy, 88-81 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

UIndy (10-9, 4-6 GLVC) outshout the Panthers (19-3, 8-2) Saturday, but gave up 18 offensive rebounds to a team that needed no help scoring, pumping-in nearly 83 points a game on average.  Most of those (13) came in the opening half, but the Hounds still clinged to a three-point cushion at the break.

The three-point halftime advantage came after a frantic pace to start the game with KWC outscoring the Hounds 17-11 in the opening four-and-a-half minutes.  Nate Blank had eight quick points and the game resembled a track meet of up-and-down play and lots of scoring.  

UIndy settled in, slowing down the KWC attack at times with a zone look on defense.  The Hounds would take a lead as large as eight in the first half, 36-28, with just over five minutes to play.  UIndy shot 64 percent in the first 20 minutes, but gave the ball away 14 times and was out-rebounded 21-12.

KWC wasted little time regaining the lead in the second half as leading scorer Desmond Stephens scored seven of his game-high 25 points in the first 1:24.  From that point, there would be four lead changes and three ties in a physical affair that saw both teams scrap for every possession.

A 13-1 UIndy run gave the Hounds their largest lead of the night, 62-53 with 12:47 to play.  The stretch included six points apiece from Darius Adams and DeWann Squires giving the upset-minded Greyhounds a real chance to grab the win.  A 12-2 KWC run, however, gave the lead back to the Panthers, one they would not relinquish in the final six minutes.

Sergey Struck spun and hit a right-handed layup to trim it to one at 80-79 in the final minutes.  But, KWC got six more points from Stephens to help close out the victory.

Adams led the Greyhounds with 24 points and eight assists.  Devin Williams added five steals to aid the defensive effort. Ryan Sims poured-in 17 and Blank chipped-in 14 for Indianapolis.

UIndy will take to the road for a pair of league games next week.  The Hounds visit Saint Joseph's Thursday before a Saturday matinee at Wisconsin-Parkside.