Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS -- Darius Adams notched a double-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals as University of Indianapolis came back from a halftime deficit to defeat Missouri-St. Louis, 92-78, at Nicoson Hall on Thursday night in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game.

Junior Wilbur O'Neal hit 8-of-10 shots to add 21 points and seven rebounds for the Greyhounds (10-2, 3-1 GLVC) in their seventh win in a row. Freshman Daniel Daudu set a career-high with 17 points, three rebounds and three steals and senior DeWann Squires hit four three-pointers on his way to 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists against the GLVC West leading Tritons (9-3, 4-1 GLVC).

Trailing by five at halftime, 42-37, the Greyhounds didn't allow a field goal for the first 7:44 of the second half during an 18-2 run that put them up 11, 55-44, with 12:30 to play after an offensive rebound and putback by O'Neal.

"In the first half, I was disappointed in our energy and effort, but in the second half we picked it up on defense and that's what won the ball game for us," head coach Stan Gouard said. "I challenged our guys on the defensive end. We generated some energy on the defensive end and that led to some easy buckets."

The Greyhounds ended up out-rebounding UMSL, 41-19, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to a 15-6 edge in second-chance points.

"We talked about one-and-done where they get one shot and we're going the other way. Guys did a great job of getting traffic rebounds and rebounding out of area" Gouard said. "They got excited when they saw the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to winning."

UMSL was led by the leading scorer in the GLVC, Gerald Fulton, with 27 points, but he was held to nine in the second half with most of those coming after the game was decided.

The Tritons stayed within eight, 70-62, with 7:25 to go when Adams hit a jumper and then UIndy turned back-to-back steals into fast-break lay-ups to push the lead to 14, 76-62. Missouri-St. Louis could only get as close as eight, 80-72, again with 2:42 to go, but Daudu answered with four points in a row to stop the threat.

The Greyhounds picked up their defense in the second half to hold UMSL to 30.8 percent (8-26) and 1-of-6 behind the arc after they hit 7-of-11 triples in the first half. The Hounds were hot in both halves to finish at 55.6 percent (35-63) for the game, including 25 baskets in the paint that led to a 50-16 edge in points in the paint.

A three-pointer by Squires from the right corner started a 13-5 run from the Greyhounds to put them up eight, 15-7, less than four minutes into the game. O'Neal scored six points in the spurt for the Greyhounds, but UMSL hit back-to-back three-pointers to get back within two, 15-13, with 15:35 to play.

Moss lobbed a pass to basket that O'Neal converted on the alley-oop to put UIndy back up four, 17-13, but the Tritons hit two more three-pointers to take the ead, 19-17. The Greyhounds answered with six in a row on a steal and lay-up by Adams, Cody Sarrazin jumper assisted by Adams and a lay-up by O'Neal to re-take the lead, 23-19, with 7:57 to go in the first half.

The runs continued as UMSL scored 10 of the next 12, but UIndy hit two free throws and Daniel Daudu canned his first career three-pointer to keep the Hounds in front, 30-29, with 4:22 to play. The Tritons rallied again to end the half scoring 13 of the last 20 to hold the lead, 42-37, at intermission.

The Greyhounds couldn't slow the Tritons as they shot 51.9 percent (14-27) overall, 7-of-11 behind the three-point line and 7-of-7 at the free throw line. The Greyhounds shot 55.6 percent (15-27) overall, but made only 3-of-10 triples and 4-of-6 free throws.

UIndy committed 10 turnovers, three more than UMSL, that led to a 10-6 deficit in points off turnovers.

The Greyhounds continue their three-game homestand on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. against Maryville (2-8, 0-4 GLVC).