Box Score

LAS VEGAS -- Jarrett Hamilton scored a career-high 25 points, including what turned out to be the game-winning steal and lay-up in overtime, to lead UIndy men's basketball over St. Mary's (Texas), 72-68, in its second game of the Holiday Hoops Classic.

Hamilton connected on 9-of-15 shots, including three three-pointers, and contributed five rebounds and three steals for the Greyhounds (7-2) against the Rattlers (4-3).

"My jumper was falling and that's a good thing to get confidence in my shot and the basket opens wide when you have a shooter's mentality," Hamilton said.

"Jarrett can probably start for about anybody in our league," head coach Stan Gouard said. "He's a warrior. He's got a big heart and a great deal of confidence. I was impressed with his scoring, but more impressed with his rebounding. He had 14 rebounds this weekend and that helps our big guys."

Wilbur O'Neal added 15 points and Adrian Moss connected for 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, including a go-ahead lay-up in the extra session.

After falling behind by 10 points in the first half and allowing St. Mary's to shoot 59 percent, the Greyhounds came back to hold them to 34 percent in the second half and overtime. UIndy finished the game shooting 45.5 percent (25-55), despite strugging from the three-point line (4-17). UIndy did a good job again of getting to the free throw line (18-27) and keeping the Rattlers off (5-8).

"It means a lot to get down 10 points in the first half and find a way to come back," Gouard said. "That was one of my concerns. How are we going to react when things get bad? A couple times, we probably should have hung our heads because they made some tough shots, but we kept our heads up. Our guys got a lot of confidence and that makes a big difference when you're fighting back from a deficit."

"We just keep confidence in ourselves. We know we can beat any team in the country," Hamilton said. "Beating Bellarmine proved that, so we just know that we need to stay on our gameplan, execute and everyone knows their role and they do it well."


The Greyhounds were out-rebounded by just one, 34-33, against the bigger Rattlers, but actually held an 8-2 lead in second-chance points. St. Mary's leading scorer, Kevin Kotzur, was averaging 22 points and almost 10 rebounds entering the contest, including almost six offensive rebounds. He finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds, but only one offensive.

"Kotzur is a really good player. We challenged our players to accept the challenge and not let him get off. We held him to one offensive rebound and that's impressive," Gouard said.

UIndy held a late lead in regulation as Hamilton converted a three-point play by hitting a floater in the lane, while getting fouled from behind, with 1:22 to play, 63-61. The Rattlers came back to tie the score and then forced a UIndy turnover to get one final shot. St. Mary's leading scorer with 17 points, Daryell Taylor, then missed an open 15-footer from the left elbow at the buzzer to force overtime. UIndy was ready for overtime after holding an 1-0 record this season in extra time with its 99-94 win against No. 1 Bellarmine on Dec. 1.

"In the huddle before overtime, I stressed that this is no big deal," Gouard said. "When you think about the morning runs and the game against Bellarmine. This is what college basketball is all about. What better situation than to come to Vegas, get in overtime and have a chance to win the basketball game? Our guys responded, just like they did against Bellarmine, and I'm really happy for my guys to get both wins out here."

UIndy forced St. Mary's to miss three shots to start overtime before gaining possession. Moss then missed a three-pointer from the corner, but dove on the floor to secure the loose ball and keep possession. After a UIndy timeout, Moss made a nice feed inside to O'Neal for a lay-up to take the lead, 65-63.

St. Mary's scored the next three points to regain the lead, 66-65, but then Moss made an acrobatic left-hand lay-up while falling to the floor to put UIndy back in front, 67-66, with 1:45 to play. Hamilton then stepped in front of a pass by Keith Hartle and took it the distance to extend the lead, 69-66.

The Rattlers cut the lead to one, 69-68, but Reece Cheatham made one free throw and Hamilton rebounded a miss by Taylor to secure the win. Going back to his AAU days, Cheatham remained undefeated (22-0), all-time in Las Vegas.

The Greyhounds are now off until Dec. 30 when they head north to Ferris State for an in-region match-up against the Bulldogs (6-3), which qualified for the NCAA Tournament a season ago.