Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS -- Despite falling behind by 18 points, 22-4, to open the game, the University of Indianapolis men's basketball team stormed back to defeat Kentucky Wesleyan, 82-66, in front of 2,112 at Nicoson Hall on Saturday afternoon.

"I'm happy for our guys because we showed the guts to not quit and responded to the challenge Wesleyan presented," head coach Stan Gouard said.

Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year candidate Darius Adams led the charge with 23 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals, while fellow senior DeWann Squires hit four three-pointers on the way to a season-high 18 points and two steals for the Greyhounds (18-6, 11-5 GLVC).

"I talked with a lot of guys after the Southern Indiana game on Thursday," Gouard said. "I talked with Darius about decision-making. We've asked him to score a lot, but he needs to be the best player on the floor at everything. Tonight, he did that.

"Squires has been in a funk and I told him we were going to try and get him more shots and he told me he didn't need more shots. He just wanted the team to win. That's a great attitude to have from a senior. He's the best team guy we have and all he wants to do is win and today he was a big part of the reason we won."

The victory over the Panthers (15-8, 8-8 GLVC) had NCAA Tournament ramifications as KWC was No. 7 in the latest Midwest Region rankings and UIndy was No. 10. With its victory and a loss by Missouri-St. Louis today at home to Rockhurst, UIndy clinched a first round home game in the GLVC Tournament on Feb. 26.

Wilbur O'Neal added 12 points and six rebounds, while Adrian Moss scored 11 points and dished eight assists as UIndy finished the game with 18 assists and just seven turnovers, none by the junior point guard.

The Greyhounds shot 51.8 percent (29-56) from the field and made 13 three-pointers, while KWC shot 48 percent (24-50), but made only 6-of-19 three-pointers. The Hounds out-rebounded the Panthers, 30-27, and turned just seven offensive rebounds into a 10-2 edge in second-chance points.

Anthony Young and Kwan Waller led the Panthers with 17 points each.

The Greyhounds couldn't do anything to slow down Kentucky Wesleyan early as a Young three-pointer put them up 18, 22-4, less than eight minutes into the game. O'Neal scored inside and then Cory Zackery canned a triple to start the slow climb back by the Hounds as they still trailed by 15, 28-13, with 8:27 to play.

"Kentucky Wesleyan was really putting it to us," Gouard said. "They pounded the ball inside and did what they wanted. I told the team not to quit and they did a great job of responding and playing defense."

That's when UIndy went on its run as it went on a 13-0 run to pull within two, 28-26, after Adams made a three-pointer and then was fouled on the fast break and hit two free throws with 4:11 left in the half. KWC finally scored, but O'Neal hit a jumper and Moss made a three-pointer to give UIndy its first lead, 31-30, of the game. After each team missed, KWC briefly regained the lead, but O'Neal converted an offensive rebound and Squires hit a three-pointer with four seconds left for UIndy to lead by four, 36-32, at halftime as part of 23-4 run in the final 8:01 of the half.

"We had stops on 13 of Wesleyan's last 16 possessions in the first half," Gouard said. "That's championship-caliber defense. We know we can score with anybody, but at the end of the half we showed the kind of defense we're capable of if we just put our head down and guard people."

Daniel Daudu hit two free throws after multiple technical fouls were assessed with 14:57 to play to put UIndy up nine, 49-40. The Panthers had a run of their own and pulled within three, 55-52, with 9:42 to play. On the next possession, Adams tracked down an offensive rebounds and then buried a three-pointer just before the shot clock expired and then Moss made an off-balance baseline jumper that saw the ball bounce around the rim before falling to quickly grow the lead back to eight, 60-52. After empty possessions both ways, Squires stole a post-entry pass and Moss found Adams for a fast-break three-pointer to put UIndy up 11, 63-52, with 6:43 to go. The lead was never less than 10 points the rest of the way.

After allowing KWC to shoot 53.8 percent in the first half, the Greyhounds held KWC to 41.7 percent in the second half. The Hounds also had a 5-0 edge in second-chance points and 9-0 in fast break points in the second frame.

The Greyhounds play their final regular season road game of the season in a Valentine's Day special on Monday at No. 2 Bellarmine (21-1, 14-0 GLVC) at 8 p.m.