Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS -- Darius Adams scored 36 points with six assists and four rebounds on his Senior Night to lead University of Indianapolis men's basketball to a come-from-behind victory over No. 21 Northern Kentucky, 81-76, in front of 1,031 at Nicoson Hall on Thursday night.
Adams scored 24 of his points in the second half as the Greyhounds (19-7, 12-6 GLVC) came back from a 13-point deficit, 61-48, with 10:39 to play against the Norse (19-6, 12-5 GLVC).
Adrian Moss added 13 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals and
Leland Brown tied his career high with 14 points off the bench.
UIndy ended the game shooting 48.2 percent (27-56) after making 16-of-24 shots in the second half. The Hounds also converted 19-of-24 free throws (.792), including 14-of-16 in the second frame. The Norse finished the game at 47.3 percent (26-55) and made 21-of-31 free throws (.677). UIndy forced just 11 turnovers, but nine came in the second half.
"We started being more physical late in the second half and picked up our defense," head coach
Stan Gouard said. "I was able to get rest for Darius and DeWann (Squires) and the bench provided a lot of energy on defense, which was much-needed.
"Then we just found a way to get it done. We rode Darius' coattails and Moss continues to do a great job of knowing when to score and getting people involved. As I looked at the box score, everybody who played did something tonight. We're good when everyone is making contributions, not just one or two guys."
Northern Kentucky was led by Erik Stenger with a career-high 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, while Malcolm Eleby and Josh Tabb each scored 12 points.
Not only did the Hounds beat a nationally-ranked team for the second time this season (at No. 4 Southern Indiana 1-22), but it gives them another win over a regionally-ranked foe. The Hounds were eighth and NKU fourth in the latest NCAA Midwest Region rankings thad decide who goes to the NCAA Tournament. The top eight teams in the region make the 64-team field.
The Greyhounds were actually still down 10, 66-56, with 8:31 to go in the game when the comeback went into full affect. Adams scored seven points in a row to pull UIndy within three. The Hounds then turned NKU over and Adams found fellow senior
DeWann Squires wide open in the right corner for a triple. Squires nailed the trifecta and was fouled. He hit the ensuing free throw to complete the 11-0 run and give UIndy its first lead, 67-66, since it was 12-10 with 5:31 remaining.
The lead changed three more times before Brown scored inside on a dish from Adams to put UIndy in front, 71-70, with 3:51 to go. The Hounds then forced turnovers on five consecutive possessions by the Norse with three steals by Moss and one by Brown. During that two-minute stretch, UIndy increased the lead to five, 75-70, with 2:29 left after
Wilbur O'Neal scored four points in a row.
Northern Kentucky finally scored, 75-72, with 1:10 to play, but UIndy had an answer. The Hounds ran the shot clock down and then Moss stepped past a defender and lofted a jumper from the free throw line. The ball bounced high off the back of the rim and fell straight through the net to put UIndy back up five. Adams then made 4-of-4 free throws in the last 18 seconds to clinch the win.
The first half had four ties and four lead changes in the first 5:38. The Hounds led on a lay-up by Moss, 12-10, with 14:41 to go, but NKU came back with a 10-0 run to take control, 20-12. The Norse eventually grew its lead to 10, 31-21, with 4:35 left in the half and maintained a nine-point edge, 40-31, at intermission.
The Norse stayed in control and played with a double-digit lead over the Hounds for the first 11-plus minutes of the second half before UIndy started to turn things around.
UIndy will be off until Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. when it hosts a first round game in the 2011 Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at Nicoson Hall. The Greyhounds' opponent will be determined after regular season play concludes on Sunday.
