Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Playing with a heavy heart, UIndy sophomore
Reece Cheatham scored a career-high 27 points in a Great Lakes Valley Conference men's basketball victory, 94-67, over Illinois Springfield at The Recreation and Athletics Center Thursday night.
On Wednesday, Cheatham received the news that his best friend, former Northwest High School and Tennessee Tech player Darnell Lindsay, had passed away from injuries sustained in a shooting two weeks earlier.
"I wasn't very focused at practice yesterday and couldn't make anything," Cheatham said. "I think I only hit three shots, but I knew today would be the opposite. I felt good from the start. With my best friend passing away, I just wanted to come out and do something special tonight."
Cheatham made 10-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, and all four free throws, in addition to five rebounds, two assists, one steal and no turnovers in the Greyhounds' (9-2, 2-1 GLVC) fourth win in a row.
Miles Mitchell hit 7-of-8 shots to add 18 points and career-high five rebounds against the Prairie Stars (4-8, 1-2 GLVC), while
Jarrett Hamilton added 17 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals and
Adrian Moss had 12 points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Cody Vest came off the bench to set career-highs with six rebounds and two blocks along with six points.
The Greyhounds made 54.7 percent (35-64) of their field goals, including 9-of-20 three-pointers, and 15-of-17 free throws. UIndy limited UIS to 42.9 percent (24-56) and the Stars made just 13-of-22 free throws (.591). UIndy won the battle on the boards, 38-30, and had less turnovers, 15-11.
UIS was led by Jermaine Love-Roberts with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Stars pulled within three points twice early in the second half, but the Greyhounds steadily began to pull away. Vest nailed a three-pointer well-behind the line on the left wing to put UIndy up eight during a 13-4 run that stretched the lead to 12, 59-47, after Moss connected on an NBA-three from the left wing with 12:59 to play. The lead would never drop below double digits the rest of the way as UIndy steadily pulled away to go up by 23, 83-60, with 4:40 left on Mitchell's third three-pointer of the game after a deflection by the UIS defense bounced right to him behind the line on the left wing.
UIndy pulled away in the second half by shooting 65.6 percent overall (21-32) and 70 percent from behind the arc (7-10), while committing just four turnovers.
The teams traded baskets in the game's first 6:30 with UIndy holding a slim lead, 10-8, when it started a run. Mitchell converted a three-point play and Hamilton scored inside to ignite a 12-2 run to put the Greyhounds up 12, 22-10, with 11:21 to play in the first after a three-point play by Hamilton.
The Prairie Stars responded with seven in a row to cut their deficit to five, 22-17, but UIndy was able to go back up nine, 30-21, after a lay-up by Moss with 4:45 to play. UIS continued to hang around and eventually made it a three-point game before Cheatham tipped in a shot with two seconds to go in the half, 42-37.
The Greyhounds will end a streak of five in a row away from Nicoson Hall with a trip to Quincy (8-3, 1-2 GLVC) on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. ET. The Hawks dominated St. Joseph's, 88-56, on Thursday night at Pepsi Arena.
