Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS – Four players scored in double figures as No. 24 UIndy men's basketball put up 66 points in the paint on the way to victory, 92-72, over IU Kokomo on Wednesday night at Nicoson Hall.

Leland Brown had 17 points and career-high nine rebounds, while Reece Cheatham added 17 points and career-high six assists for the Greyhounds (5-0) against the NAIA Division II Cougars (3-6). Brennan McElroy scored a career-high 15 points by going 6-of-6 from the field (1-1 from three) and 2-of-2 at the free throw line, while Cole Adair added a career-high 14 points off the bench.

UIndy ended the game shooting 58.7 percent (37-63), which included 35-of-48 (.723) from two-point range and 33 of those field goals were in the painted area. The Greyhounds also had 11 steals, career-high four from Daniel Daudu, and forced 22 turnovers on the way to 27 points off turnovers and 20 on the fast break.

The Cougars showed early that they weren't going to be overwhelmed by the task against the nationally-ranked Greyhounds by taking an early four-point lead, 6-2, and never letting UIndy pull further away than six for the first 11 minutes. UIndy finally established a bit of a cushion, 31-20, after Daudu secured a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for the lay-up with 5:40 to play.

IU Kokomo responded with an 11-2 run to close within a bucket, 33-31, on Joby Renbarger's score in the paint just two minutes later. The Greyhounds were able to push the lead back to eight at halftime, 43-35, after Avery Harmon's steal and fast break lay-up led to a three-point play with seven seconds left.

Adair opened the second half with the first three-pointer of his career to extend the lead to 11, but the Cougars hit four consecutive shots, including a trio of three-pointers, to get back within two, 48-46, with 17:48 to play.

Brown scored in the paint on the Greyhounds' next possession to start a 16-3 run over the next 4:16 that pushed the lead to 15, 64-49, after Brown went coast-to-coast and was fouled for a three-point play with 13:13 left in the game. The Cougars never threatened again as the lead grew to as much as 26, 90-64, after Cheatham drove for a lay-up with 2:12 remaining.

Parker Salinas came off the bench to lead IUK with 15 points, Renbarger had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Spencer Krhin scored 12.

UIndy has a quick turnaround to host Cincinnati Christian on Friday with a special tip time of 5 p.m. at Nicoson Hall.