Box Score • Box Score (HTML)
RENSSELAER, Ind. -- Adrian Moss scored 26 points, 18 in the second half, and
Miles Mitchell added 19 points, 13 in the second half, to lead NCAA Division II No. 23 UIndy to victory at St. Joseph's, 84-71, on Thursday night.
With the victory, the Greyhounds (19-7, 12-6 GLVC) end a five-game losing streak at the Pumas (8-18, 3-15 GLVC) and earn a first round bye for the 2012 SCHEELS Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship as one of the top four seeds.
UIndy finished with all five starters in double figures as
Wilbur O'Neal tallied 15 points and seven rebounds,
Leland Brown had 12 points and
Reece Cheatham finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
UIndy shot 65 percent in the second half to finish at 51 percent from the game and were also able to get to the free throw line for 37 attempts (25-37).
The Greyhounds limited the Pumas to 36 percent shooting in the second half as they blew the game open in the final nine minutes of regulation.
Still trailing by three, 55-52, with 9:26 to go in the game, UIndy finally was able to earn some breating room. The Greyhounds put together a 24-6 run over five-plus minutes to take a 15-point lead, 76-61, with 3:36 to play. Moss heated up during the run with 11 of UIndy's points, while Mitchell hit a pair of big three-pointers.
The Pumas were led by senior Phillip Collins, one of nine honored before the game, with 14 points and six rebounds, while Dayvon Sloan added 13 points.
The Greyhounds started well by opening a seven-point lead, 11-4, just 3:09 into the game after O'Neal hit a mid-range jumper and still led by seven, 18-11, with 12:29 to go after
Cody Vest converted an offensive rebound. From that point, the Pumas took control with a 21-4 run over 6:10 to lead by double figures, 32-22, with 6:02 remaining in the half.
UIndy was able to slowly pull closer and trail by just a bucket, 40-38, after Moss hit a three-pointer at the buzzer. His back-to-back three-pointers in the last minute ended a stretch of 10 consecutive missed three-balls. UIndy also hung around by converting 10-of-11 free throws in the first half, while the Pumas forced UIndy into 10 turnovers that led to 17 points, many on the fast break.
The Greyhounds will be back in action on Friday, March 2 in Springfield, Ill., at the Prairie Capital Convention Center as the fourth seed against the winner of the five-twelve showdown on Sunday.
