Box Score

OAKLAND CITY, Ind. – Senior Reece Cheatham poured in a career-high 33 points to lead the UIndy men's basketball team (5-0) to a 86-72 road win at  in-region Oakland City Wednesday night.  Cheatham, who finished the night 10-of-16 (.625) from the floor and 7-of-11 (.636) from behind the arc, reached the highest point total by a Greyhound since Darius Adams hung 36 on Northern Kentucky Feb. 17, 2011 – a span of 65 games.
 
A 3-point shooting contest broke out shortly after the tip, as the teams traded triples through the early going.  Five of the game's first seven field goals came from behind the arc, with UIndy getting a pair of treys from Kendall Vieke, who was playing just 35 miles from his hometown of Vincennes, Ind.
 
But it was all fun and games until Cheatham decided to enter the unofficial shooting competition.  The Indianapolis native drained 7-of-10 long-range attempts in the first half, including hitting four in a row at one point.
 
The net result was a first-half-ending 31-17 run from the Hounds that earned the visitors a commanding 20-point advantage at the break.
 
In the second half, the jump shot wasn't quite the weapon for UIndy as it was before intermission, but the Hounds still found ways to score the basketball;  eighteen second-half points came in the paint, while 13 came at the foul line.
 
Nevertheless, the Oaks (5-3) hung with their guests through most of the final period.  OCU kept the margin under 20 for the majority of the second half but never got closer than the final deficit of 14.
 
Coming into the game ranked ninth in Division II in scoring offense, UIndy reached the 80-point mark for the fifth time in as many games this season.  The Hounds finished with 48-percent shooting from the field, a season-high 11 three-pointers and just nine turnovers.
 
The win not only kept the Hounds undefeated on the season, but it also snapped the Mighty Oaks' 29-game home winning streak.  OCU had not dropped a game at the Johnson Center since Feb. 20, 2012 – a 96-78 loss to Alabama-Huntsville.
 
Joining Cheatham in double figures was Leland Brown (14 pts), Jared Grady (11) and Joe Lawson (10).  Brown added six assists, while Brennan McElroy pulled down 10 rebounds.
 
The Hounds return to Nicoson Hall Saturday for their final home game of the calendar year when UIndy hosts IU-Northwest in a 3 p.m. tip.