ROLLA, Mo. – The UIndy basketball team started the New Year much like it closed the old one – with a "W."  The 16th-ranked Greyhounds (9-0, 1-0 GLVC) remained undefeated with an 86-82 win at Missouri S&T Friday night in the team's first Great Lakes Valley Conference tilt of the season.  Seniors Reece Cheatham and Tyrae Robinson combined for 44 points, as neither missed a free throw all night.
 
In a match-up of two of the top seven highest-scoring teams in Division II, the Hounds held off a relentless S&T squad to earn the always-tough-to-come-by GLVC road win.
 
"It was a great first conference test for us," said UIndy head coach Stan Gouard.  "It was a track meet tonight.  These guys (Missouri S&T) average 97 points and we held them to 82.  I just thought we did a good job in a lot of different areas, especially in the second half, shutting (Missouri S&T) down.
 
"We did a great job in our zone defense," continued the sixth-year head man. "That was something we practiced all week, and a lot of the credit goes to my assistant coaches for getting our guys ready to go.

"It's not just about the head coach or the star players; I thought everybody did their part."
 
Facing a 62-58 deficit midway through the second, the Hounds managed a game-changing 14-4 surge that ultimately put them up for good.
 
Later, Robinson delivered a dagger with an and-one play that put the visitors up, 80-74, in the final minute.  The senior guard drove the left side and finished despite the contact, then sank the ensuing free throw to make it a six-point game with just 32 ticks left.
 
The Miners (5-5, 0-2) sank a pair of 3-pointers in the final 23 seconds to keep it close, but the Hounds kept the door closed by not missing any free throws down the stretch.  UIndy finished the game with a stellar 25-for-29 (.862) performance at the line, including a perfect 18-for-18 combined effort from Cheatham and Robinson.
 
After trailing 17-13 in the rebounding column at the break, UIndy finished at +10 in rebounding margin, including a 13-to-5 edge on the offensive glass.

"I'm proud of our guys, proud of their effort," said Gouard.  "It was a total team effort.  We hung in there and came out victorious."
 
Cheatham added six rebounds, four assists and two steals to his game-high 23 points.  He is now just 20 points shy of becoming the 36th Greyhound to reach 1,000 career points.
 
In addition, junior Joe Lawson amassed 15 points and five boards despite sitting the majority of the first half with foul trouble.  Senior Jared Grady compiled nine points and six rebounds off the bench, while junior Brennan McElroy added eight points and eight rebounds.
 
S&T senior Bryce Foster, who came into the night has the conference's second-leading scorer, has held to just six points in the first half, but the 6-4 forward drained four 3-pointers after the break to finish with a team-high 22 points.
 
Up next for the Hounds is top-25 match-up at No. 3 Drury Sunday.  The Panthers (10-0, 2-0) are riding a 33-game winning streak after capturing the 2013 NCAA Division II national championship.  Tip time from the O'Reilly Family Event Center is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET.
 
The last team to beat Drury?  The UIndy Greyhounds.
 
 
Note: Senior Joe Daniels saw four minutes of playing time in his first appearance on the court since missing the last seven games due to injury … UIndy completed a rare five-point play in the first half; Robinson nailed a 3-pointer just before an off-the-ball foul sent Cheatham to the line for two more.