MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – In a match-up of undefeated, top-10 teams, the No. 9 UIndy men's basketball team handed eighth-ranked Barry a 78-73 home defeat at the annual Cruizin' Classic in Miami Shores, Fla., Tuesday night.  The Greyhounds (8-0) trailed by as much as 12 points in the second half but came back to knock off their first ranked opponent of the season.
 
"No. 8 versus No. 9, I mean what better atmosphere to be in," UIndy head coach Stan Gouard told 88.7 WICR after the win.  "This gym was rocking, and we had some great support here.  I'm just proud of my guys.  Despite the first half, I'm proud of the way we played in the second half and how we came together."
 
After a Buccaneer 3-pointer and dunk on back-to-back possessions early in the second half, the Hounds found themselves in a hole a dozen points deep.  UIndy went to work from there, however, slowly trimming the margin until a Jordan Loyd triple made it 71-69 Hounds with 3:39 to go.  The Greyhounds hit 7 of 8 free throw attempts from that point to hold off the host Bucs (6-1), including a perfect 6 for 6 effort from Loyd down the stretch.
 
Loyd set a career high with 21 points – 17 of which came in the second half.   He finished 8 for 13 from the field and added seven rebounds and three assists.
 
The Hounds led 9-4 at the first media timeout, but Barry responded with a 7-2 run to take its first lead of the game.  Thirty minutes of game time passed before UIndy would see the lead again.  Eleven first-half turnovers didn't help matters, as the Hounds managed just 31 points in the first 20 minutes, its lowest single-half total of the season.
 
"Well we hadn't been punched in the face yet," said Gouard.  "And I told my guys that before the game that we haven't been challenged yet like we were going to be tonight.  Barry is a talented team.  They challenged us.  They came out early, took a bunch of shots at us and we kind of fell apart in the first half."
 
The second half was a different story, however, as the visiting Hounds took better care of the basketball ball while increasing the defensive pressure; UIndy committed just four turnovers in the final half and held the No. 8 team in the nation to sub-40-percent shooting over that period.
 
"It's a great win," admitted Gouard when asked about where this victory ranks for him.  "I know we beat Findlay when they were No. 1 in the country a few years ago, but coming on the road in this atmosphere, it's unbelievable.
 
"Barry is well coached, and they have some size and were able to pretty much pick us apart in the first half, but the bottom line is we found a way to win against a really, really good basketball team."

Joining Loyd in double figures was senior Dai-Jon Parker, who compiled 19 points and seven boards.  Salim Gloyd hit four triples on the way to 15 points, Joe Lawson added 12 points and six rebounds, while Lucas Barker chipped in six assists and four steals.
 
Meanwhile, senior Juan Ferrales was the catalyst for the Bucs, as the 6-2 guard connected on 5 of 9 3-pointers, including hitting four treys in a three-minute span late in the first half.  Junior Yunio Barrueta, who battled foul trouble most of the opening half, finished with 20 points.
 
After a day away from competition Wednesday, the Greyhounds conclude their time at the Cruizin' Classic with a meeting versus Division II Daemen College Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.