ST. LOUIS – The No. 8 UIndy men's basketball team (19-2, 11-2 GLVC) wrapped up its final out-of-state road trip of the regular season with a 79-58 trimumph at Missouri-St. Louis Saturday evening.  Senior Reece Cheatham led all scorers with 20 points, including 15 in the second half, to propel the Greyhounds to seventh consecutive win.

"I thought tonight, especially in the second half, Reece really came out and helped us get over the hump," said head coach Stan Gouard.  "I thought we got off the a slow start in the second half and his leadership on the basketball court, whether he's scoring or not, really goes a long way with this basketball team because everybody understands how mature he is as a person and as a player and when he speaks, everybody listens.

"He does a good job of playing within his means and not trying to do too much and taking what the defense gives him."

In a rematch of last year's GLVC Tournament opener, the Greyhounds led by double digits for the final 23 minutes of the game.  They finished 27-for-47 (.574) from the field and have now defeated UMSL four straight times.

After a slow start from both teams, UIndy got things going after the first media timeout, scoring 33 points in the half's final 13 minutes.  A 12-4 run by the Hounds turned a four-point deficit into a four-point advantage midway through the half, as the visitors led the balance of the period.

Late in the half, Cheatham and Tyrae Robinson each delivered a 3-pointer to push the lead into double digits before the score settled at 40-26 at the break.

UIndy went to their big man early, as junior forward Joe Lawson finished the half with 12 points.  Meanwhile, Lawson's counterpart (and UMSL's leading scorer), Tylor Wimbish, hit three of his first four shots before picking up foul No. 2 and sitting the final 13 minutes of the half.

The Hounds missed just seven field attempts in the first half, shooting 65 percent from the floor before intermission.

Early in the second, an and-one from Leland Brown put the Hounds up 18.  The Tritons (14-7, 8-5) later cut it to 11 at the nine-minute mark but would get no closer.   They finished just 38 percent from the field while committing 14 turnovers.

Cheatham supplemented his point total with four rebounds and five asissts.  Robinson added a game-high seven dimes, Brennan McElroy grabbed eight boards and Lawson scored 16 points.

The Greyhounds return home to host four straight contests at Nicoson Hall, starting with a match-up with GLVC-newcomer Truman State Thursday, Feb. 13.  With the postseason quickly approaching, Coach Gouard realizes the importance of focuses solely on the opponent in front of you.

"We see the light at the end of the tunnel right now, but we have to finish strong," stressed Gouard.  "We can't get ahead of ourselves as a team.  We're only going to talk about Truman next week as a team and as a staff.  We don't get ahead of ourselves and our guys understand that it's one at a time.  

"Although we're 19-2 right now, our season can go to waste if we don't take care of business.  It's going to be great to get back home, and I know the Hound Pound Nation is going be there supporting us when we get back home this week."

Tip time Thursday is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET.