Photo Gallery | Gouard Interview

INDIANAPOLIS – After battling to a tie score at the midpoint, the seventh-ranked UIndy men's basketball team (10-0, 2-0 GLVC) shot 67 percent from the field in the second half to pull away from No. 19 Drury, 74-57, Friday night in Nicoson Hall.  Senior Joe Lawson led all scorers with 23 points.
 
Despite starters Brennan McElroy and Jordan Loyd each relegated to the bench with two first-half fouls, the Hounds battled the Panthers to a 32-32 stalemate in the opening 20 minutes.  The two GLVC heavyweights exchanged blows to the tune of 13 lead changes and nine ties in the first half alone.
 
Lawson racked up 18 points before intermission, sinking all of his combed 13 field goal and free throw attempts.
 
UIndy landed the game's first real haymaker out of the break, scoring the opening nine points of the half to take the biggest lead of the game to that point.  Loyd and Dai-Jon Parker both nailed a 3-pointer in the flurry.
 
The shots continued to fall for the home team.  After shooting just 39 percent in the first half, the Hounds connect on 67 percent of their second-half field goals tries.  The success was fueled in part by a defensive effort that generated 20 turnovers in the night, including 11 in the second half.  Seven Greyhounds had at least one steal, with a game-high three coming from senior Kendall Vieke.
 
The exclamation point came with eight minutes to go when McElroy flushed an alley-oop pass from Lucas Barker to put the Hounds up 15.  The margin hit a high of 19 on Vieke's rainbow triple in the waning minutes before settling at its final resting place of 18.

Both Barker and Salim Gloyd joined Lawson in double figures, adding 13 points apiece.  Barker also chipped in seven rebounds and eight assists while going 6 for 6 from the line, and Gloyd knocked down 3 of 5 3-point attempts.
 
The Greyhounds remain in town to host Missouri S&T Sunday afternoon.  Tip time is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. ET.


Notes:  Drury is the defending NCAA D-II Midwest Region champion ... The Panthers scored just 24 points and shot just 33 percent (8-for-24) in the second half.