INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 1-ranked UIndy men's basketball team pulled away in the second half to earn a 74-57 win against visiting Illinois Springfield Saturday afternoon.  Up just three at the break, the Greyhounds (17-0, 9-0 GLVC) held the Prairie Stars to 24 points in the final period to remain undefeated through 17 games.
 
Senior Brennan McElroy was a key part of UIndy's defensive clampdown.  The Decatur, Ill., product not only delivered 15 points and eight rebounds, but also racked up a record-breaking eight steals, including five in the second half.  The total set a new program high for steals in a game, surpassing the previous mark of seven, attained most recently by Rob Kent in 2002.
 
Junior Jordan Loyd matched McElroy's team-high point total of 15, while senior Joe Lawson added 14 points and eight boards and junior Lucas Barker chipped in 11 points and six assists.
 
The Hounds led by as many as 10 in the first half, but the Prairie Stars (8-9, 2-7) kept it close with help from a 15-of-16 performance at the foul line.  UIS shaved seven points off the UIndy lead in the half's final six-plus minutes, battling to a 36-33 deficit at the break.
 
"A lot of credit goes to Illinois Springfield," said UIndy head coach Stan Gouard.  "They came in ready to go.  I think the first half, they smelled blood, and we didn't respond very well until the second half, but I tip my hat to how hard they fought tonight.  It was a lot closer game than the scoreboard said."
 
UIndy came out with renewed energy in the second half, out-shooting the Stars 52 percent to 32 percent in the final stanza.
 
"I have to give my guys credit for responding to my halftime speech," Gouard said.  "In the second half, we did a better job focusing on things we worked on all week, and we came out victorious."
 
A UIS 3-pointer cut it to nine with 11:20 to play, but that marked to last single-digit margin of the day.  With their defense helping to create some easy buckets, the Hounds slowly pulled away.  The final dagger came when Loyd knocked down his third three of the afternoon, pushing the lead to a game-high 18 with only four minutes left.
 
The Hounds' 17-0 record is just one win shy of tying the best start in program history, set by the 1996-97 UIndy squad.  They'll look to match it in a tough road game at No. 19 Wisconsin-Parkside Thursday, Jan. 29.  UIndy shared the GLVC East Division title with Parkside last season despite a decisive 82-60 win versus the Rangers in Nicoson Hall last February.