LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In a match-up of top-10 teams, third-ranked Bellarmine upped its win streak to 12, downing the No. 6 UIndy men's basketball team, 73-65, in Knights Hall Saturday night.  The Greyhounds (21-4, 13-4 GLVC) shot a season-low 36 percent from the field to settle for a season-series split with the Knights (24-2, 16-1).
 
After topping the Knights, 66-62, in Indianapolis last month, the Hounds led by as many as 14 in the first half, marking the largest deficit faced by Bellarmine all season.  But the Knights got quickly back in it, however, briefly holding the lead late in the half.
 
"When we got our lead in the first half," recalled UIndy head coach Stan Gouard, "we moved the ball.  It wasn't sticking in one guy's hands.  We reversed it well and were able to drive the basketball.

"But after we got the lead, we quit doing those things."
 
The first half included a 14-2 run from the Hounds, one that featured a pair of threes from junior reserve Salim Gloyd.  However, the opening period also included a 13-2 rally from the Knights.  Bellarmine, who started the night 3 for 14 (.214) from the field, clawed all the way back to take its first lead of the game at 31-30 until a late surge from the Hounds made it 39-35 UIndy at the break.
 
The Greyhounds went on to shoot an uncharacteristic 30 percent in the second half while scoring just 26 points.  Bellarmine, meanwhile, made half its shot attempts while out-rebounding UIndy, 23-11, in the final 20 minutes.
 
"We got pounded on the boards tonight, 43-27, and that's disappointing," said Gouard.  "I know they're big, but we've got to take care of fundamentals like boxing out.  We didn't box out tonight.  We didn't hit anybody, we just let those guys run in and jump, and with their size, if we make it a jumping contest, we're not going to win that battle."
 
UIndy's minus-16 rebounding margin marked the team's largest disparity on the boards in four years.
 
Early in the second, the Greyhounds got back-to-back threes from Martyce Kimbrough and Kendall Vieke to take a 47-42 lead, but a three-and-a-half minute field goal drought followed, contributing to a deadly 14-1 surge by the Knights.
 
Later, the Hounds trailed by 11 with 3:29 to go.  They rallied to cut it to four in the final minute but got no closer.
 
Said Gouard: "We have to get tougher as a team, mentally first of all, because we haven't been too good on the road here lately.  That's the biggest problem right there.  But physically, we've got to accept these challenges and embrace them and play a lot better.  We're not doing that right now and that's a problem, and we've got to fix that as coaches.
 
"We've got a long week ahead in preparation for St. Joe's.  We've got a lot of time to think about those things.  Not only tonight, but from Thursday night at Southern Indiana as well because these were two winnable basketball games this week that we let get away, especially Thursday night.  I tip my hat the Bellarmine, I tip my hat to Southern Indiana, but these were both winnable games.  We just didn't finish the job."
 
Statistically for UIndy, junior Jordan Loyd notched his first career double-double with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds.  Senior Dai-Jon Parker finished with 10 points as the only other Greyhound in double figures.
 
Junior Lucas Barker had seven assists on the night bringing his season total to an even 200.  His next dime will break the school's 49-year-old record for most assists in a season.
 
The Greyhounds wrap up the regular season Thursday, Feb. 26 by hosting in-state Saint Joseph's at 7:45 pm.  A win will ensure the Hounds a first-round bye in the upcoming GLVC Tournament.