UIndy Greyhounds (14-3, 8-1 GLVC) at Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (13-6, 5-4)
Thursday, Jan. 28, 8:30 pm ET, The PAC, Evansville, Ind.
live stats | audio | video | game notes

UIndy Greyhounds at No. 11 Bellarmine Knights (15-3, 8-1)*
Saturday, Jan. 30, 8:45 pm ET, Knights Hall, Louisville, Ky.
live stats | audio | video | game notes
* record as of Jan. 27

OPENING TIP
UIndy makes perhaps its toughest two-game GLVC road trip this week, traveling to face a pair of rivals in Southern Indiana and Bellarmine.
 
ABOUT THE SCREAMING EAGLES
Southern Indiana enters Thursday's contest 13-6 overall and 5-4 in the GLVC, but is currently riding a three-game skid. The Screaming Eagles most recently lost 70-67 at Wisconsin-Parkside on a last-second shot. USI head man Rodney Watson - the 2010 GLVC Coach of the Year - is in his seventh season with the program.
 
The Eagles are the second-highest scoring offense in the GLVC at 85.8 points per game, helped in part by the fifth-best team field goal percentage (.486). Perhaps the USI's strongest trait has been its ability to clean the glass; the Eagles' +8.5 rebounding margin is by far the best in the conference and eighth in Division II.
 
Four Eagles are scoring in double figures, led by Jeril Taylor's 17.2 points per game. Taylor also leads the team with 7.4 boards per game. George Edwards leads USI and is third in the GLVC shooting over 59 percent from the field. Bobo Drummond paces the team in both assists (3.8) and 3-pointers (2.6) per game.
 
GREYHOUNDS VS. SCREAMING EAGLES
In 74 all-time meetings dating back to the 1972-73 season, USI holds a sizeable 54-20 series record against UIndy. The two sides split last season's regular season meetings, with the Greyhounds winning at home 84-67 (1/17/15) before falling 69-67 on the road (2/19/15).
 
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
The 11th-ranked Knights are 15-3 overall and 8-1 in-conference heading into their Thursday night game against Saint Joseph's. Bellarmine has won 12 of its last 13, only falling in overtime on the road at then-No. 24 Wisconsin-Parkside. Scott Davenport is currently in his 11th season at the helm of the BU men's basketball program. 
 
Bellarmine employs a stingy defense, allowing only 67.6 points per game to opponents - good for tops in the GLVC and 21st in the nation. The Knights also lead the league in overall shooting (.508) and 3-point percentage (.411), good for fourth and ninth, respectively, in the nation.
 
The Knights are led offensively by GLVC Player of the Year candidate junior Rusty Troutman, who ranks in the top five in the conference in points (19.3), field goal percentage (.583) and 3-point field goal percentage (.526). Senior big man Yasin Kolo is averaging 12.5 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds, and fellow senior George Suggs leads the conference with 1.72 blocks per game.
 
GREYHOUNDS VS. KNIGHTS
The UIndy-Bellarmine men's basketball rivalry has intensified over the last several seasons, as both sides have become perennial conference and regional contenders. Dating back to the first meeting in 1955-56, the two programs have squared off a total of 97 times with the Knights leading the series record 53-44. But over the last three seasons the Hounds and Knights have met 11 times, four coming in postseason play. Bellarmine won three of the four contests last year, including a pair of victories that knocked UIndy out of the GLVC Tournament and NCAA "Sweet 16" just ten days apart.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Greyhounds won a pair of GLVC East contests last week, cruising to a 103-77 victory over Illinois Springfield Thursday before needing every second on the clock to vanquish McKendree the following Saturday, 78-75.
 
Against the Prairie Stars, senior Jordan Loyd poured in 29 points behind five 3-pointers, and UIndy as a team shot 39 of 71 (.549) in a complete rout. Defensively, the Greyhounds had 13 steals, and ended up with 30 points off of 19 UIS turnovers.
 
The sailing was not quite as smooth Saturday, as the Greyhounds found themselves in a battle against the upset-minded Bearcats, who have never bested UIndy. Trailing by 15 at the half, the Hounds outscored their visitors 50-28 in the second period to rally all the way back. The comeback culminated in Loyd's last-second, game-winning 3-pointer.
 
FAITHFUL FREE THROWS
The Greyhounds lead the GLVC and rank second in Division II in free throw shooting, currently hitting 80.8 percent from the stripe. That clip would break the program's single-season record (78.2, 1979-80). UIndy's top three foul shooters, based on the NCAA minimum*, are listed below:

Player	FT Pct.	FT-FTA	NCAA Rank	GLVC Rank
Jordan Loyd	88.3%	83-94	31st	3rd
Joe Retic	88.0%	44-50	33rd	4th
Lucas Barker	86.7%	52-60	48th	6th

* min. 2.5 per game, players must play in 75% of team's games.
 
THRIVING UNDER PRESSURE
Not only do the Greyhounds lead the GLVC and rank second nationally in free throw percentage (.808), but they have been able to see that efficiency increase during crunch time. Over the last five minutes of regulation, UIndy is a combined 83 for 95 (.873) at the foul line. Loyd leads all players with 31 makes on 33 attempts. A complete breakdown can be found on page 14 of the game notes.
 
JORDAN'S WEEK
Senior Jordan Loyd brought home GLVC Player of the Week honors after averaging 23.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game while helping the Greyhounds to wins against Saint Joseph's (Jan. 18), Illinois Springfield (Jan. 21) and McKendree (Jan. 23). Not only did he put up big numbers, but the 6-3 guard also provided clutch free throws, highlight-reel dunks and a last-second, game-winning 3-pointer in the 78-75 victory over the Bearcats.
 
LOYD HAVE MERCY
Speaking of Jordan Loyd, he leads the Greyhounds in both points (20.4) and rebounds (7.0) per game. The last individual to lead the Hounds in both categories for a season was Darius Adams during the 2010-11 campaign.
 
DOWN, NOT OUT
The Greyhounds overcame multiple double-digit deficits last week. First, UIndy rallied to defeat Saint Joseph's, 84-81, Monday night (Jan. 18) after trailing by as many as 14 points - the largest comeback of the season up to that point. That wouldn't stand as the biggest comeback for long. The Hounds stormed back from a 15-point hole in Saturday's (Jan. 23) 78-75 win against McKendree.
 
MR. 300
UIndy senior Lucas Barker is tied for ninth in program history with 302 career assists in a Greyhound uniform, becoming the 11th student-athlete to reach the 300-assist mark. He's reached that plateau so quickly due to his 6.3 assists per game as a Greyhound, the best average in school history. For his career, including his time at Kentucky Wesleyan, the Australian native has 545 assists - third-most among all active D-II players.
 
THE ONLY EASY DAY WAS YESTERDAY
Midway through Great Lakes Valley Conference action, the Greyhounds sit in a three-way tie atop the ultra-competitive GLVC East Division with Bellarmine and Wisconsin-Parkside. The two squads behind the trio in the standings, Lewis and Southern Indiana (both 5-4 in the GLVC), are no pushovers, either. UIndy has road games against each of those four schools, who have a combined 56-17 (.767) record currently, including a stout 34-6 (.850) at home.
 
NEWEST GREYHOUND
The UIndy men's basketball team added a new student-athlete to its roster back on Jan. 4, signing John Rogers to be a Greyhound. Rogers is an 11-year-old from Indianapolis, and comes to the UIndy through Team IMPACT, joining three other Team IMPACT student-athletes included on Greyhound rosters.
 
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
The University of Indianapolis men's basketball program officially turns 100 years old this season, celebrating the Greyhounds' inaugural 1915-16 season. In honor of hitting the monumental mark, each game preview will feature a men's basketball historical fun fact.

UIndy has faced Bellarmine 97 times, more than any current or former member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. UIndy and Southern Indiana have met on 74 occasions, third-most among league schools, behind only BU and Saint Joseph's (96).