UIndy Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS – The regular season tipped off for the University of Indianapolis women's basketball team on Friday night and the new-look Greyhounds wasted no time showing the UIndy faithful that the new era of Greyhounds basketball promises to be an entertaining one.
 
The Greyhounds got out to an early lead against Findlay and never relinquished it. When the final horn sounded, the Hounds were 70-59 winners, taking the first of two games this weekend in the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge.
 
Junior Sarah Costello had a game-high 25 points, setting a new personal best as well. Fellow junior Sydney Brackemyre turned heads in her Greyhound debut, pouring in 20 points and hauling in 16 rebounds, helping the Hounds win their first season opener since the 2012-13 campaign.
 
The night was also a special one for new UIndy head coach Kristin Drabyn, who earned her first career win as a head coach.
 
"I'm so excited right now," Drabyn told WICR after the game. "I'm excited for UIndy and I'm excited for our kids. They worked incredibly hard to get ready for this game and they delivered tonight. We're going to take a lot away from this game and we're going to learn. But we're going to enjoy this win tonight."
 
The Greyhounds wasted no time putting their high-energy brand of offense on display. The Hounds focused on pushing the ball up the floor and it paid off late in the first quarter when three straight buckets from Brackemyre and a triple from Costello made it 17-8 Hounds.
 
With the lead still down to six in the second quarter, UIndy snapped off a game-deciding 13-0 run that made it 35-16 with 4:47 left before the half. Costello and Brackemyre were instrumental in the run, knocking down a pair of buckets each during the run.
 
UIndy wouldn't score for the rest of the half as Findlay cut the lead down to 35-24 when the halftime buzzer sounded. The break proved to be just what the Hounds needed as UIndy stretched their lead back to 19 with two minutes left in the third quarter.
 
But the Oilers wouldn't go down without a fight, cutting the Greyhound lead to eight three different times in the fourth quarter. Each time, the Hounds answered on the very next possession to stretch the lead back to double-digits. Jordan Cole squashed one run with a three while Costello knocked down the other two, the final going down as the last bucket of the game.
 
The Greyhounds connected on 45 percent (27-for-60) of their field goal attempts on the night with Brackemyre's 10 field goals made leading all players. On the flip side, the Greyhound defense held Findlay to just 34.5 percent (19-for-55) from the floor on the night.
 
UIndy went 9-for-22 from long range with Costello doing the bulk of the damage from deep. The Downers Grove, Ill.-native also set a new career-high with six three pointers made, besting her previous single-game high of five.
 
Junior Martha Burse had 10 points and handed out a team-leading nine assists for the Hounds. UIndy's passing was responsible for setting up 17 of the team's 27 field goals on the night.
 
UIndy looks to close out their opening weekend with another win on Sunday afternoon when they close out the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge against Walsh University. Tip-off from Nicoson Hall is set for 4:30 p.m.