INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy men's basketball had five individuals score in double figures Sunday, helping the Greyhounds earn an 81-73 victory over Lake Erie College to close out the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge in Nicoson Hall.

It also marked the first win of the 2016-17 campaign for the Hounds (1-1), who sent the Storm back to Painesville, Ohio, with an 0-2 record to start the season. D.J. Davis led the way offensively with 16 points, followed closely by Jimmy King (13), Tate Hall (12), Eric Davidson (11) and Roderick Davis (10).

The Hounds finished shooting nearly 56 percent from the floor, and excelled inside the perimeter where they connected on 28 of 40 field goals. UIndy scored 50 of its 81 points in the paint.

"We wanted to force the ball inside, we knew they were the smaller basketball team," Head Coach Stan Gouard told WICR. "I was really proud of our post players. It was an ugly win, but Lake Erie plays hard and we eventually accepted that challenge."

The opening 20 minutes between the two Midwest Region squads were about as closely contested as possible, although the Hounds held the Storm at bay to take a 40-36 advantage into the break. An early 5-0 UIndy spurt would be the longest run by either side, and neither team led by more than six points from the opening tip until the halftime horn.

UIndy shot a lofty 55 percent (16 of 29) in the first half, including a near-perfect 13-for-16 effort on two-pointers. Saturday's long range struggles carried over to a 3-for-13 start from deep Sunday.

It wasn't until past the midway point in the second half when the Hounds finally gained traction on the scoreboard. A 15-5 UIndy run that lasted nearly six minutes on the game clock helped the home team build its biggest lead of the night, 69-57, with 6:32 remaining. The Davis's were vital to the run, combining to score 10 points while the Hounds forced five Storm turnovers.

Lake Erie would not go quietly, reeling off a 14-6 run to get as close at 75-71 with less than two minutes left on the clock. Jordan Michael had a chance to pull the Storm within a possession after heading to the free throw line with 55 seconds remaining, but he missed both attempts, forcing Lake Erie to extend the game by fouling.

Hall sank four freebies to help seal the victory, putting the icing on the best collegiate performance in his young career. The Greenfield, Ind., product became the first true freshman to start for Gouard since the 2012-13 season, finishing with a dozen points, three boards, a steal and an assist in 23 minutes.

"(Tate) was amazing for us tonight," Gouard noted. "He did a lot of good things, playing the passing lanes and making buckets for us."

The Hounds out-rebounded their opponents 36 to 27, led by Jesse Kempson's career-best 10 boards.

Gouard could point to two negatives from Sunday's win: fouls and turnovers. UIndy committed 30 fouls – which led to 28 Lake Erie free throws – and coughed up 21 turnovers. Fortunately for the Hounds, the Storm sank just 16 freebies and managed only 14 points off of those turnovers.

"We have to just stay the course, and it starts with me and my leadership" Gouard said, when asked about accumulating the 30 personal fouls. Regarding the turnovers, the ninth-year head man said, "We've got to take care of the ball. We're so careless with the basketball, and should be valuing each possession a lot more."

Regardless, the Hounds notch their first victory of the season and now prepare for a lengthy road spell. Nine of UIndy's next 10 games will be played away from Nicoson Hall, beginning with another Midwest Region contest at GLIAC-member Lake Superior State Thursday, Nov. 17 at 8 p.m. ET.

Notes: It's been exactly one year since UIndy defeated Lake Erie, 72-69, on Lucas Barker's buzzer-beater in the 2015-16 season opener.