OPENING TIP
After playing nine of their last 10 games on the road, the Greyhounds return to Nicoson Hall to host a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division opponents, Missouri S&T (Jan. 12) and Drury (Jan. 14).

ABOUT THE MINERS
Missouri S&T began the season with six straight wins, but enters Thursday on a four-game losing streak sporting a 7-5 overall record and 1-4 GLVC mark. Eighth-year head man Jim Glash has a veteran-laden squad, but his Miners are 0-2 in road games so far this season.

The Miners have been one of the best rebounding teams in the conference, leading the way with 13 offensive boards per game while ranking second (and 29th in Division II) with a +6.5 margin. Their 29.4 defensive rebounds per ranks third in the league and 17th in the nation. Their production on the glass has been a total team effort, as 10 individuals are averaging multiple rebounds this season.

Defensively, S&T has protected the perimeter better than almost every team in the country, ranking fourth with a 28.8% 3-point field goal defense.

Junior guard Jalen Myers leads the Miners scoring 14.6 points per game, followed by senior Randy Holmes (11.2) and sophomore Telloy Simon (10.8).

GREYHOUNDS VS. MINERS
The Greyhounds hold an 8-2 all-time series record against the Miners, winning six in a row. Most recently, UIndy defeated Missouri S&T 98-82 in Rolla, Mo., back on Jan. 16, 2016.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Drury will enter Thursday's game against Saint Joseph's 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the GLVC. The Panthers, led by the highly-successful Steve Hesser, have lost two in a row, and have played only one true road game (a 57-56 loss at Lynn).

Drury is one of several GLVC teams excelling from the field, ranking eighth nationally and fifth in the conference with a 52.5 field goal percentage. The Panthers are also in the top 20 in D-II with a 41.7% clip from 3-point range.

Junior guard Tevin Foster is one of four Panthers averaging double figures at 15.7 points per game, and is ninth in D-II with a 92.6 free throw percentage. Sophomore John Williams (13.4 points per game), freshman Isaac Johnson (12.0) and sophomore Douglas Moore (10.4) follow Foster in the scoring column.

GREYHOUNDS VS. PANTHERS
Drury is 8-3 against UIndy in 11 all-time meetings, and won last season's contest 77-65 in Springfield, Mo. Jan. 14, 2016. The Hounds won the last meeting played in Nicoson Hall, 74-57, back on Jan. 2, 2015.

LAST TIME OUT
The Hounds opened 2017 with a pair of victories, marking their first winning streak of the season. UIndy won 64-57 at Missouri-St. Louis last Thursday, then followed Saturday with a 69-59 decision at Maryville.

Against UMSL, UIndy was led by redshirt-junior Ajay Lawton and sophomore Jesse Kempson, who scored 30 of the Hounds' 37 second-half points. Kempson recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 boards two days later against the Saints, while redshirt-junior Alex Etherington dropped a team-high 17 points.

UIndy's defense was also a major factor in the victories (see more on that below).

The full recaps and box scores from the Hounds' last games can be found on pages 18 and 19 of the game notes.

D IS KEY
The Greyhounds entered last week's games near the bottom of the GLVC defensively, allowing opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent and score more than 82 points per game. UIndy showed new resolve against the Tritons and Saints, however, surrendering a combined 33.6 shooting percentage and just 56.5 points per game.

Both games featured headline-worthy defensive stretches, as well. Against UMSL, the Greyhounds gave up just one point during the final four-plus minutes, leading to their first GLVC victory of the season. The Tritons 57 points and 31.5 shooting clip were both season lows among UIndy opponents.

At Maryville, the Hounds used a superb stretch in the second half to turn a one-possession game into a double-digit advantage. Starting at about the 11-minute mark, UIndy gave up just one field goal across the next nine minutes, sparking a 16-3 rally that sealed the win and completed the St. Louis sweep.

SIXTH MAN AWARD
Lawton was simply magnificent coming off the bench last week for the Greyhounds, averaging a team-high 17.5 points. The Westfield, Ind., native shot 55 percent (11-20) overall, and chipped in six assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals, as well.

At UMSL, Lawton carried the Hounds for much of the second half, scoring 17 of his career-high 21 in the final period. He found plenty of success at the charity stripe that half, hitting 8 of 10 free throw attempts.

GOOD CLEAN LIVING
The Hounds are second in the GLVC in fewest turnovers per game, marginally second to Truman with 12.4 per game. UIndy has had fewer turnovers than its opponent in each of the last six contests, averaging a +3.5 margin over that span.

MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT
UIndy has employed six different starting lineups so far this season, with only one player (Kempson) starting all 12 games. Last week, Gouard's lineup of Jimmy King, Eric Davidson, Alex Etherington, Jesse Kempson and Milos Cabarkapa went 2-0 as starters, and expects to get the nod Thursday against Missouri S&T.

SEVERAL HOT HANDS
Last season, former Greyhound standout Jordan Loyd led or co-led the team in scoring 19 times in 29 games, and only two others (Davidson and Joe Retic) paced the team multiple times. So far this season, six individuals have led the Hounds in scoring at least once during the first 12 games, with Lawton and Etherington taking on their first leading-scorer roles of the season last week at UMSL and Maryville, respectively.

BANKERS LIFE ON THE HORIZON
UIndy is less than a week away from competing against Saint Joseph's College in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Jan. 16, 2017. The Greyhounds and Pumas will meet in the 18,165-seat arena, home to both the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever. The women's and men's games will follow the Pacers versus New Orleans Pelicans contest, which is scheduled for a 4 p.m. Eastern start, with the women's sides tipping off first. Get your tickets here!