LEBANON, Ill. – UIndy men's basketball kept the ball rolling Thursday night at McKendree, picking up their sixth win in a row in an 88-70 victory against the Bearcats in a Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division matchup.

The Greyhounds improved to 9-7 overall and 6-2 in conference action, and dropped McKendree to 6-9 and 0-7 in the GLVC.

UIndy again got balanced scoring, as five individuals posted double figures for the seventh time this season. Sophomore Jimmy King posted a career-high 18 points, adding six assists and six boards, and redshirt-junior Alex Etherington dropped 18 with a team-high seven rebounds.

Following the tip, Etherington continued his recent trend of providing early offense, scoring 12 of the Hounds' first 19 points, helping UIndy take an early 19-5 lead.

Etherington and Co. began the game on a 9-for-10 shooting tear, compared to McKendree's 3-for-16 start from the floor. When freshman Tate Hall sank a 3-pointer at the 10-minute mark, the Hounds' lead swelled to 15 at 29-14.

McKendree rebounded, thanks in large part to junior Justin Blanks' four 3-pointers, which helped bring the home team back within seven at 32-25.

But the Greyhounds continued to let the threes fly, hitting five in a row during one stretch to push the lead back up to more than a dozen. UIndy would carry a 53-33 lead into the break, finishing with an 11 of 16 effort from deep.

King hit a career-high four 3-pointers in as many tries in the opening period, including one at the buzzer to make it a 20-point UIndy lead. It marked the sixth time in the last eight halves the Hounds scored at least 50 points, and was the third game in a row in which UIndy led by 20 or more in the opening period.

The stingy Bearcats, who nearly knocked off the Hounds in Nicoson Hall a season ago, put up a strong second-half fight. They used a 13-4 run early in the second period to cut the 20 point deficit in half, hitting all three 3-pointers during the stretch.

"I thought in that second half that we've got to do a better job keeping our foot on the pedal," Head Coach Stan Gouard told WICR afterward. "I thought the ball was sticking too much in the second half, but we were able to get it done in the end."

The host Bearcats continued to press, but the Hounds never allowed their lead to sink to single-digits in the second period. A late 11-4 run from just under seven minutes until about the 1:15 mark – in which UIndy gave up only one field goal – allowed the Hounds to seal their sixth straight conference victory.

King finished 5 of 7 overall and a perfect 4 of 4 from deep, also tying his career-best with six dimes.

"Jimmy is a quiet assassin, you know," said Gouard. "That's a great stat line for a point guard. We're lucky to have a player like Jimmy."

Etherington's 18 came on 7 for 14 overall and a trio of triples, and he chipped in two assists, two steals and block with his seven rebounds.

Hall and junior Eric Davidson scored 15 apiece, and redshirt-junior Ajay Lawton netted 11.
 
UIndy has one day off before putting its winning streak on the line against Illinois Springfield Saturday. The two sides are set for a 4 p.m. ET tip.