LEBANON, Ill. – Just three days after their top offensive output of the year, the Greyhound women's basketball team used a strong defensive effort to earn a 62-51 win over McKendree on Thursday night, their fourth straight road win.
 
After surrendering 21 first quarter points, UIndy (12-6, 6-2 GLVC) kept the Bearcats' (9-8, 0-7 GLVC) offense in check the rest of the way. Nicole Anderson dropped 20 points and hauled in 11 rebounds, leading the Greyhounds in both categories and recording her third double-double of the year.
 
"We had to make some defensive adjustments early because they were doing a good job of countering our game plan early," Head coach Kristin Drabyn said. "We've had a long stretch and we were playing in a tough place tonight. When that happens you've got to be able to figure things out and we did. We bounced back after a tough start and I'm proud of the way we responded to a slow start."
 
Buckets were tough to come by in the early going as UIndy connected on just 3-of-11 shots ober the opening five minutes. The hosts did not experience the same drought offensively, going 6-for-9 to open the game and take a 14-6 lead midway through the quarter.
 
Drabyn called timeout after the Hounds fell behind by eight and it appeared to galvanize the squad. UIndy turned to the three ball to erase the deficit, knocking down four triples over the final four minutes of the first to take a 23-21 lead.
 
The second quarter was all about defense as UIndy turned in a record-setting performance. The Hounds held McKendree to just one field goal and two points over the second 10-minute stanza to take a 33-23 lead into the break. The two points are the fewest allowed in a quarter by any Greyhound team since the women's game went to the four quarter format.
 
"We rebounded really well in the second quarter and we switched over to a zone and that gave them some trouble," Drabyn added. "When you're on the road and you're not hitting shots, you have to be able to defend and we did a great job at that end of the floor in the second."
 
A 9-2 run that spanned six minutes in the third quarter stretched the UIndy lead to its largest of the night at 44-29. With the game on the verge of slipping away, McKendree found life and clawed their way back into things with an 11-3 run that brought the lead down to 47-40 with 7:13 to play.
 
Unfortunately for the hosts, that was as close as they would get as UIndy was able to close things out with ease, going 9-for-11 from the line down the stretch to keep the Bearcats at bay.
 
The Greyhounds shot 36.7 percent (18-for-49) from the floor, snapping a five-game stretch where they connected on 50 percent of their shots. Martha Burse and Sydney Brackemyre also recorded double digit point totals with 18 and 11, respectively.
 
UIndy's performance at the free throw line played a pivotal role in the outcome of this one, as the Hounds went 19-for-24 from the charity stripe on the night.
 
McKendree was led by 12 points from Jordan Heberg and 11 from Ellie Pusheck. As a team, the Bearcats shot 35.8 percent (19-for-53) on the night and 27.8 percent (5-for-18) from long range.
 
The hosts held a 39-32 advantage on the glass but UIndy won the all-important turnover battle, forcing a season-high 20 while committing just 12.
 
Next up for the Greyhounds is a trip to Springfield, Ill. on Saturday afternoon, where they will do battle with the Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. eastern time.