INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men's basketball team had its five-game winning streak snapped on Saturday afternoon in Nicoson Hall, as the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles defeated the Hounds, 73-67.
 
The Greyhounds drop to 5-2 and 1-1 in GLVC play after opening conference action on Thursday with a win at Wisconsin-Parkside.
 
Tate Hall led UIndy with 18 points, while Jesse Kempson recorded his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The junior also had four blocks to give him 11 on the season. Trevor Lakes chipped in 11 points on three-for-six shooting from behind the arc.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hounds went on a 10-2 run early in the opening half, five coming off the hands of Kempson. The teams battled back and forth for most of the half, but UIndy held the edge the majority of the time. A three-pointer by Lakes with 7:21 left in the first half gave the Hounds a 24-18 lead and a layup by Devin Dixon increased the advantage to 10 with three minutes remaining. The Screaming Eagles failed to back down, however, as the visitors ended the half on an 11-2 run, with the only points in the final 3:09 came from Hall to hold the UIndy lead at 32-31.
 
A jumper by Kempson and the lone long-ball from Eric Davidson on the afternoon gave UIndy a four-point lead nearly six minutes into the second half. Another long run by the visitors in a four-minute stretch gave the Eagles a seven-point lead, which they would not surrender the rest of the game.
 
The deficit for the Hounds grew by as much as 14 with six minutes remaining, but another Lakes' three-pointer put UIndy within six with just 60 seconds left on the clock. Hall drilled a pair of free throws to get the team within four, but it would be the closest the Greyhounds would get before they fell, 73-67.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The four blocks by Kempson is the most in a game for the junior since Jan. 5, 2017 against Missouri-St. Louis when he had five. The four stops this afternoon is just the second time the Indy native has recorded that many in a game.
 
Hall has now reached double-digit scoring in his past six games since failing to tally a point in the box score in the season opener. The sophomore's 18 points is the second-most this season, as he recorded 20 against Kentucky State back on Nov. 15.
 
After sitting out on Thursday night at Wisconsin-Parkside, Dixon scored eight points and pulled down six rebounds, the most in a game this season for the senior since he had 13 boards against Northwood. His eight points is the most in a game since Saginaw Valley, the second contest of the season.
 
Since shooting 19-for-22 from long range against Tiffin last Wednesday, the Hounds are just 13-for-45 (28.8 percent) from behind the arc. The Hounds shot 32.0 percent this afternoon (eight-for-25).
 
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Stan Gouard: "Our defense needed to step up. We held these guys to only 73 points, but down the stretch we didn't get stops."
 
"We didn't shoot any free throws. Their big guys were physical inside and we just couldn't execute."
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds head to Romeoville, Ill. for a contest with the Lewis Flyers next Thursday. The Flyers dropped their second game to open GLVC play after falling to Southern Indiana on Thursday and Bellarmine today. Tip is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.