LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The UIndy men's basketball team (17-8, 11-6 GLVC) led by as many as 16 in the first half, but the No. 6 Bellarmine Knights (25-2, 16-2 GLVC) out-scored the Greyhounds, 44-24, in the second half to finish their third straight season undefeated on their home floor.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Knights scored the first six points of the half, but Tate Hall rattled off 10 in a row for the Greyhounds to spark a 22-8 run over the first eight minutes. Alex Etherington came off the bench to tally nine points, while Ajay Lawton's third field goal of the half stretched the Hounds' lead to 16 with just four minutes left. It took nearly three minutes until UIndy's next bucket, causing Bellarmine to score 13 of the final 15 points of the half and the Greyhounds to lead, 43-38.
 
Bellarmine showed why it's the sixth-ranked team in the country during the second half. The Hounds and Knights exchanged baskets the first 10 minutes, with the UIndy lead growing to eight. Down 57-54, the Knights went on an 18-6 run to the under-four media timeout.

The UIndy attack went silent, shooting just 34.6 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes. Fouls played a major factor, as the Hounds were whistled for 14 fouls compared to the Knights' seven. Lakes drilled his third triple of the night with under a minute remaining, but free throws sealed Bellarmine's 57th-straight victory inside Knights Hall for a final of 82-67.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Free throws played a key role in the game, as the Knights went 17 for 18 from the line compared to the Hounds' three-for-five mark. It was the exact opposite of the first battle between the teams when the Greyhounds attempted 19 more free throws en route to their victory back on January 25.
 
Tate Hall scored the first 10 points of the night for UIndy, but recorded just one tally in the second half to finish with 11. The sophomore pulled down two rebounds.
 
Ajay Lawton led the Hounds in scoring with 18 points, while dishing out five assists. The senior will play his final home game at Nicoson Hall this Saturday.
 
Alex Etherington and Trevor Lakes combined for 18 points off the bench, scoring five three-pointers between the two. Overall, the Greyhound bench out-scored the Knights' reserves, 18-6.

HOUND BYTES
Head coach Stan Gouard: "I told our guys in the last media timeout [of the first half] that we have to make sure we don't start watching the score and relax, but we did that. They came out in the second half and made a tremendous run. I thought we did a really good job in the first half of taking away some of their secondary actions. We didn't stop them in the second half and that was the ballgame."
 
"We understand where we are [in the regional rankings] and we know we have to come out and do some things differently [on Saturday]. We were in the same situation last year; we had a chance to make the postseason, and we shot ourselves in the foot. Saturday's game is very important."
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds welcome in Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday afternoon at 3:15 p.m. The team will honor its seven seniors prior to the game.