LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jordache Mavunga drilled a 3-pointer before sealing the game with a block on the defensive end, as the UIndy men's basketball team (1-0) opened its season with a thrilling 77-73 victory over in-region Saginaw Valley State (0-1) on Friday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Redshirt-senior
Jimmy King led the Greyhounds with 19 points, but it was a 17-tally effort in the second half that led to the team's win. After Saginaw Valley regained the lead with 10:17 left in the contest, King scored UIndy's next six points to put the Greyhounds within one.
A 3-pointer from
Cory Miller Jr. to give UIndy a four-point advantage with five minutes left, from that point forward the Greyhounds would not trail again. The Cardinals responded each of the next two UIndy buckets, setting up the Mavunga game-winner.
King drove through the lane, unable to put up a shot. Mavunga handled the pressure with aplomb, drilling his fourth and final 3-pointer of the game to seal the Greyhound victory. It was King's game-high eighth assist against the Cardinals.
Jacob Polakovich looked to be the star of the show in the first half, heading to the locker room with 13 points and four rebounds. The sophomore ultimately totaled three more boards after the break.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Mavunga's 17-point effort is the 10th time the senior has reached double figures in his UIndy career
-The UIndy defense held the Saginaw Valley offense to 40.7 percent shooting from the field, which would have been good for the team's eighth best effort a season ago
-Both teams knocked down 12 balls from beyond the arc, with Mavunga and Miller Jr. combining for seven for UIndy
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Trevor Lakes nearly ended his first contest as a junior with a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds
MORE NOTES
Saginaw Valley's Myles Belyeu and Fred John Jr. each recorded a double-double in the season opener … UIndy performed its best while Lakes was on the floor, as the Greyhounds outscored the Cardinals by 15 in the junior's 34 minutes … the Greyhounds swatted away five Cardinal field-goal attempts after doing so just three times last season.
UP NEXT
UIndy will get right back to action tomorrow afternoon against Northwood in Louisville. Tip is scheduled for 3 p.m. from Knights Hall on the campus of Bellarmine University.
