15 UIndy Greyhounds
at Lake Superior State Lakers
Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. ET, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

ON TAP
The No. 15/16 UIndy men's basketball team closes out the calendar year on Tuesday evening with its second true road test of the season, heading 540 miles north to in-region Lake Superior State. 

The Greyhounds and Lakers have traded wins since the series began in 1996, with UIndy claiming last season's overtime thriller at Nicoson Hall. Lake State last hosted UIndy in Nov. 2016 when the Lakers won in a shootout, 116-107.

ABOUT LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
The Lakers' 5-4 record could play a tad deceving, with losses coming to No. 17 Ferris State, nationally-recognized Dixie State, and undefeated Drury prior to the calendar year ending. Lake State also has a pair of impressive wins, downing then-No. 10 Ashland after defeating Southwest Baptist on Nov. 9. 

Just like its record, Lake State maintains a miniscule 0.9 point differential through its first nine contests. On the offensive end, Ke'Montrece Collins (18.1 ppg) and Xander Okerlund (10.2 ppg) are the lone Lakers averaging double figures this season, while the senior Collins is also pulling down 7.9 rebounds per contest. Okerlund has been a solid add to the block during his rookie campaign, recording 4.0 rebounds and boasting a thrifty 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio in his first nine collegiate contests. 

Justin Fischer resumed point guard duties as a sophomore in Sault Ste. Marie this season, posting 9.2 points and 4.4 assists per game. CJ Robinson is also contributing 9.4 points per contest.

Head coach Steve Hettinga is in his 13th season at the helm of the Lake State men's basketball program. The 1993 Olivet graduate was previously at DIII MacMurray College prior to taking over the Lakers.

HOUNDS V. LAKERS
UIndy and Lake Superior State have a short, albeit intense history. First tipping off in March 1996, the Greyhounds have claimed victories in three of the five contests, including last season's overtime affair at Nicoson Hall. 

Three of the last four meetings have decided by single digits, while 100+ points have been scored on three occasions. The Lakers downed the Greyhounds in the lone matchup to be played in Sault St. Marie in Nov. 2016 by the score of 116-107. 

LAST TIME OUT
Down 69-57 with 3:34 left, No. 13 UIndy came storming back with a 12-0 run to tie it up in the closing minute. A 3-pointer from Trevor Lakes sparked the rally and senior point guard Jimmy King took it from there. The hometown product scored the Hounds' final seven points, including a pull-up triple with 32.3 ticks remaining to knot it at 69-all.
 
The Knights would respond, however, breaking a four-minute field goal drought with a timely deuce from Dylan Penn. The sophomore guard drove to his left, spun in the lane and dropped in the last of his 14 points with a shade under six seconds to go.
 
The Hounds would get one more chance, but King's fade-away three as the buzzer sounded fell short, sealing the win for third-ranked Bellarmine.

YOU CAN'T (OUT)THREE ME
Junior forward Trevor Lakes is best known for his 3-point shooting ability, and it has been on full display over the past three contests. The Lebanon, Ind., native has drilled 15 of his last 32 attempts from deep, good for 46.7 percent. Lakes drilled seven 3-pointers in the win at Cedarville on Nov. 23 before hitting five and three against Spring Hill and Bellarmine, respectively. 

REBOUNDING MA-VUNGA
Jordache Mavunga was shut down offensively last Tuesday evening against the then-No. 3 Bellarmine Knights, but that didn't stop the senior from contributing in other facets of the game. Mavunga - a nearby Brownsburg native - grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds against Bellarmine, while adding a pair of helpers. 

RINSE, LATHAM, REPEAT
Marcus Latham has embraced the bench role during his senior campaign for the Greyhounds, scoring double digits in each of the past six games as a reserve. The Alton, Ill., native recorded a season-high 18 points in 33 minutes in the win over Ohio Dominican on Nov. 22, and is currently shooting 58.8 percent from 3-point range on 17 attempts.

LIVING LEGACY
UIndy freshman guard Ben Nicoson is a fourth-generation Greyhound, following in the footsteps of Angus (great grandfather), Dan (grandfather) and Brent (father). Nicoson Hall, home of UIndy basketball, is named after Angus, who is the program's all-time wins leader as a coach with 483 victories.

Ben is currently averaging 9.4 minutes per game in his freshman season.

2020 VISION
UIndy head coach Stan Gouard announced the addition of two members to its 2020 recruiting class on Wednesday as part of the early signing period. Matthew Ambrose (Kildeer, IL) and Keegan O'Neill (Montgomery, IN) will both begin their senior seasons at their respective high schools this winter. 

Ambrose was named All-Area by three separate publications as a junior before choosing UIndy as his collegiate destination. Ambrose led Adlai E. Stevenson High School with 16 points/game, while grabbing seven boards and handing our four assists each contest.

O'Neill rounds out the small early-signing class for the Greyhounds, who comes from Montgomery, Ind. The 6-8, 245 lb. big man has averaged double figures the last two seasons with Barr-Reeve, including 15.4 points/game as a sophomore. As a junior, O'Neill averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game.

NEWCOMER LANE
UIndy boasts a high number of newcomers in 2019-20, with eight of the team's 16 players tabbed as newcomers this season. Of the eight, five are freshmen and three are transfers, with Dee Montgomery (Purdue Fort Wayne) and Trevor Banks (Arkansas Pine Bluff) coming in from NCAA DI programs. Cory Miller Jr. was named an All-America First-Team selection his final season at John Wood CC. 

Jesse Bingham was named an Indiana All-Star after his senior season at Warren Central, the lone NCAA DII commit to earn the distinction. Joining Bingham as rookies for UIndy are fellow all-state players Josh Bryan, Frankie Davidson and Kendrick Tchoua, along with Ben Nicoson. 

HOMEGROWN HOUNDS
UIndy has five players from the Indianapolis area, including Jesse Bingham (Warren Central) and Jimmy King (Roncalli). Overall, head coach Stan Gouard has 10 players from the state of Indiana.