EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second time in three days, the UIndy men's basketball team (1-8, 1-8 GLVC) battled in-state rival Southern Indiana to a close finish. Less than 48 hours after the Greyhounds earned a one-point win in Indianapolis, USI (5-3, 5-3) salvaged a split Saturday with an 80-75 win at Screaming Eagles Arena in Evansville, Ind.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Greyhounds got off to their fastest start yet, shooting 60 percent from the field and draining 10 triples in the first 20 minutes on the way to a season-high 47 points in the opening half. Senior Dee Montgomery was particular hot in the early going, as the Horn Lake, Miss., native connected on 4 of 7 attempts from distance, leading all players with 16 first-half points.
 
Facing a 13-point hole at the break, the Eagles responded with a 21-5 run to start the second, erasing the Greyhound lead by the 11-minute mark. UIndy saw the deficit grow as much as 12 points when a Jelani Simmons 3-pointer made it 76-64 Eagles with just 3:37 to go.
 
A final push gave the Hounds a chance, however. UIndy scored 11 of the next 13 points to pull within three. Senior Mikail Simmons provided a boost with a rare four-point play in the final minutes, sinking a contested 3 and sinking the ensuing free throw.
 
UIndy got two defensive stops in the last 80 seconds and gave itself a chance to tie it late. Down 78-75 with 19.8 seconds left, Monogomery's 3-point try was wide and Jesse Bingham's put-back wouldn't fail, as the Eagles sealed it at the line and escaped with the win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Two Hounds hit the 20-point mark (Montgomery , 21; Cory Miller Jr., 20), which also happened the last time the Hounds traveled to USI in February of 2020.
-UIndy's 50-percent shooting from behind the arc and resulting 13 made 3-pointers set season highs.
-Bingham paced the Greyhounds with eight rebounds, while Kendrick Tchoua was credited with a team- and career-high four assists.

 UP NEXT
The Hounds will remain on the road for a pair of games next week, starting with a Tuesday night meeting at Illinois Springfield. The trip will complete a run of seven games away from Nicoson Hall in the last eight contests.