LEBANON, Ill. – Playing the second of back-to-back road games, the UIndy men's basketball team (0-5, 0-5 GLVC) lost an 88-74 final at McKendree University Monday night. The host Bearcats (4-2, 4-2) used a 13-0 run midway through the second half to pull away.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Facing a schedule this week that looks more like an NBA team's, UIndy started strong despite enduring the second game of a back-to-back – part of four road games on the week.
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The Greyhounds shot 57 percent in the first half and committed just three turnovers, but it was the Bearcats that took a slight edge into the break after employing a relentless 3-point attack. McKendree sank 11 triples on the way to a 44-41 halftime lead, with 23 of its 31 first-half field goal attempts coming from downtown.
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Out of the break, the two teams traded jabs until the Bearcats delivered a fatal blow with 13 unanswered points, turning a one-point lead into a 66-52 advantage by the 10-minute mark. Sophomore
Ben Nicoson hit a 3 to stop the run but the Hounds were unable to significantly cut into the deficit down the stretch.
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Sophomore
Kendrick Tchoua matched a career high with 20 points for the Hounds, while
Jesse Bingham (14 pts) and Nicoson (9) also notched personal bests. Both Tchoua and Bingham finished with six rebounds and two steals apiece, while senior
Dee Montgomery put up 10 points and a game-high six assists.
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INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-A trio of UIndy freshmen earned their first collegiate points tonight, including
Matthew Ambrose,
Murray Becher and
Julian Steinfeld.
-UIndy set a season high in points for the second straight game.
-McKendree connected on 21 of 22 second-half free throw attempts.
-The Bearcats finished with 14 made 3-pointers, good for the most by a Greyhound opponent since Illinois Springfield exactly one year ago to the day.
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UP NEXT
The Greyhounds' road swing continues with a meeting at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., Wednesday night.
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