INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men's basketball team kicked off GLVC action the right way on Thursday, earning a 67-50 victory over Southwest Baptist from Nicoson Hall.
 
Paul Zilinskas was instrumental in the comeback win, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the second half.
 
INS & OUTS
The UIndy defense was as good as it has been all season on Thursday, with a dominating run in the second half proving to be the difference. During a commanding 20-2 stretch from 14:24 to 5:13, the Greyhounds forced seven Bearcat turnovers, while committing three thefts.
 
Zilinskas scored nine of his points in that time frame, while David Ejah added one of his three triples to highlight the action.
 

?? | Dave with the corner triple! We have a good one on @GLVCSN ?? pic.twitter.com/TiMjzksCqs

— UIndy Athletics (@UIndyAthletics) December 1, 2023

The Hounds clamped down on defense after the break, limiting the Bearcats to just seven points the first 15 minutes of the second half. SBU shot 23.1 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes, while UIndy went 11-for-21 to pull away and secure the win.
 
Kendrick Tchoua and Jarvis Walker complemented Zilinskas' leading offensive effort, combining for 18 points on six field goals.
 
INSIDE THE BOX
- The Bearcats' 50 points is the lowest the Hounds have allowed since a 75-50 win over McKendree on Jan. 21, 2023.
- Jesse Bingham scored all eight of his points in the first half, while adding a pair of blocks and steals to his line.
- Four of Tchoua's six boards came on the offensive glass, upping his season total to a GLVC-best 21.
- Ejah led the team with four assists, while Zac Szul dished out two helpers.
- The Bearcats coughed up possession 20 times in the loss, the first time since last season's GLVC quarterfinal against Quincy the Hounds have forced at least 20 turnovers.
 
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 6-4 … the Greyhounds went to the charity stripe 22 times in the win, marking the third time this season the team has attempted at least 20 free throws.

HOUND BYTES
Associate Head Coach Mike Burris on the win...
"Our two big keys were transition defense and rebounding and I thought we addressed those needs in the second half."

On Zilinskas' performance...
"Paul stepped up and made some plays. It was good to see him get on track offensively."
 
UP NEXT
The Hounds host Drury for a Saturday tip scheduled for 3 p.m. in Nicoson Hall. At the time of this release, Lewis was defeating Drury, 45-22, at halftime.
 
UIndy has won 10 of 19 meetings with Drury in the programs' 17-year history.