KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 7 UIndy men's basketball team (21-2, 13-2 GLVC) won its 15th straight game on Thursday evening, halting a comeback attempt from host Rockhurst (13-10, 8-7 GLVC) to earn a 67-60 victory from Mason-Halpin Field House.
 
Early in the second half, Kendrick Tchoua became the 45th Greyhound in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone, joining teammate Jesse Bingham, who entered the record book on January 16 against Maryville.
 
Tchoua, who leads all of DII in field goal percentage, went 4-of-5 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe in the win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Leading 26-19 late in the first half, UIndy looked to head into the break with a solid lead. Rockhurst, however, had other plans. The Hawks posted an 8-0 run before freshman Sean Craig drilled a corner 3 to give the Hounds a 29-27 advantage at the break.
 
The Hawks survived many runs throughout the second half, but a tip-in from Bingham made it 53-45 with under eight minutes remaining. Rockhurst fought back, using a 9-2 run to make it a one-point contest before Bingham drilled a pair of free throws with 68 tickets left.
 
Redshirt-junior Rich Byhre turned the ball over with 26 seconds left, resulting in Josiah Tynes sinking two free throws to seal the win. Tynes finished with four points, four rebounds, and three assists.
 
The Greyhounds shot 52.0 percent from the floor in the second half, with Tchoua scoring nine of his 15 points after intermission.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Williams pulled down a UIndy-best five boards in the win.
- The Greyhounds outrebounded the Hawks, 38-32. Bingham led the team with three offensive boards.
- Jakobie Robinson finished with seven boards, adding five points.
- Tchoua's 28 minutes is the second-highest of the season for the fourth-year Greyhound.
- David Ejah and Julian Steinfled each recorded a pair of steals in the win.
- UIndy held Rockhurst to 36.4 percent shooting, lowering its season opponent field-goal average to 39.3.
 
MORE NOTES
The Hounds avenged a December loss to the Hawks, splitting the regular season series evenly … Craig's only four minutes of action came in the first half when he drilled a buzzer-beating triple … Jarvis Walker finished with a quiet nine points in 16 minutes ... in addition to its 15-game winning streak, UIndy's undefeated run has stretched to 67 days without a loss.
 
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Paul Corsaro on the win…
"It was an unbelievable win. They have a supreme confidence in a humble way; they're not cocky at all. They know what it takes to win and they believe in each other. We know we're getting every team's best shot. They trust each other every step of the way."
 
Corsaro on Tchoua's milestone…
"There's not a more competitive guy than Kendrick. He brings it every day in practice. He's one of the most competitive guys I've ever seen. In tight games like this, he has the ability to take over. I think you'll be able to make the argument he might be the most dominant big man in program history when it's all said and done. To see his growth and maturity, he has turned himself into a man on and off and the court."
 
Tchoua on the milestone…
"It means a lot…it's a cool achievement, but it means nothing without my coaches and teammates. Rockhurst is a tough place to play. We know we had to set the rules like usual and play our game."
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds visit William Jewell, looking to complete the regular season sweep. UIndy downed the Cardinals, 72-56, on Dec. 1 from Nicoson Hall.