There are five games remaining on the University of Indianapolis men’s basketball schedule, four of them on the road. With two home wins over Truman State University on Saturday, Feb. 6, and Quincy University on Thursday, Feb. 4, the Greyhounds look to head into the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship with a few more wins in their pocket.
“On the road, our biggest thing is poise and patience,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach Stan Gouard. “We have to make sure that we understand on the road how road wins can really impact us down the stretch. We are getting ready to go [on the road]. I think the Bellarmine [University] game [on Jan. 30] was a wake up call for us, and we just are going to [have to] start a new [winning] streak.”
UIndy fell to Bellarmine, 101-65, and then bounced back the following game against Quincy with a 98-66 win and also beat Truman State 87-86.
Prior to the Truman State tip off, UIndy honored its five seniors. Recognized was Jordan Loyd, Lucas Barker, Joe Retic, Tyler Rambo and Jamel Crocker.
Days before taking on the Bulldogs, Gouard said how senior night only means there’s a new season coming up.
“I have been really blessed to have these guys on my roster, and I am going to miss them very, very much,” Gouard said. “Hopefully there’s a lot of ball left to be played. So we are not going to look at senior night as a bittersweet goodbye, we are going to look at it as a new season [that is] coming up. It’s a great night, and we are going to enjoy it and I know that our guys are going to do a good job channeling their emotions for a good game [on] Saturday night.”
During Saturday’s one point game, Loyd had a game-high 26 points, while also earning 11 rebounds making it his third double-double of the season. The Greyhounds had eight different players put up points throughout the game.
The first half was all lead changes until a three-pointer from sophomore guard Eric Davidson put the Hounds up 30-26. From there the lead would remain in UIndy’s hands, ending the first half up 48-40.
Despite the eight point lead at the half, the Hounds could not maintain it during the opening minutes of the second half, allowing for an 10-0 run from Truman State. UIndy managed an 11-0 run to put itself back in the game, but the score stayed tight until the final buzzer.
With 50 seconds remaining on the clock, the score was tied at 85-85. In the next 15 seconds, junior forward/center Ernest Maize fouled a Bulldogs player, which lead to one free throw made and one missed. The score stood at 86-85 Bulldogs with 35 seconds remaining, until Barker’s layup put the Hounds up by one with 11 seconds to go.
The Greyhound defense stood strong, and Retic grabbed the last rebound of the game after a missed layup from the Bulldogs. UIndy won 87-86 on Senior Day.
“It is a little bittersweet [being a senior],” Barker said. “But we are just trying to get some wins and carry on this momentum for the rest of the year. We just have to take the mantra of ‘win or go home,’ so we can carry on for conference.”
Prior to Senior Day, the Greyhounds competed against Quincy University. During the game, senior guard Jordan Loyd made the history books by scoring his 1,000th point, with three minutes remaining in the first half. He is the 39th person to join that club.
“It was pretty awesome [scoring my 1,000th point],” Loyd said. “I was kind of shocked that I had that many points here at UIndy, but it’s just a blessing. [I have a] great coaching staff, great teammates, and it makes it easier for me [to be successful].”
Loyd had a game-high 23 points in the 98-66 win over the Hawks, with freshman forward Jesse Kempson raking in 14 point for the Hounds as he went 3-for-3 from the arch. In the win, Barker earned his first double-double of the season, scoring 11 points to pair with 10 assists.
“It felt great [winning]. After last week, when we got our butts kicked [against Bellarmine], and [then] we came in and responded tonight with a good win,” he said.
The game began with multiple lead changes and a tight score, but with eight minutes remaining in the first period, the Greyhounds made a dash for a large lead with a 24-5 run. The first half ended 47-29 in favor of the Hounds.
UIndy’s scoring rhythm carried over to the second half, as the Hounds not only held the Hawks to 37, but also scored 51 points. The 51 points from the Greyhounds came from nine different players.
“I feel great [getting that win],” Gouard said. “This team [Quincy] coming in tonight was the leading scoring team in the league, and we held them to 63 points.”
The Greyhounds travel to Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 11 to compete against Rockhurst University, with tipoff at 8:30 p.m.
