Men’s season ended by Flyers
Indianapolis’ men’s basketball entered the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) tournament having lost of five consecutive games, as well as eight of the last ten, momentum is not on their side.
Regardless, UIndy looked well on their way to extending their season another day early in the game.
The ‘Hounds utilized 59 percent shooting from behind the arc to build a 47-31 lead over the Lewis University Flyers.
“I thought all the shots we got in the first half from three were shots late in the possession and hitting guys in rhythm,” said head coach Stan Gouard.
After the intermission, however, 15 turnovers allowed Lewis to chip away at their deficit.
“It was very big. That ignited their run when we turned the basketball over. It seemed like every time we turned it over, they scored or got a foul. We did a poor job of taking care of the basketball,” Gouard said. “We had chances to make plays at the basket and we passed the ball out of the post or passed the ball while jumping in the air. Those guys [were] in the passing lanes. It was too stagnant on offense. We threw some bad passes and those guys capitalized on all of our soft passes.”
UIndy did not enjoy the same marksmanship from distance in the second half, either.
“I felt like in the second half, a lot guys were taking quick shots from three and it came back to bite us in the foot. It was great to make those the first half. We also got better looks the first half than we did the second half,” Gouard said.
Instead of calling a timeout after Lewis took a 77-76 lead, Adams penetrated to find an open Larry Woods, who drew a foul. Woods missed two free throws that could have given UIndy a one-point lead had he made both.
Subsequently, sophomore guard Paul Corsaro fouled Dennis Thomas, Jr. Thomas hit both free throws, giving Lewis a 79-76. Adams’ three-point attempt from half-court narrowly missed sending the game to overtime.
Players and coaches offered words of consolation to Woods who, as a senior, saw his career end against Lewis.
“The game is more than one play. It boils down to more things than that. He did a lot of things well today,” said junior forward Nate Blank.
Gouard agreed.
“He’s hurting right now. After the game, he was very emotional. We He missed those free throws but that’s not why we lost the game. These guys scored 49 points in the second half. That was too many points to give up. They wanted it a little bit more. ”
Indianapolis did not have two key players in the contest, allowing Corsaro to step up and play a significant role, posting career-high with 18 points.
“He [Corsaro] was very big. With [senior forward Dijon] Knight not playing, Paul stepped into the starting lineup and made some big shots tonight, especially late in the ballgame. He also had eight rebounds. He’s just a guy that would do the best job in there. He really played well,” Gouard said.
Blank, who also missed the game with a shoulder injury, acknowledged Corsaro’s contributions.
“He was huge. Every time you get to the tournament, different people step up and that’s what you have to have if you want to be successful. He really stepped up and played well for us today.”
Indianapolis ended the season with a 12-16 record, an improvement over the 9-18 Gouard compiled in his first season at the helm.
“I feel bad for the kids, everybody on this basketball team and the staff.,” Gouard said. “We just didn’t find a way to get it done.”
