INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Missouri S&T's men's basketball team could not overcome a slow start Thursday night as Indianapolis handed the Miners their fourth setback in their last five games with an 80-50 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory at Nicoson Hall.
The Miners, who dropped to 10-14 overall and 6-11 in the GLVC, shot only 27.6 percent in the first half as they fell behind by as many as 20 points in the opening half. S&T was able to mount a run that saw it cut the margin to eight in the second half before the Greyhounds (14-9, 8-7 GLVC) pulled away.
After
Mahamadou Kaba-Camera's (Conakry, Guinea/Balboa City (San Diego, CA)) basket on the Miners' first trip down the floor tied the score at two, UIndy scored the next five to take the lead for good. S&T was within four at 14-10 following a three-point basket by
Julien Smith (Fort Worth, TX/Northwest) at the 12:02 mark, but the Greyhounds ran off 17 of the next 20 points to take an 31-13 lead with 6:02 to play in the half.
UIndy would build that lead to 20 before
Micah Johnson (Ankeny, IA/Centennial) scored right before the first half ended, then S&T scored the first 10 points of the second half on three-point baskets by
Ryan Parker (Bloomington, IN/Bloomington South) and Smith which were followed by baskets from
Kaden Froebe (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) and
Michael Appiah Brefo (Jefferson City, MO/Jefferson City) to bring the Miners to within eight at 39-31.
However, the Greyhounds regained their double figure advantage a short time later, then broke the game open when Jakobie Robinson hit back-to-back three-pointers and Cory Miller followed with one to extend the advantage to 19. S&T could get no closer than 15 the rest of the way.
The Miners finished the game at 33.3 percent from the field and hit just four-of-17 from three-point range as they were paced in the scoring department by Smith with 10 points. Froebe and
Dylan Singleton (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) had nine points apiece and Parker had a season-high 14 rebounds – S&T outrebounded UIndy 46-42 – to match the most by a Miner this season.
UIndy's Jesse Bingham led all scorers in the game with 23 points, while Robinson and Dee Montgomery had 14 each.
Missouri S&T concludes its three-game road swing Saturday when it takes on Southern Indiana at 3:15 p.m. in Evansville, Ind.
