FSU Drops Regional Home Tilt To Indy

Big Rapids, Mich. - A strong second half shooting performance lifted the University of Indianapolis to an impressive 88-71 regional win over Ferris State in men's basketball action on Friday (Dec. 30) afternoon at FSU's Jim Wink Arena.

The visiting Greyhounds shot 63% from the floor in the second half and nailed nine-of-18 (50%) three-pointers for the contest in beating the Bulldogs.  The contest was the first for both teams following the holiday break.

FSU led by as many as five points with 7:03 to go in the opening stanza before the Greyhounds battled back to take a 35-27 lead at the break.  They outscored Ferris State 53-44 over the final 20 minutes in posting the win.

Adrian Moss fueled the Indianapolis attack with a game-high 26 points as he made 10-of-16 shots from the floor and connected on four-of-seven three's.  He was joined in double-digits by Reece Cheatham with 17 points.  Wilber O'Neal added 16 points and 13 rebounds in a double-double effort while Miles Mitchell contributed 12 points off the bench.

On the opposite side, the Bulldogs were led by junior guard Kenny Brown's (Farmington Hills/Harrison) 16 points.  Senior guard Donate Molden (Detroit/Pershing) chipped in with 15 points, junior forward Daniel Sutherlin (Detroit/Renaissance) contributed 14 points and freshman guard Drew Lehman (Toledo/Catholic Central) netted 12 points.

Ferris State shot 42.1% (24-57) for the game, including a 15-of-28 (53.6%) showing in the second half, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Greyhounds.  Indianapolis made 31-of-61 (50.8%) field goals for the game and also hit 17-of-20 (85%) free throws in the first matchup between the two regional foes since 2006.  Ferris State was 16-of-27 (59.3%) at the stripe.

The Bulldogs were also outrebounded 39-21 by Indianapolis and it resulted in the Greyhounds owning a 18-8 margin in second chance scoring.  They forced 11 FSU turnovers and posted a 12-7 advantage in points off turnovers.

FSU shot only 31% (9-29) in the first half of the contest while Indy hit 14-of-34 (41.2%) field goals in the first period of play.

The Bulldogs finished with eight assists, seven blocked shots and three steals compared to Indianapolis' 18 assists, eight steals and one block.

Sutherlin paced the Bulldogs with eight rebounds on the glass and totaled four blockeds shots while senior forward Jerrell Sanders (Grand Rapids/Creston) contributed seven rebounds to go with six points, three assists and two blocked shots.

With the loss, Ferris State dropped to 7-5 overall.  Indianapolis improved to 8-2 overall this season.

The Bulldogs resume Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play on the road next Thursday, Jan. 5, as they visit Lake Superior State for a 7:30 p.m. (ET) league tilt in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.  FSU is currently tied atop the GLIAC North Division standings with a 4-1 conference record.