INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indianapolis opened up a double-digit lead over Drury in the second half and fought off the Panthers for a 91-82 win on Saturday at Nicoson Hall in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
The Panthers fell to 12-4 and 5-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Greyhounds improved to 11-6 and 5-4 in the league.
 
Indianapolis led 39-38 at halftime but built a 10-point lead going ahead 69-59 with 8:56 remaining.
 
Drury fought back and pulled within two, 79-77, on an Allen Billinger three with 2:56 left. The Panthers never got that close again, though, as the Greyhounds responded with free throws and a steal that led to a lay-up on the next two possessions.
 
"I was really proud of the guys that were in the game late," said Drury head coach Steve Hesser. "That group really gave some great effort in a game where we struggled to give great effort.
 
"What we need to learn is that there are some non-negotiables when you play on the road in our league like taking care of the ball, or not playing like your pants are on fire. We got away from cutting and moving and ended up trying to create something with the ball isolated."
 
The Panthers committed a season-high 19 turnovers while shooting 44 percent from the field going 32 for 72. Drury was 11 for 30 from three-point range.
 
Indianapolis hit 28 of their 57 attempts from the floor for 49 percent shooting. They made 26 of 34 of their free throws while the Panthers went 7 for 9 from the foul stripe.
 
Billinger led Drury with a career high 20 points going 6 for 8 from three-point range. Julius Walker added 13 points, and Isaac Johnson chipped in with 11.
 
Tate Hall led all scorers with 22 points for the Greyhounds, and teammate Ajay Lawton added 20 points, five assists, and six steals.
 
The Panthers are on the road again next week with a game on Jan. 25 at Illinois-Springfield. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at The Recreation and Athletic Center in Springfield, Illinois.      
 
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