The IUS men’s basketball team defeated Miami Middletown 91-58 on Saturday, Jan. 16.

The win was the seventh straight for the Grenadiers and pushes their overall record to 15-3.

After the loss, the ThunderHawks fell to 9-6 on the season.

The Grenadiers are currently ranked fi fth nationally in the NAIA Division II Coaches’ Poll.

Kevin Slaughter, sophomore guard, scored 13 points and dished out five assists, both game highs.

DeJon Gary, senior guard, led all rebounders with nine boards.

Following a Miami Middletown timeout less than three minutes into the game, Alex Gravelle, senior guard, hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 10 points.

The ThunderHawks immediately answered with a 3-pointer of their own to cut the lead to seven.

Later in the fi rst half, Jeremy Holland, IUS junior forward, found Gary wideopen under the basket for an easy layup, giving the Grenadiers an 18-12 lead.

The subsequent inbounds pass was stolen and by Jazzmarr Ferguson, junior guard, and converted into an easy basket

to push the lead to 20-12.

With 10:30 left in the first half, the ThunderHawks trailed 20-14, and that was as close as the game would get.

During the next four minutes, the Grenadiers went on an 11-0 run, including a dunk by Brice Mitchell, freshman forward, assisted by Ferguson.

“We were sharing the ball well,” Wiley Brown, Grenadiers head coach, said.

The Grenadiers led 46-25 at halftime.

The Grenadiers drew first blood just one minute into the second half, with a basket by Josh Lowery, senior guard.

At the 16:30 mark, Slaughter and Alex Arthur, Miami Middletown freshman forward, traded 3-point baskets, making the score 51-32 in favor of the Grenadiers.

Slaughter got another basket just minutes later and, while defending the subsequent inbounds pass, stole the ball and scored again, bringing his total to seven consecutive points for the Grenadiers.

Later in the second half, Rick Bodiford, junior forward, made the second of a pair of free throws, and on the ensuing Grenadier possession scored off an assist from Craig Bryant, senior guard.

Slaughter once again traded 3-pointers with a Miami Middletown player, this time Sky Grieshop, Miami Middletown freshman forward.

A steal and basket by

Johntay Farmer, Miami Middletown freshman guard, made it a 61-41 game with 12:05 remaining.

Bodiford made another layup at the 11:05 mark, prompting Miami Middletown to take another timeout.

After a brief rest, Slaughter re-entered the game with 8:47 left and capped off his game-high 13-point day with another 3-pointer with 7:50 to go, putt ing the Grenadiers ahead 72-48.

The play of the game came with 4:25 remaining, when the Grenadiers were on a two-on-one fast break and Ryan Clark, IUS senior guard, alley-ooped the ball to Gary for a dunk. Gary’s dunk served as an exclamation point on the victory.

After the game, Brown said he att ributed the victory to his team’s willingness to pass and ability to make 3-pointers.

“The guys were very unselfish,” Brown said, “and

our dribble drive off defense helped us with our 3-point shooting.”

The Grenadiers tallied 23 assists, compared to just nine for the ThunderHawks.

They also made 12 3-pointers. Miami Middletown only made five 3-pointers.

The Grenadiers also won the turnover battle, turning the ball over four less times and gett ing two more steals than the ThunderHawks.

The men’s basketball team will be in action on Jan. 23 for their homecoming game against Asbury College.

By DERRICK HOLDRIDGE
Staff Writer
dvholdri@umail.iu.edu