By GREG MENGELT

Hanover College began its 2021-22 season with a 68-53 victory over IU Southeast on Friday evening at John Collier Arena in Hanover.

Ty Houston and Matt Munoz led the Panther with 20 and 17 points, respectively. Houston grabbed 12 boards for a double-double and Munoz had eight rebounds.

New Albany graduate Isaac Hibbard finished with eight points and knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts. He led the Panthers with six assists. Christian Academy product Noah Williams contributed five points, two rebounds, a block, an assist and a steal off the bench for Hanover, which went 8-5 last season.

IU Southeast, which opened the season with a 94-66 win over Simmons College before falling 75-68 to The Cumberlands on Wednesday, was paced by 13 points and 13 boards from junior Glenn Hill. Charlestown’s Caleb Brown added 9 points.

Hanover ran out to a 12-0 lead through the first four minutes of the contest and led 38-24 at the break. A 13-0 spurt early in the second half put the Panthers ahead 56-30.

Hanover shot 40 percent from the field and held the Grenadiers to 35.5 percent. The Panthers also out-rebounded IUS 43-34.

Both teams are back in action early next week. IU Southeast goes to Marion to face ninth-ranked Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday and Hanover goes to Crawfordsville for a contest with Wabash College on Wednesday.