Box Score

SHREVEPORT, La. - Despite leading by double-digits in the first half, the IUPUI basketball team faltered in the second half on its way to a 64-58 loss at Centenary on Saturday night. Junior George Hill had 14 points and 13 rebounds for his 12th career double-double.

After falling behind 5-0 to start the game, IUPUI (13-5, 5-2 Summit) reeled off a 19-2 run to make it 19-7 midway through the first half. Centenary clawed back within seven by halftime at 36-29.

Similar to the way it started the game, IUPUI came out sluggish in the second half and was held scoreless on its first six possessions until Drew Conner dropped in a layup with 15:20 left to make it 38-34. IUPUI stayed in front until Centenary freshman Justin Glenn helped swing the momentum. Glenn swatted a Hill layup attempt at one end and flushed a two-handed dunk with 7:40 left to make it 48 all. 

Senior Austin Montgomery put the Jags back in front briefly with a 15-footer, but the Gents countered with seven straight points to take the lead for good. Tyrone Hamilton started the rally with a long three and Lance Hill capped it with an uncontested layin. 

IUPUI got no closer than three the rest of the way. 

The Jaguars turned the ball over nine times in the second half and hit just 7-of-20 (35 percent) from the floor. Meanwhile, Centenary warmed up over the final 20 minutes to finish the night hitting 41.1 percent.

"We're disappointed," IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter said. "We stress the importance of getting splits on the road in conference play. We were disappointed after the Oral Roberts game and we didn't respond well tonight. 

"I guess the good news is that it's a marathon, not a sprint. We'll get back to practice and fix some things."

For the game, IUPUI hit just 2-of-10 from three-point range while Centenary (9-10, 3-4) hit 9-of-27 from deep. Chase Adams led all scorers with 17 points while Hamilton closed with 14 on 5-of-13 shooting and handed out a game-high five assists. Glenn finished with five points and 11 rebounds.

Hill's 14 points came on 4-of-13 shooting while sophomore Billy Pettiford scored 11 of his 13 in the first half. Montgomery had nine points in his first game back after a one-game NCAA imposed suspension. Jon Avery had eight on 3-of-4 shooting while freshman John Ashworth scored a season-high five off the bench.

The loss snapped IUPUI's seven-game winning streak over the Gents and was just the second-ever loss to Centenary in nine meetings. 

IUPUI will now return home for its longest homestand of the year - four games - beginning on Thursday night. The Jaguars will host Oakland in The Jungle on Jan. 24 while Hunter will coach the game in his bare feet to help raise awareness for Samaritan's Feet. Fans are urged to make donations to the cause by visiting the Samaritan's Feet website while IUPUI students are encouraged to come to the game barefoot.

Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 on Freedom 95.9 FM. The game can also be viewed as part of the SummitTV package.