Box Score I Box Score (.pdf)
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Foul problems gave the IUPUI basketball team fits as the Jaguars dropped a 72-59 decision at Indiana State on Wednesday afternoon. IUPUI was whistled for a season-high 25 personal fouls and a pair of second half technicals as the Sycamores outscored the Jags 19-10 at the free throw line in the win.
Dwayne Lathan led ISU with 18 points and seven rebounds and Jordan Printy poured in 12 off the bench on 4-of-8 shooting from three. IUPUI sophomore Alex Young scored a game-high 20 including a 5-of-6 shooting day from three and Leroy Nobles tallied 18, including four treys.
“We got beat by a good Indiana State team today,” IUPUI Head Coach Ron Hunter said. “They’re a much better team this year than they were last year. After we got out to a big lead, we just quit playing our game. We turned the ball over and gave them extra possessions. Credit them though, they've got a good basketball team."
IUPUI (9-4) got down by as many as nine in the second half, but ratcheted up the defense to pull even at 49 all with 7:21 left. Nobles scored all seven points during a 7-0 mini-run, including a layup after John Ashworth picked Jake Kelly’s pocket and tipped the ball under the IUPUI basket to the junior swingman.
On Indiana State’s next possession, Printy hit a wide open three from the left wing to make it 52-49. After Ashworth missed a potential game-tying three from the top of the key, Printy struck again, swishing a second trey as the shot clock expired. Young answered by drilling a contested three from the corner in front of the IUPUI bench, but was assessed a technical foul for taunting a sparse ISU student section in the endzone. It was also his fifth personal, sending him to the bench with 5:38 left.
Kelly converted both free throws and then hit a turnaround jumper on the ensuing possession to push the lead out to 59-52. Senior Robert Glenn cut the advantage back to five with his only field goal of the second half, but ISU's Harry Marshall answered with a three at the 4:30 mark.
IUPUI was unable to pull any closer than seven the rest of the way.
"They made some big shots in the second half," Hunter said. "They've got some guys that can really play. That team is not just Jake Kelly - they've got some guys that can really play. I didn't think we played our best basketball today. Ashworth kind of got away from what he does best and Rob (Glenn) didn't have a really good game."
After a hot start, the Jaguars were in the giving mood as turnovers plagued the guests throughout the first half, leading to a 35-28 halftime deficit.
IUPUI roared out of the gates, scoring the game’s first 10 points, on two Glenn field goals and threes from Nobles and Young. Young’s trey at the 15:50 mark prompted ISU Head Coach Kevin McKenna to call a 30-second timeout and the Sycamores finally got on the board when Printy hit an open three from the left wing on the next possession.
Printy’s three opened an 11-2 ISU run but Nobles momentarily stopped the bleeding with a three from the right corner with 9:50 before intermission.
From there, it was all ISU as 11 first half IUPUI turnovers led to 15 Sycamore points. All nine ISU players that saw playing time scratched the scoring column while only three different Jags tallied in the opening 20 minutes.
IUPUI was beaten on the glass 36-28 and finished with 16 turnovers. The Jags' 16 points in the paint matched the team's season-low production on the inside. Glenn finished with 12 points and five rebounds. IUPUI's big three of Glenn, Nobles and Young scored the team's first 33 points until Ashworth scored on a drive from the left side with 14:38 to play.
The Jags shot 41 percent overall and 47 percent from three while the Sycamores shot 41 overall and 36 from three.
IUPUI will return to action on Monday, Dec. 28 when it travels to play Memphis inside the FedEx Center. Tipoff is slated for 12:00 CST. Pregame coverage will begin on IUPUIJags.com at approximately 11:50 as Scott McCauley calls the action.
