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INDIANAPOLIS - IUPUI used a suffocating second half defensive display and got timely contributions from up and down the roster as the Jaguars outlasted South Dakota State, 71-63 in The Jungle on Thursday night. Junior Robert Glenn led all players with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting as IUPUI shot 51 percent from the field and ran its winning streak to four straight.
The Jags held South Dakota State to just 36 percent shooting in the second half and yielded just two made field goals over the final 10 minutes. IUPUI also forced 15 miscues, converting them into an 18-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
"Tonight was about guts," IUPUI Head Coach Ron Hunter said. "I thought we showed some heart in the second half and I was really happy with our defensive intensity. We got some key stops when we needed them and used that to get some easy buckets.
"Coach Nagy's got a really good team. That's a team you don't want to have to face in the (Summit League) tournament."
After the two teams played to a 27 all tie in the first half, SDSU (10-14, 5-7 Summit) built a nine-point lead with 13:53 left, thanks largely to back-to-back Kai Williams' threes from the left wing. The Jaguars then began chipping away, pulling within one when Billy Pettiford dropped in a layup off a feed from Leroy Nobles and was fouled, heading into the under eight media timeout. Pettiford missed the ensuing free throw, but SDSU was unable to control the board, allowing the Jaguars to later take the lead when Glenn scored on a putback of his own miss with under seven minutes left.
From there, IUPUI led the rest of the way.
Sophomore Anthony Cordova pulled the Jackrabbits within one at 54-53 with 5:44 left, but IUPUI came back with a Glenn dunk, Jon Avery layup and two Adrian Moss free throws to take a seven-point lead with 3:30 to play.
SDSU had a chance to make it a one possession game in the final minute, but Glenn blocked a Garrett Callahan three-point try from the right wing and Avery rebounded it to seal the victory.
IUPUI (13-10, 6-6) improved to 7-3 at home this season and South Dakota State remained winless on the road all-time in its second year of Summit League play.
The IUPUI inside trio of Avery, Glenn and Pettiford combined to score 43 points and grab 19 rebounds. Pettiford reached double-digits for just the fourth time this season, hitting 5-of-7 shots and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. He also handed out three assists in 26 minutes off the bench.
"I thought our bigs did a good job tonight in there," Hunter said. "(Cordova) is a load in there, but we did a better job of surrounding him with two and three players in the second half. We just didn't want him to go off for 20 or 25 points tonight."
The Jaguars' athleticism helped provide a 44-12 scoring advantage in the paint.
Cordova and Williams led the Jacks with 15 each while Callahan, SDSU's top scorer, tallied just nine on 3-of-11 shooting. The Jacks hit 10-of-28 (35.7 percent) from three-point range and sank 12 in the 83-63 pasting of the Jaguars in Brookings back on Jan. 10.
"They make open jumpers, so it was really important to identify the shooters as early as possible and get out on them," Hunter added. "We did a better job of that in the second half."
The Jaguars also got key contributions from everyone who played, including some late points from Adrian Moss. After SDSU got back within four on Williams' third second half three, Moss used a nifty up-and-under fake to rattle home an eight-foot jumper with just under three to play.
IUPUI got off to a ragged start, going scoreless for nearly the first five minutes until Larry Stone broke the ice with a free throw. Once IUPUI found its rhythm, the Jaguars raced out to a 25-15 lead on an array of dunks from its three juniors. South Dakota State responded with a 10-0 run though, which included a pair of powerful post moves from Cordova on the blocks.
The Jaguars cap their two-game homestand against Summit League leader North Dakota State on Saturday night in a 7:00 p.m. tipoff. During the game, IUPUI will recognize its four newest Hall of Fame Inductees. In addition, the IUPUI women's soccer team will be honored during the second half for winning a share of its first-ever Summit League crown.
Pregame coverage begins on XL 950 at 6:30 p.m..
