ROCHESTER, Mich. - Amidst a season-best three-game winning streak, the IUPUI basketball team will visit Summit League preseason favorite Oakland on Thursday night in a game to be aired live on Fox Sports Detroit and HomeTown Sports Indiana (channel 81). Tipoff is slated for 7:35 p.m. as Mario Impemba (play-by-play) and Lindsey Hunter (analyst) will describe the action on the television side. Scott McCauley (play-by-play) will be heard on 88.3 FM / The Walk in Indianapolis with pregame coverage beginning around 7:25.
IUPUI (8-8, 2-1 Summit) has won three-in-a-row and nearly upset No. 7/7 San Diego State since being drubbed at Duquesne on Dec. 18. The Jaguars' most recent win came against Western Illinois on Dec. 30, 70-55 in The Jungle behind 21 points and eight boards from junior
Alex Young. Classmate
Stephen Thomas added 16 and senior
Leroy Nobles scored 15 in the win.
WIU came in with the top ranked defense in The Summit in terms of points per game and field goal percentage defense, but the Jaguars hung 41 points in the first half and shot 50 percent for the game in the win. The 70 points allowed were the second most by a WIU opponent this season.
Oakland (9-8, 4-0), which won The Summit League Tournament last season, comes into Thursday's game boasting the best resume and best player in the league. The Golden Grizzlies have played five top 20 teams this season and won at No. 7/7 Tennessee on Dec. 14. Reigning Summit League Player of the Year Keith Benson anchors the middle, averaging 17.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game. UMKC-transfer Reggie Hamilton is second on the squad in scoring at 14.3 points per game while 6-foot-9 forward Will Hudson comes in netting 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds a night.
Oakland leads the all-time series against the Jaguars 20-12 and have beaten IUPUI four straight times and five out of the past six times in Rochester. Both teams won the regular season meetings on their home floors last year before OU won the Summit League title game in Sioux Falls, S.D..
Young leads three Jaguars averaging double-digits by pumping in 18 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Behind him, Nobles is netting 15.4 per and Thomas comes in at 10.5.
