FORT WAYNE, Ind. – IUPUI overcame a 16-point first half deficit and got a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds from junior
Christian Siakam as the Jaguars escaped Fort Wayne with a 78-74 win over IPFW on Saturday afternoon. The loss was IPFW’s first in Summit League play and first on their home floor this season, yet IUPUI had to climb uphill nearly the whole way to get it.
“This was a really big win. We talked about getting a split on this road trip, and that’s exactly what we did,” IUPUI Head Coach
Ron Hunter said. “Christian was absolutely awesome today. He’s starting to benefit from our non-conference schedule because he’s not going to see the same caliber big men in our league that he’s already faced this year.
“I’m really proud of my guys because they fought and scrapped for 40 minutes to get this win. There’s a lot of smiles in that locker room right now.”
Junior
Alex Young matched his season-high with 24 points, but was disqualified for the final 2:39 after picking up his fifth personal foul. Nobles added 18 on 6-of-14 shooting and Thomas closed with nine points and five boards.
IUPUI (9-9, 3-2 Summit) didn’t climb completely over the hump until senior
Leroy Nobles knocked in a four-point play with 8:44 left, giving the Jags a 66-64 advantage. IPFW’s Antwaun Boyd raked Nobles across the wrists as the Louisville-native elevated and rattled home the top of the key jumper. Nobles pushed the lead out to six with consecutive mid-range jumpers.
IPFW (10-5, 5-1 Summit) got back within two after Frank Gaines picked off a
John Ashworth pass and skated coast-to-coast for a transition bucket.
Two possessions later, with Young on the bench, the biggest shot came from an unexpected source as sophomore
Sean Esposito made his first appearance of the game.
Stephen Thomas drove down the lane and kicked out to his former high school teammate, who’s shot hit the front of the rim and top of the backboard before dropping through.
IPFW scored the game’s next four points, starting with a pair of Ben Botts free throws and followed by a tip-in by Trey McCorkle with 31.6 seconds left. With four fouls to give, IPFW did so in rapid fire fashion with the final sending Thomas to the line for a one-and-one. The 78 percent shooter missed the front end, but immediately atoned for the mistake. As IPFW was running offense, Thomas stepped in front of a Zach Plackemeier reversal and was immediately intentionally fouled from behind by Botts.
Thomas stroked both freebies and then hit one more after receiving an inbounds pass on the ensuing possession.
“Stephen really wanted to make up for missing that free throw and he did it. You look for your upperclassmen to step up and make plays when it matters and he absolutely did,” Hunter said. “He made plays, Alex made some huge plays and Leroy made some really key shots, especially in the second half.”
Plackemeier missed a layup with seven seconds left and freshman
Donovan Gibbs blocked a putback attempt as the final seconds ticked away. Siakam ended the game with the ball in his hands, capping his second career double-double.
IUPUI ended the game with a 35-29 advantage on the glass and 16-8 edge off the offensive boards. The Jaguars outscored IPFW 16-8 on second chance points in the win, with Siakam leading the way with seven offensive caroms.
“We always talk about having everyone crash the glass,” Hunter said. “We don’t have that one guy who can go out and get 10 rebounds a game, so it takes a team effort to get the job done.”
IPFW came out blazing hot, surging out to 32-16 lead behind the guard trio of Botts, Plackemeier and Jeremy Mixon. Botts swished three triples in the game’s opening 6:19 before Young’s high school teammate, Mixon took over the offensive load. The 6-foot-1 guard scored 10 IPFW points in succession, including his first of two NBA range threes before halftime.
IUPUI chipped away, largely behind Siakam and Young, eventually pulling within 47-38 by halftime. Nobles and Young both hit threes in the final minute, capped by Young’s fallaway from the left wing as time expired.
IUPUI limited IPFW to just 36 percent shooting in the second half, but the Mastodons still finished the game at 52 percent overall and 45 percent from three. IUPUI shot just 47 percent from the field in the win.
Mixon led IPFW with 19 points, 17 of which came in the first half on 7-of-10 shooting. Botts added 18 on 6-of-9 from the floor and McCorkle finished with 11 points and nine boards.
IUPUI will return home for Summit League play, beginning with Thursday’s contest against North Dakota State at 7:00 p.m. inside The Jungle. Scott McCauley (play-by-play) and former Jaguar Angelo Smith (analyst) will call the action on 88.3 FM / The Walk, with pregame coverage beginning at approximately 6:55. The IUPUI men’s tennis team will be honored during that game as the top academic achieving team in the department for the first semester.
