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INDIANAPOLIS - For the second straight game, the IUPUI basketball team struggled to find the range from all different angles as the Jaguars dropped a 66-64 decision at home to Eastern Michigan on Sunday (Nov. 20) night. The loss was IUPUI's third straight, all as part of the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Classic.

IUPUI (1-3) hit just 31.1 percent from the floor and 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) from three in the loss while Eastern Michigan (3-1) hit better than 51 percent from the field.

Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Alex Young had a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds, but was just 7-of-22 overall and 2-of-11 from three. Sophomore Ian Chiles added 17 off the bench and freshman Lyonell Gaines chipped in 10 points and seven boards.

Darrell Lampley led four EMU players in double-figures with 16 points and Antonio Green scored 14. Big man Matt Balkema finished with 13 and Indiana-native J.R. Sims closed with 11 off the bench.

"We are certainly playing well enough to win. We need a break to go our way, and it will," IUPUI Head Coach Todd Howard said. "Our defense has been unreal. We just need to convert and have our confidence swell. Some of the guys that have stepped up speaks to the depth and talent we have. We are only concerned with the process. Shots will fall and that's the missing ingredient."

Despite the shooting discrepancy, the two teams locked in a back-and-forth game, especially in the second half when the lead changed times 12 times. A Young three-point play with 5:48 to play put the Jags in front 51-50, but EMU later responded with five straight points including a Green three from the right wing. However, IUPUI got back-to-back three-point plays from Gaines and Chiles to eventually knot the score at 59 with 1:50 to play. Gaines' old fashioned triple came on a transition basket while Chiles scored on an acrobatic drive from the left wing.  

On EMU's ensuing possession, Lampley split a pair of free throws, giving the Jags the ball down by a point. With the shot clock under 10, Young misfired on a long three and Green grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled. After he hit both freebies, IUPUI's Stephen Thomas hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead back to one with 42 seconds left.

Kamil Janton scored on a reverse layup off a nice lead pass from Lampley with 18.8 seconds left, prompting an IUPUI timeout. Out of the timeout, Thomas missed a 14-footer to end IUPUI's hopes.

Thomas scored seven points and delivered a career-high seven assists, largely knifing through the top of the Eagles' 2-3 zone defense.

IUPUI started slowly, missing its first 12 field goal attempts before a Young putback with 12:59 left before halftime cut EMU's lead to 12-4. The Jaguars finally crawled all the way back with 2:18 left before the break when freshman Marcellus Barksdale connected for a three-point play along the baseline after a bullet pass from Thomas. The free throw put the Jaguars up 23-22, but time didn't even tick off the clock before EMU regained the lead. Young was called for a dead ball technical foul after the play and Green hit both foul shots to make it 24-23. EMU's lead grew to 28-23 before Thomas hit a fast break layup as time expired to make it 28-25 at the half.

"Starting games missing layups hurts," Howard said. "Those shots will fall."

Even the free throw line betrayed IUPUI early as the Jaguars missed six early before hitting their final 15 of the game to finish at 79 percent while EMU hit 21-of-30 (70 percent). Chiles hit 8-of-9 from the line in 22 minutes work.

Young was the lone IUPUI starter to reach double-digits as the bench scored 30 of the team's 64. His 14 boards marked a new career high and pushed him over 500 for his career, becoming the 13th player in school history to do so. It was also his seventh career double-double.  

Typically dependable big man Christian Siakam scored just two and was limited to 11 minutes because of foul trouble.

"Alex plays 15 minutes Friday and Siakam only plays 11 tonight," Howard said. "Other than Oct. 14, today's shootaround was the first time all 13 guys practiced.

"Finding our rhythm has been the issue so far."

The loss dropped IUPUI to 0-3 all-time against EMU.

IUPUI's busy early season slate will continue on Wednesday (Nov. 23) when the Jaguars head up I-69 to take on Ball State inside Worthen Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. with pregame coverage on WNDE 1260 expected to start at approximately 6:50. Scott McCauley (play-by-play) will call the action from courtside in Muncie.