Box Score I Box Score (.pdf) I Photo Gallery I Video Highlights I Todd Howard Postgame I Mitchell Patton Postgame

INDIANAPOLIS - Freshman Lyonell Gaines netted a season-best 17 points and sophomore Mitchell Patton tied his career-high with 13 points and notched his first career double-double as the Jaguars collected a 75-55 win over St. Joseph's College inside the Jungle on Friday (Dec. 16) night. The win was IUPUI's second straight to open the current six-game homestand.

Seniors Alex Young and Stephen Thomas also finished in double-digits with 13 each as IUPUI (4-8) held the Pumas to just 34 percent from the floor. Phillip Collins was the lone SJC (4-4) player in double-digits with 11 points.

"I thought we played pretty well. We had some really, really good stretches in there and some stretches in which we need to get a little better and get a little more continuity in there," Patton said. 

The Jaguars opted to keep the driver in the bag and focused more on the short game, making a concerted effort to get the ball inside from the outset. The end result was an early 13-5 lead that later swelled to 27-10 midway through the first half.

"We outsized them," Patton said. "We knew that if we got the ball and pounded it inside, it could get us off to a better start and that's what it did tonight."

"I thought we got off to a great start tonight," IUPUI head coach Todd Howard said. "They're a quality team. They climbed back in (the game). We got off to a great start in the second half and it climbed to 20. They did their part and cut it and then for it to get back to 25, I was very impressed.

"This was a game, I really don't think the stats showed how well we played. We missed some run out layups and missed some putbacks, that quite honestly, we've missed all year."

IUPUI bulldozed its way out to the 13-5 lead less than three minutes in with four of the five starters scoring, prompting a St. Joe's timeout before the first media timeout. The Jaguars dominate offensively, pushing the lead to 27-10 after Patton stuck a 17-footer off a Marcellus Barksdale feed at the 9:24 mark. However, the IUPUI offense went stagnant with Young on the bench with two fouls and was unable to net a field goal over the final 8:43 of the first half.

The Pumas closed within seven at 29-22 with 4:52 left before the break, but Thomas scored the final six points of the half at the foul line to stake the Jags to a 35-22 halftime advantage. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The second half started much the way the first did as IUPUI scored nine of the first 13 points to extend out to a 44-26 lead after a Christian Siakam layup with 17:10 to play. The lead grew as high as 20 before IUPUI hit another cold spell and allowed the guests to creep back in it. A 12-2 SJC rally took IUPUI's 19-point lead and whittled it down to nine when Collins threw down a two-handed dunk after a steal in the backcourt.

Unfettered, the Jaguars locked down on defense and scored the game's next 13 points to hem up the win. The first five points of the run came at the free throw line before Gaines made it 64-48 on a short jumper. The freshman pushed the lead out to 18 on IUPUI's next possession when he tipped in his own miss and later a Patton steal turned into a Young layup with just 3:18 to play. Gaines capped the run with another tip-in, this time collecting Thomas' miss.

IUPUI outscored the Pumas 18-10 at the charity stripe and outrebounded the guests 44-36. Patton grabbed a career-high 10 boards in 25 minutes work and Gaines added seven boards, six of which came off the offensive glass.

"I'm just making a more concentrated effort at going and getting every ball," Patton said. "I know if I get the rebounds, I'll get to play more."

Collins led St. Joe's with eight boards. The Pumas came into the contest hitting 44 percent from three through the season's first seven games, but were limited to just 3-of-16 (18.8 percent) on Friday. St. Joe's top gunner, Dayvon Sloan, was held to just eight points on 2-of-15 shooting and turned the ball over seven times.

The Jaguars outscored the guests 20-12 off turnovers in the win. IUPUI shot 42.2 percent overall and made 18-of-20 (90 percent) at the foul line. Gaines hit 7-of-10 shots and 3-of-3 from the line and Thomas was a perfect 8-of-8 from the line and handed out a team-high four assists. Five others delivered at least two helpers while four Jags collected at least two of the team's 14 steals.

The win game IUPUI back-to-back wins for the first time this season and improved the program's record to 2-0 versus SJC in the Division I era.

IUPUI will return to action on Monday (Dec. 19) night when the Jaguars host Ball State inside downtown Conseco Fieldhouse at 7:00 p.m.. The Cardinals won an earlier meeting between the two schools, 69-62 at Worthen Arena on Nov. 23. Scott McCauley (pxp) will call the game on WNDE with pregame coverage beginning at approximately 6:50. In addition, the game can be viewed on IUPUIJags.com as part of the IUPUI LIVE! subscription service.

Reserved seats are just $15 and IUPUI students are admitted for free at the door with a valid JagTag.