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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Senior guard Greg Rice came up short on a potential game-tying 12-foot floater with under three seconds to play as IUPUI fell to Lamar 86-82 at John Paul Jones Arena as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Tuesday (Nov. 20) night. Lamar closed the game by outscoring the Jaguars 25-12 over the final 5:45 after IUPUI (2-4) had taken a 70-61 lead with just under six minutes to play.

The loss was IUPUI's third straight and dropped the Jaguars to 1-3 in this year's preseason NIT event.

"The fifth game in nine days took its toll. We're certainly not happy with the results, but there's more important things around the corner like getting healthy and realizing what urgency means," IUPUI Head Coach Todd Howard said. "Despite practicing just 10 or 11 guys, we've had a great November. I wish the NIT schedule had meshed different with the Bradley game, but playing three games in four days will payoff later."

Junior center Mitchell Patton matched his career-high with 27 points and senior John Hart tallied 20 as the Jaguars shot 55 percent from the floor. Donley Minor led Lamar (1-4) with a career-high 22 points to pace six Cardinals in double-digits. Stan Brown scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and Keilan Blanks contributed 12 points and six assists off the bench.

IUPUI seemed prime to claim the victory after taking a 70-61 lead with 5:59 left when Rice picked Minor's pocket and raced the other way for a twisting layup. After both teams traded baskets on their next offensive possessions, Lamar got hot from the three-point line to quickly get back in the game. 

Blanks opened the run with a three and after a LU defensive stand, Matt Hancock dropped in an open three to make it a 72-69 game. Both teams traded misses before Hart pushed IUPUI's lead out to five on a jumper on a curl.

Blanks countered with a three from the baseline to make it 74-72 and Minor tied the game at 74 all with 3:24 left after an IUPUI turnover. Minor put the Cardinals in front for good with a transition basket with 2:32 to play after yet another IUPUI turnover.

IUPUI had chances down the stretch, but was unable to capitalize on opportunities in the final minutes. Trailing 80-77 with 1:01 left, Donovan Gibbs stole Lamar's inbounds pass, but IUPUI returned the favor when a Cardinal deflected a pass off Hart and out of bounds, giving the ball back to the victors with under a minute to play.

With IUPUI forced to foul to extend the game, Indianapolis-native Donnell Minton made four straight free throws for Lamar to help offset a Patton jumper and Hart three at the other end. However, the door was left cracked open when LU's Rhon Mitchell missed the frontend of a one-and-one with 10 seconds to play, but Rice came up short on the game tying attempt.

Rice had nine points and a career-high eight assists and Gibbs finished with eight points and 10 boards. Hart and Patton combined to make 19-of-25 shots and all six of their free throw attempts.

Lamar finished by hitting better than 49 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Jaguars 37-28. The Cardinals used the rebounding advantage to outscore IUPUI 14-4 on second chance points.

"We were up 12 and the starters were fabulous out of the gates in both halves," Howard said. "I'm confident in all this team is about - we just ran into some misfortune and we've faced five of six opponents that were in postseason play last year.

"I see so many positives. We've got a home game and then (Summit) league play. Those two things have to get you excited about getting better."

IUPUI blasted out to a 14-2 lead including eight quick points from Hart in the opening 4:25. The Purdue-transfer contributed a three-point play and later swished a wing trey to give the Jaguars an early double-digit lead. Lamar immediately responded with a 10-2 run, but the Jaguars refused to relinquish the lead at any point in the first half. Lamar finally pulled even at 33 all at the 3:21 mark when Donley Minor swished an open 17-footer, but IUPUI came back with a Hart pull-up jumper.

Lamar tied the game two more times in the first half before Patton sent IUPUI to the break with a 39-37 lead on a short jumper with four seconds remaining.

IUPUI will return to action after the Thanksgiving holiday when the Jaguars host IU East on Monday (Nov. 26) at 7:00 p.m. inside The Jungle. Pregame coverage will begin on WNDE 1260 AM as Scott McCauley (pxp) calls the action, beginning at 6:45. The game can be viewed online through the IUPUI LIVE! subscription service and tickets are available by contacting John Rasmussen at jrrasmus@iupui.edu or 317-274-5453.