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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - WKU's Jamal Crook had 25 points and nine assists as the host Hilltoppers shot nearly 56 percent from the floor en route to a 77-57 win over the Jaguars at E.A. Diddle Arena on Saturday (Dec. 8) afternoon.

Sophomore guard Jordan Shanklin scored a career-high 13 points in the loss and junior Ian Chiles matched him for team-high honors in his 2012-13 debut. Chiles had missed the season's first 10 games due to injury.

Despite Chiles' return to the rotation, the Jaguars were still not completely healthy as they were without center Mitchell Patton for the first time all year and had sophomore Marcellus Barksdale miss his fifth straight contest. Conversely, WKU was without top scorer T.J. Price, who suffered an ankle injury in the host Hilltoppers' most recent outing.

"Mitch was a game time decision and was a 'no go'," IUPUI head coach Todd Howard said. "He played less than half of the Butler game and just couldn't practice or play this week. However, it was good to see Ian out there after missing five weeks.

"Our effort on the road must be matched with execution. Our turnovers have given life to the opponent. That's an aspect that must improve and I think will improve."

IUPUI (3-8) weathered multiple first half storms before ultimately trailing 34-25 at the break. Down 13-10 with just more than 11 minutes left in the first half, WKU guard Kevin Kaspar hit back-to-back threes in 26 seconds to put the hosts in front 19-10 at the 10:35 mark. The Jaguars responded with eight straight points, including two Shanklin treys, but never got completely over the hump before the break.

The hosts capped the first half with a 7-2 run to take a nine-point lead.

Senior Greg Rice pulled the Jags within seven on a drive with 18:32 to play, but WKU (8-2) immediately answered with a Brandon Harris three to take a double-digit lead. Twice the Jags again cut the lead under 10, but both times saw the hosts immediately respond with a bucket.

IUPUI's already uphill battle got even steeper early in second half when Donovan Gibbs was forced to the bench after picking up his third and fourth fouls before five minutes had elapsed. From there, the Jaguars were all but forced to play with four guards with Lyonell Gaines in the middle.

Chiles made it 43-33 with 15:59 to play, but Western countered with a decisive 9-0 run to seize control. Crook scored seven straight to ignite the run before Shanklin's high school teammate, George Fant, cashed in on a pair of free throws.

Even when IUPUI made play positive plays, some ended with negative results, thwarting any hopes of a comeback. Gaines swished a pair of free throws with just under 11 minutes to play and IUPUI called timeout to employ a full-court press. IUPUI got a much needed turnover along the sideline when John Hart picked off a pass, but falling out of bounds, the Purdue-transfer had to blindly throw the ball back towards the middle of the action. His pass hit WKU's Percy Blade in stride near midcourt and resulted in an easy transition bucket the other way.

IUPUI finished the game shooting just 36.4 percent from the floor and 6-of-20 (30 percent) from three-point range. Without Patton, IUPUI struggled on the glass, being outrebounded 35-28 and was outscored 30-16 in the paint. Hart grabbed a season-high eight (five offensive) boards in the loss while Harris, a 6-foot-1 guard, grabbed eight for the Toppers.

Fant finished with 13 points and six boards in 37 minutes and made 5-of-9 free throws after badly missing his first four attempts. The uber quick Crook hit 11-of-17 shots, mostly from inside the arc and around the rim.

Chiles was 4-of-11 in 24 minutes work off the IUPUI bench and an efficient 4-of-5 at the foul line. Shanklin hit 4-of-6 three-point attempts and also delivered two assists while playing a career-high 30 minutes. Rice had seven points in limited minutes and Gaines, starting in Patton's stead, had seven points and six boards in 37 minutes.

"Being without four or five players takes its toll," Howard said. "Getting back home is a welcomed opportunity. Hopefully these open looks will fall.

"We'll get back in the gym and get healthy."

The loss was IUPUI's fourth straight, all on the road, and made for a home-and-home series split with WKU after last season's win in Indianapolis.

IUPUI will return home to host IU-Northwest on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7:00 p.m. inside The Jungle. Tickets are available by contacting John Rasmussen at jrrasmus@iupui.edu or 317-274-5453. Tuesday's game can be heard on WNDE 1260 AM, WNDE.com and through the free iHeartRadio app avaiable on smartphones. Scott McCauley (pxp) will call the action from courtside with pregame coverage beginning at approximately 6:45 p.m.. The game can also be viewed online through the IUPUI LIVE! subscription service.