Box Score I Box Score (.html) I Box Score (.pdf) I Photo Gallery I Video Highlights I Justus Stanback Postgame

INDIANAPOLIS - It was a feel good sort of evening for the IUPUI basketball team as the Jaguars coasted to an 88-53 non-conference win over IU Northwest inside the Jungle on Tuesday (Nov. 19) night. Freshman Justus Stanback led five Jags in double-digits with a season-high 15 points off the bench and Khufu Najee, Ian Chiles and Ja'Rob McCallum all added 11 apiece in the win. Senior Mitch Patton rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points and seven rebounds.

IUPUI (1-3) limited IU Northwest (2-4) to just 24.2 percent shooting from the field, marking the lowest by a Jaguar opponent in the program's Division I era. The previous low was a 25.8 percent effort by Michigan Tech on Nov. 12, 2008. 

The Jaguars used an early 16-0 run to essentially turn it into a laugher early. 

"The guys came ready and willing to play with effort. They were excited to be great teammates and execute at a high level," IUPUI Head Coach Todd Howard said. "Seeing guys execute for their teammates shows this group is climbing. This was what this group needs. We have been readying a group into a ton of new roles with Ian, Khufu and the freshman class. We like how we came out tonight."

IUPUI showed some continuity on Tuesday, using the same starting lineup for the third time in four games. However, the minutes were spread nearly evenly as 10 Jaguars played double-digit minutes and nobody played more than Stanback's 24 minutes. 

The Jaguars surged out to an 8-2 lead on two Chiles' threes, but IUN's Brandon Grubl hit a 28-footer to cut IUPUI's early lead to 8-5. That's when IUPUI launched a 16-0 run over the game's next six minutes, running away and hiding from the Redhawks. Points came in threes as Najee and Patton sandwiched old fashioned three-point plays around P.J. Hubert's first made trey of the season. Later, McCallum scored five points in succession on a 14-foot pull-up jumper, followed by an open wing three at the 11:35 mark.  

Even after the Redhawks broke the run, IUPUI kept the heat on as Howard had an opportunity to extend his bench and use some different combinations. The Jaguars led by as many as 28 in the first half before taking a 43-17 lead to the break. IUPUI turned the ball over just two times in the first half, helping build a huge lead despite shooting under 41 percent in the opening 20 minutes. 

The second half had a much more ragged feel as the Jaguars led by nearly 30 throughout the second half. Stanback highlighted the effort with 13 of his 15 coming in the second half and Hubert dropped in a late four-point play to push the advantage to 35. The final 35-point margin represented the Jaguars' biggest win since trouncing UMKC 103-65 on Feb. 18, 2010 - the same night in which Hall of Famer George Hill's No. 3 jersey was retired. 

IUPUI finished the game shooting 43.4 percent from the field and outrebounding the Redhawks 50-44. The Jaguars outscored the smaller Redhawks 32-16 in the paint, while forcing 16 IUN miscues. On the heels of being shutout against Southeast Missouri last Saturday, the IUPUI bench erupted for 51 points with six different players contributing. 

"We've just been practicing against the starting unit on giving it our all," Stanback said. "The bench wanted to come and prove a point. The team gave me an opportunity to score, getting me open shots.

"We all wanted to contribute."

Hubert had nine points and Elijah Ray tallied eight points and three rebounds. Both Cortell Busby and Josh James finished with four points each. Sophomore Marcellus Barksdale led the Jaguars with 10 rebounds and the frontcourt duo of Patton and Donovan Gibbs added 15 caroms. Gibbs, playing in his 100th career game on Tuesday, made his 36th straight start while no other Jaguar has started more than four straight games. McCallum had his best game in an IUPUI uniform, hitting 5-of-11 shots and dishing out a pair of assists in 18 minutes. 

"It was good to see Ja'Rob and P.J. get opportunities out in the offense," Howard said. "Really, there were so many high notes. You look at Barksdale's 10 rebounds and having five guys in double-figures. We were a collective group on both ends and that's a mindset. 

"This group is growing."

Grubl led IUN with nine points on 4-of-10 shooting and Cody Artuso added four points and nine boards.

IUPUI will now embark on a string of four straight games away from home, beginning with Friday's (Nov. 22) contest at Northwestern as part of the Continental Tires Las Vegas Invitational. That game is slated to begin at 8:00 p.m. inside Welsh-Ryan Arena and can be watched on the Big Ten Digital Network. The game can also be heard on WNDE 1260 AM as Will Flemming (pxp) is on the call.