Game Notes (.pdf)

INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI basketball team will continue the final three-game homestand of the season on Saturday (Feb. 15) when the Jaguars host South Dakota (9-15, 3-6 Summit) inside the Jungle for a 2:00 p.m. tip. The game can be heard on iHeartRadio as Will Flemming (pxp) and Manny Randhawa (analyst) call the action from courtside. Pregame coverage will begin at approximately 1:45 p.m.. 

The game can also be viewed as part of the IUPUI LIVE! subscription service. 

The Jaguars turned in their best defensive effort of the season in Thursday's 59-49 victory over Denver, limiting the Pioneers to just 40 percent shooting. The 49 points were Denver's fewest of the season and the least by an IUPUI foe since March of last season. IUPUI (6-21, 1-9) used a 17-5 run spanning both halves to take control of the game and led the entire second half. 

Senior center Mitch Patton turned in his seventh straight double-digit scoring effort of the season with 14 points and sophomore Marcellus Barksdale added 13 points, five boards and a career-high eight assists in the victory. With Barksdale leading the way, the IUPUI offense was firing on all cylinders in the second half, shooting 63 percent from the floor, going 10-of-18 after the break. Every time Denver seemed to make a move, IUPUI had an immediate answer on every occasion. Senior Donovan Gibbs stroked a key three and Justus Stanback had an important layup to hold off the Pioneers. 

Junior Khufu Najee and redshirt freshman Elijah Ray each scored 12 with the latter grabbing a game-high six boards. IUPUI won the glass 27-23 with all seven players grabbing at least two boards. Denver hit just 9-of-25 shots in the second half to close at 40 percent for the game. Ray has emerged on the scene of late, averaging 10.5 points and 4.3 boards per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor over the past four games. The 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman made his first career start on Thursday and hit 4-of-6 shots from the field. 

South Dakota comes in having lost six of seven games, including two straight on the road at Denver and Fort Wayne. The Coyotes trailed by as many as 18 in the first half at Fort Wayne on Thursday, but rallied to take a second half lead before ultimately falling 75-69. Karim Rowson led four Yotes in double-digits with 15 points and Trevor Gruis added 14 points, eight boards and seven blocked shots. Trey Norris chipped in 13 points off the bench and sophomore Tyler Flack scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. 

Gruis enters Saturday's game leading USD in scoring (12.3 ppg), rebounding (6.3 rpg) and field goal percentage (56.5 percent). Sharpshooter Brandon Bos is second on the squad at 12.0 points per game and has connected on 33 threes in 24 games. Casey Kasperbauer leads the squad with 40 three-point makes off the bench. 

IUPUI comes in to Saturday's game seeking consecutive league wins for the first-time since February 2012. USD leads the all-time series between the two schools, 4-1. 

The last meeting between the two schools resulted in a 69-57 USD win, led by Bos' 21 points. Gruis chipped in 18 points, six boards and four assists in the Coyotes' win. On the flip side, Najee led the Jaguars with 12 points and Gibbs tallied 11 points and seven boards in the loss.