OMAHA, Neb. -
Mikale Rogers poured in a season-high 21 points on 8-of-19 shooting, but the rest of the Jaguars struggled from the floor combining to shoot 28.6 percent as Omaha handed IUPUI a 66-49 loss Saturday afternoon at Sapp Fieldhouse.
The loss dropped the Jags to 7-11 overall and 2-3 in the Summit League, while Omaha improved to 6-10 overall and 1-4 in the conference.
In road games this season, IUPUI has struggled with assists and turnovers and that trend showed up again on Saturday as the Jaguars registered just six assists while committing 20 turnovers.
The Mavericks had three players reach double figures in scoring led by Remy Davenport's 13 points.
"I'm extremely disappointed in our team's effort on this road trip. We got outhustled and they were tougher going after rebounds and loose balls," head coach
Austin Parkinson said. "As a coach, I have to do a better job getting our kids to compete at a high level."
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively in the first 10 minutes resulting in Omaha taking a 12-8 lead, but the Mavericks were able to extend their lead to double-digits by the eight-minute mark, 22-12.
Over the next five minutes, the Jags hit a few three's to spur a 15-4 run that catapulted them in front, 27-26, with a little more than three minutes to play in the first half.
Down the stretch, the Jaguars were able to use a
Shanika Maddox lay-up with 53 seconds to send them into the half with a 31-30 advantage.
Unfortunately for IUPUI, the Mavericks went on a 15-6 run over the first eight minutes of the second half to take a 45-37 lead. Rogers scored four straight points to bring IUPUI within five, 46-41, with 9:30 remaining, but an 11-1 Mavericks spurt pushed them out to a 57-42 cushion with 6:50 on the clock.
The Jags made a surge to close within eight, 57-49, with 4:20 to go, but IUPUI just could not close within single digits the rest of the way before falling by a score of 66-49.
IUPUI returns home on Jan. 22, when they host Denver at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The game is the first of a men's and women's doubleheader and it is set to begin at 5 p.m.
