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INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI Red-White Scrimmage launched the 2015-16 basketball seasons for the IUPUI men's and women's basketball teams on Tuesday night (Oct. 27) in The Jungle, giving an entertaining preview of the upcoming season. In the women's game, the Red squad captured a 34-31 win in the 20-minute game, while the Red was also victorious in the men's game, winning 51-45. 

The women's program also earned bragging rights over the men's squad in the team scored three-point competition, edging the men's team 63-62. 

Men's Red-White Scrimmage
Sophomore Aaron Brennan and senior Marcellus Barksdale powered the Red squad to a 51-45 victory in the nightcap, closing the night's events. Brennan scored nine of his 13 points in the first half and Barksdale finished with 12 points, 12 boards and five assists in 20 minutes of action. The Red team closed the first half with an impressive run to take a 30-22 lead, but the White squad fired back at the start of the second half. Junior Darell Combs led the run with a 16-footer and a trey, but ultimately, the Red squad held strong. 

Sophomore Leo Svete also finished in double-digits for the red team with 11 points, including hitting 3-of-5 from deep. 

Combs and Matt O'Leary led White with 13 points each and Syracuse-transfer Ron Patterson chipped in 12 points in the loss. Patterson opened the action with an impressive one-handed dunk off a lob on the game's first possession. 

The Red squad shot 47.7 percent from the floor and 5-of-13 (38.5 percent) from three-point range, while Team White made just 39 percent from the floor in defeat. 

"This brings back a lot of memories - humble beginnings for sure," Barksdale said of being back in The Jungle on Tuesday. "It's always competitive. We're out here celebrating our fans, giving back to them, but at the same time, once we get between these lines, it's game time. We weren't going to lose this game tonight.

"(The transfers) have been here over a year now and the camaraderie is there and the chemistry is there. Those guys can play." More here from Barksdale

Two of the transfers, Nick Osborne and Jordan Pickett, were sidelined on Tuesday, as was true freshman Evan Hall. 

Click here to see more from Barksdale

Women's Red-White Scrimmage 
The evening started with the women's scrimmage as Head Coach Austin Parkinson's squad split into red and black for a contest of four five-minute quarters. 

"It was great for the kids to be able to put the uniforms on and compete with all the fans here," Coach Parkinson said. "It was good to get out there and play. I thought the kids played hard and it was a good start to the season." 

After a defensive battle to start the first period, the red squad got rolling as freshman Sydney Hall threw a backdoor cut to senior Akilah Sims for an assist. Hall buried a trifecta on the ensuing possession. 

The black squad took over in the second quarter as freshman Ja'Nae Williams knocked down a triple early on. Junior Mikale Rogers and sophomore Jenna Gunn got a pair of easy buckets on assists from sophomore Martha Burse and freshman Sara Ross. The black team held a 15-12 lead heading to the half. 

The third quarter was much of the same as the black squad took a 23-18 lead into the fourth. A quick run by the red squad turned the tide as Hall found senior Nicole Rogers for a three on the left wing. Hall stole the following inbounds pass that resulted in the lead-changing bucket for a 26-25 lead in favor of the red. The red squad would close out the game by a final of 34-31. 

Sophomore Danielle Lawrence tallied a game-high 11 points and six rebounds for the black squad in just 16 minutes played. Mikale Rogers dropped in eight points and five boards for the black as well. Senior Shaquira Scott reached double digits with 10 points on the red squad while Sims and Hall tallied seven points apiece for the red.

Three-Point Contest
Between the women's and men's scrimmages, the teams battled in a three-point contest, cumulatively scored in the winner-take-all event. There was high drama in the end as the women's team knocked off the men 63-62.
 
"It was pretty fun," said senior Nicole Rogers. "It was our first scrimmage together with the men and first three-point contest. It was fun to win the first one."
 
Freshman Sydney Hall led off the event for the women with eight points before the men's turn and senior Mason Archie put them in the lead with ten. Junior Caitlyn Tolen scored 12 but freshman #T.J. Henderson# put the men up five with his 15 makes.
 
After three rounds, the lead stayed at five when senior Akilah Sims and sophomore Leo Svete each scored 11 points. In round four, the women got a point back when junior Kelsi Byrd hit 16 threes and John Hubler hit 15.
 
Coming in to the last round, the women needed a strong performance from Rogers and they certainly got it. Rogers hit 16 threes including all five from the top of the key.
 
Needing 12 threes to tie and 13 to win junior Matt O'Leary had 10 points going in to the final five shots but missed four of his last five points to finish with a score of 11, giving the women the victory.
 
"Kelsi did a good job of getting us up," said Rogers. "All of the girls did a good job. It made my job easy. Gave me confidence."

Both the men's and women's teams will host exhibition games next week with the women playing host to St. Joseph's College on Wednesday night (Nov. 4) and the men hosting Earlham College on Friday (Nov. 6). Both games will begin at 7:00 p.m..