INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI basketball team used a 23-3 run to start their lone exhibition game and coasted to an easy 85-55 win over Earlham College inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Friday night (Nov. 6). Junior Darell Combs scored a game-high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the win and he was joined in double-digits by both Nick Osborne and Matt O'Leary. Osborne connected for 17 points and eight rebounds while O'Leary chipped in 11 points and four assists. Darrell Hutchison led Earlham with 11 points and Taylen Alexander added 10. 

The Jags held Earlham to just 31 percent from the floor and overmatched the Quakers on the glass, 52-32. IUPUI used its superior size to outscore Earlham 48-16 in the paint. 

"I liked our energy and that we were able to get out and run some. Darell was ready to go tonight. They really didn't have an answer for him and he saw that and took advantage of it," IUPUI Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "We had 17 turnovers, which is too many for a game like this though. Some of it was just being careless with the basketball and some of it was just being early in the season and making mistakes. I thought we played hard and some of those new guys showed that they belong out there. 

"We've got a lot of work to do, but it was a good start tonight."

The Jaguars scored the game's opening five points on a Combs trey and Osborne layup before Earlham answered with a Hutchison baseline jumper. From there, IUPUI held the Quakers without a field goal for nearly nine minutes, building a 20-point lead capped by an Evan Hall steal and dunk. The lead grew as large as 24 before halftime when John Hubler swished a trey before the Jaguars ultimately took a 40-18 advantage to the break. 

Earlham closed within 17 early in the second half on a Hutchison three-point play, but the Jaguars quickly pushed the lead past 20 and had it on cruise for the second half. The Jaguars shot 50 percent from the floor after intermission, including hitting 5-of-11 second half three-point attempts. The 85 points was a welcome sight on the heels of a season in which the Jaguars averaged fewer than 61 points per game in 2014-15. 

"I think we're pretty deep because we've got 10 guys that can really play. Because of that, we're going to be able to get out and run and play faster than what we did last year. Tonight, I thought we got a little tired in the second half and that caused us to make some mistakes," Gardner said. 

Mason Archie finished with seven points, including a two-handed dunk in the first half to ignite the early run. Hall added six points and five boards off the bench and Marcellus Barksdale had eight boards and three assists on an otherwise tough shooting night. 

"Marcellus is our captain and just always does a little bit of everything out there," Gardner said. "I'm not worried about him not shooting it well tonight at all. Even when he's not shooting it well and not scoring the basketball, he's doing a lot of other things to help make us a good team."

The Jaguars delivered 21 assists on 33 field goals with Combs' five dimes leading the way. 

"The guys know I'm not selfish," Combs said. "They know if they cut and get open that I'll find them. I love playing with our bigs. They all know how to finish and make it easier on me."

Sophomore Leo Svete punctuated the win with a one-hander from the left side for the fifth and final IUPUI dunk of the evening. 

IUPUI will open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 13 at Indiana State in a 7:00 p.m. contest at the Hulman Center. That game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and heard on IUPUIJags.com as Morgan Adcock (pxp) calls the action.