VERMILLION, S.D. - The IUPUI basketball team got big efforts from Marcellus Barksdale and Mason Archie, II, but an odd sequence midway through the second half turned a one-possession game into a double-digit deficit as the Jags eventually fell, 77-62 to South Dakota inside DakotaDome on Saturday (Feb. 21). Barksdale finished with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots and Archie pumped in 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, but the rest of the squad contributed just 21 points as IUPUI (9-19, 5-9 Summit) fell for the sixth time in seven games. Archie and Barksdale combined to hit 15-of-21 shots as the rest of the squad was a combined 9-of-24 from the floor. 

Tyler Larson led four Coyotes in double-digits with 21 points and 13 boards and Tre Burnette added 12 points. Both Trey Norris and Brandon Bos contributed 11 points apiece for South Dakota (15-14, 8-6). 

IUPUI trailed 56-53 and had possession of the ball with just more than 10 minutes to play, but a disastrous sequence led to seven quick USD points, all from Trey Norris, to push the hosts lead to 10. D.J. McCall rebounded a Norris miss, but turned the ball over to the USD guard in the backcourt. McCall compounded the issue when he was called for a flagrant foul as Norris scored the transition layup. Norris then hit both free throws, giving him four points on the play. 

On the ensuing possession, Norris stroked a three from the top of the key, pushing the Yotes lead to 10. 

"A seven-point swing like that is hard to overcome. That took all the momentum and swung it in their direction," IUPUI Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "That's something you really don't see. Even if we can get a stop after the four-point play, it doesn't kill you. But to give up seven (points) like that is tough."

The seven-point trip came on the heels of an IUPUI mini 5-0 run that had trimmed an eight-point deficit back to three. After IUPUI had clawed back within two on a Leo Svete free throw, Larson hit back-to-back threes with 13:37 left, forcing Gardner to call timeout. His troops responded with a Barksdale runner and an Archie three to regain traction. 

IUPUI got back within eight on a Josh James putback with 6:46 to play, but USD finished the game with an 11-2 run to seal the outcome. 

"I'm not pleased with how we played defensively and I'm not happy with how we rebounded today," Gardner said. "They got 21 more shot attempts than we did and it was because we didn't keep them off the glass and we turned it over too much. We shot 53 percent and they shot 42 percent, but still beat us because of those two things.

"We're going to get back to work and correct those issues."

South Dakota exploded out to a 7-0 start and pushed the lead to nine when Larson and Casey Kasperbauer hit back-to-back threes in the opening four minutes. The Jaguars were equally deft from long range though and eventually tied the game at 21 all when Archie knocked in a midrange jumper. South Dakota led 40-37 at the break, despite the Jaguars scoring the final four points of the half on drives from Barksdale and McCall. 

In a game in which they never led, IUPUI got within one at 46-45 on two Barksdale free throws at the 16:16 mark, but USD responded with four points from redshirt freshman Austin Sparks before the game turned against the Jags just minutes later. 

South Dakota committed just seven turnovers and converted 17 IUPUI miscues into 24 points. The Yotes also won the glass 33-27, including grabbing 17 offensive boards and flipping those into 13 second chance points.

IUPUI came in shorthanded with usual starters Aaron Brennan and Khufu Najee missing the game due to injuries. Sophomore Elijah Ray responded with five points and three boards in his first start of the season while James added two points, two rebounds and two blocked shots in 16 minutes or action. 

The loss kept IUPUI winless all-time inside DakotaDome as the Jaguars dropped to 0-4 in road games at USD. The two schools split this year's regular season series as the Jaguars had previously handed the Yotes a 15-point loss in Indianapolis. 

The Jaguars will return home for a two-game homestand, beginning with Thursday's contest with Western Illinois inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum tipping at 7:00 p.m.. That game will be televised on HTSN and ESPN3 as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Bob Lovell (analyst) calling the action. The game will also be heard on WNDE 1260 AM as Will Flemming (pxp) is on the call. Saturday's game has been dubbed 'Day of Champions' as the IUPUI Athletics Department will honor a number of groups, including the senior class of Najee and DavRon Williams prior to the game. In addition, IUPUI will pay homage to former ABA players in attendance during halftime of the contest and has invited back members of the 1984-85 and 1989-90 District 21 Championship teams for a pregame reception.