SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The IUPUI senior class of Khufu Najee and DavRon Williams obviously wanted their college careers to extend for at least another night. While both put up two of their best performances of the 2014-15 season, the Jaguars fell just short of upsetting No. 3 Oral Roberts, dropping a 58-56 decision in The Summit League Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday night (Mar. 8). Najee scored a game-high 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and Williams finished with his third career double-double, contributing 14 points and a career-high 16 boards in his final game. 

Obi Emegano led three Oral Roberts (18-13) played in double-digits with 14 points in the victory. 

"I love this team and this group of guys," IUPUI Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "They gave me all they had all season long and that's all you can ask. I just told them in the locker room that I love each and every one of them. They'll always be my first team. My first win, my first road win, my first league win - all of that. As a coach, those are things you don't forget.

"Tonight was no different. We didn't get the outcome we wanted, but they left it all out there."

The game featured 13 ties and neither team led by more than four points as IUPUI (10-21) dictated tempo from the outset. IUPUI struggled from the floor for much of the first half, starting 3-of-12 from the floor before getting four straight makes near the middle of the frame. Freshman Aaron Brennan started the string with a baseline jumper before Najee hit three straight buckets, matching three consecutive ORU connections. Oral Roberts eventually took a 27-25 halftime lead, aided by a Bobby Word free throw with 0.5 seconds left before the break. 

ORU opened the second half with a Brandon Conley dunk, but IUPUI eventually went ahead 33-32 with a Brennan layup. The game remained close throughout, but Oral Roberts looked primed for victory when it went ahead 50-46 on an Emegano jumper with 2:10 to play. However, Williams skied for a putback with 1:34 remaining, capping a possession in which he got three looks at the rim. IUPUI pulled within one with 52.5 seconds left when Williams split a pair of free throws, but Emegano answered with two makes at the other end. 

After Najee missed a 17-footer, ORU went ahead 53-49 when Conley split two free throws. Najee kept hope alive by splashing just his sixth trey of the season to make it a one-point margin with 18 seconds left. IUPUI extended the game by fouling and Emegano made two more freebies, but P.J. Boutte raced the other way for a contested layup with 12.1 seconds left. ORU continued to cash in at the line when Adrion Webber hit a pair and the Golden Eagles opted to foul in the closing seconds, rather than allow a look at a potential game-tying three. 

Boutte missed the frontend of a one-and-one opportunity with four seconds left, but the rebound caromed off an ORU player, giving the Jaguars possession with 2.5 seconds left. Najee inbounded to a wide open Williams for a layup, but by the time the Jaguars fouled, just 0.5 seconds remained. Webber hit 1-of-2 foul shots and Williams' full court heave at the final horn fell well short of target. 

"We drew up a play to try and get (Archie) a look and I kind of think Khufu just got caught up in the moment and threw it to DavRon," Gardner said.

Najee, who was a late addition to the starting five, was dynamic in his final game, hitting an array of jumpers and handing out a team-high three assists in the loss. Williams was equally impressive, battling underneath on a 6-of-15 shooting night to grab nine offensive boards, helping the Jags collect 12 second chance points. His 16 rebounds were an IUPUI record in tournament play and the most in a Summit League Tournament game by any player since 2010. 

"Those are two guys that have their stuff together," Gardner said. "They both have their degrees and they do things the right way. They're kind of those foundation pieces you have to have in your program. I can point to their success off the basketball court and they provide role models for the younger guys.

"You're not going to find two better men to represent what we're about and our program."

Brennan chimed in with eight points off the bench and Archie added five in the loss. IUPUI shot just 37 percent from the floor and 2-of-9 from three-point range. However, the Jaguars turned it over a season-low seven times. 

Aaron Young and Bobby Word scored 10 points each for the Golden Eagles and Denell Henderson contributed nine points and seven boards. The win gave ORU a three-game sweep of the Jaguars this season and extended the Golden Eagles winning streak to eight over the Jaguars. It was also IUPUI's fourth consecutive first round tournament exit. 

Looking ahead at next year, IUPUI will welcome four Division I transfers who sat out this season and has already signed Second Team All-City point guard T.J. Henderson.

"I have to say our future looks very bright," Gardner said. "We had a lot of guys get a lot of experience this year. This group grew up a ton over the course of the year. Then you add four guys that have major Division I experience and it's going to be an absolute battle for playing time next season. That competition alone is going to make us much better and help win a lot of basketball games."