INDIANAPOLIS – On a cold Saturday in Indianapolis, the IUPUI basketball team was the exact opposite. In front of an enthusiastic crowd, the Jaguars picked up their second win in as many days, defeating Eastern Michigan, 83-71 in the championship game of the Indianapolis Subregional of the 2K Classic.
 
If the perimeter players were the stars of Friday's win, the interior players stole the limelight on Saturday. The two teams battled down low throughout, but the Jaguars were able to match the physicality of Eastern Michigan to control the paint, outrebounding the Eagles by a 42-37 margin. The Jags held Eastern Michigan to just 37 percent shooting from the field while knocking down 47 percent at the other end.
 
"I thought it was a hard fought game, both sides were very competitive," Head Coach Jason Gardner said following the win, "I thought our bigs did a great job on the glass. I thought our energy and effort as far handling their athleticism was good.
 
"I think the guys have been a little bit more locked in. They've been on point as far as the scouting reports. They've really been hammering down in the film sessions."
 
Sophomore Evan Hall led the Jags in rebounds with a career-high 11 and added 12 points to record his first double-double of his career. Senior Matt O'Leary also cleaned up the glass with nine rebounds, falling one short of his second consecutive double-double.

"They were letting us play in the paint on all of the rebounds, so if you didn't bring the energy you weren't going to get any boards," O'Leary said.
 
O'Leary, who was named to the All-Tournament Team for the Subregional, added four assists to his stat line. He repeatedly worked the high post to set up Hall and Aaron Brennan, who chipped in with 13 points off the bench, for easy layups throughout the game.
 
"We work on that every day," O'Leary laughed, "I get in the high post, them doing their work down low, and I try to feed the big fellas whenever I can."
 
The guards still played a major role in picking up the victory. Seniors Kellon Thomas and Darell Combs combined on 13 assists and helped the Jags initiate the offense and handle the Eastern Michigan pressure. The Jaguars assisted on 21 of their 27 made field goals.
 
"I think it's huge to have that leadership from some seniors that have been in crucial games and been through some adversity," Gardner said, "I think they just bring a lot of understanding of how to close games."
 
Junior Ron Patterson led the Jags in scoring with 17 points, breaking his previous career-high of 15 that he set in the previous game. He was also named MVP of the Subregional tournament. Thomas contributed 14 points to go with his six assists and Combs added nine points.

IUPUI hit 10-of-20 from three-point range, building on the previous day's 12-of-30 effort. The game was decided as IUPUI reeled off an 18-0 run late in the first half to turn a 20-18 deficit into a 36-20 lead just before halftime. The Jags yielded a bunny at the final horn to make it 36-22 at the break.

The Jaguars will be back in action on Tuesday when they will face Marquette on the road. The game is at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports 1.