EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The IUPUI basketball team struggled to get out of its own way on Saturday (Nov. 26) as the Jaguars suffered a 61-58 post-Thanksgiving loss at SIUE to drop to 2-4 to start the season. Despite shooting just 38 percent overall and 4-of-16 from three-point range, the Jaguars were still in position to claim a much needed road win to get back to .500 on the year. 

Senior Matt O'Leary shouldered the offensive load with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting and classmate Darell Combs added 16 points, including some clutch late threes. However, his desperation attempt on the game's final possession was well off the mark as the host Cougars (3-3) cleaned the glass to secure the win. 

"We just missed far too many layups today and it came back to hurt us. It wasn't just one player and it wasn't just once or twice that it happened. It seemed like every time we started to get a little momentum or would start to go on a run, we'd miss an easy one or give up an offensive rebound," IUPUI Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "Those are things that kill you, especially in close games.

"You can't shoot under 40 percent on the road and expect to win."

IUPUI's (2-4) offense was in an extended slumber to start the second half until O'Leary finally took charge with more than 10 minutes elapsed. Junior Aaron Brennan tallied the Jags' fourth field goal of the second half with a fallaway jumper at the 9:18 mark before O'Leary then scored the team's next nine points. Included in that was a three that bounced off every part of the iron before falling in to cut the SIUE lead to one with 6:41 to play. 

O'Leary put the Jags in front 51-50 with 5:41 left by stroking a pair of free throws, but SIUE answered with five straight points to take a four-point advantage. Combs kept IUPUI in the hunt when he drained a three from the corner in front of his own bench with 2:32 left, thanks to a Kellon Thomas assist. IUPUI missed a chance to tie or take the lead with 2:03 left when Brennan missed the frontend of a one-and-one and SIUE's Tre Harris responded by splitting two freebies of his own. The Cougars continued to make free throws and led 59-55 after a pair of Christian Ellis makes with 37.5 seconds left, before Combs hit another three from the exact same spot in the closing seconds. 

After IUPUI was unable to come up with a steal in the backcourt, SIUE's Burak Eslik made two foul shots with 8.2 seconds left to make it 61-58. On the Jags' final possession, Combs fired a contested 28-footer from the right wing that wasn't close. 

Combs was 6-of-18 overall and 3-of-8 from three, while also collecting four boards, two assists and two steals. Collectively, IUPUI shot just 38 percent overall and 4-of-16 (25 percent) from three-point range and 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from the foul line. SIUE shot just 35.3 percent overall, but hit 22-of-31 (71 percent) at the foul line and outrebounded the Jaguars 46-35. Eslik led three SIUE players in double-digits with 13 points and Carlos Anderson and Ellis tallied 10 each. 

Brennan had eight points and five boards off the IUPUI bench before fouling out and sophomore T.J. Henderson contributed six assists in just 18 minutes. Thomas and Ron Patterson were held to a combined 1-of-9 shooting and three points. 

"I thought we settled for some jumpers too early in the shot clock without necessarily looking inside, especially in the first half," Gardner said. "When we did get it inside, we just missed in close. It was kind of a snowball effect."

After a sluggish start, the Jaguars finally found some bounce late in the first half, using a quick 7-0 run, fueled by a pair of Evan Hall baskets, to take a 26-23 lead with 4:42 left before the break. The teams swapped the lead back-and-forth before an odd sequence led to the hosts apparently leading 36-35 at the break. Henderson scored with 5.2 seconds left on a baseline drive to give the Jags a 35-34 lead, but the clock inadvertently stopped, allowing Ellis ample time to go coast-to-coast to score at the horn. After a lengthy review from the officials, the basket was allowed, giving SIUE a one-point halftime lead. However, at the start of the second half, the officials reconvened with both teams' coaches and disallowed the bucket, moving the score to 35-34 in the Jags' favor. 

The Jags will continue the non-conference tour of Illinois on Wednesday when the Jaguars face Illinois State at 7:00 p.m. Eastern (6:00 p.m. Central). That game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and can be heard in Central Indiana on 97.5 Fox Sports FM and the iHeartRadio app as Morgan Adcock (pxp) is on the call.