EVANSTON, Ill. - The IUPUI basketball team's modest two-game winning streak came to a thud at Northwestern on Tuesday night (Dec. 20) as the Jaguars suffered an 87-65 loss to the Big Ten foe inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Maybe it was lake effect or a direct result of a cross country flight from Las Vegas two days prior, but the Jaguars struggled to hit shots from the opening tip until the final horn, closing at just 35.8 percent overall and 6-of-22 (27.3 percent) from deep.  

Northwestern's (10-2) interior defense also played a major role, swatting 12 shots to stymie the IUPUI attack. Gavin Skelly led five Northwestern players in double-digits with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Isiah Brown finished with 15 points. Sanjay Lumpkin (13 points, 13 rebounds) finished with a double-double and Indiana-native Bryant McIntosh (10 points, nine assists) just missed one of his own. 

Senior Matt O'Leary paced IUPUI with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists and T.J. Henderson added 10 points off the bench. 

"It was a combination of their defense and us missing shots," IUPUI Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "I liked our movement and I liked our aggression, but we didn't make shots. I think their size gave us some troubles inside. Honestly though, I like where we're at. Tonight wasn't our night, but I think we've continued to get better over the course of the season. 

"We've got one more home game in this first half of the season and then we have to focus on conference play. This break is going to give some guys an opportunity to be with family, be with friends and kind of clear their minds. Then we have to come back and get back to business."

Playing its third Big Ten foe of the year, IUPUI (5-8) fell into a double-digit hole in the game's early going as missed free throws compounded problems, allowing Northwestern to build a 21-7 lead. 

The Jaguars crept within six with 8:08 left before halftime when Combs hit an improbable runner from the left side that hit off the rim, the top of the backboard and through. However, he was unable to complete the old fashioned three-point play and Northwestern scored five quick points, beginning with a Nathan Taphorn three when the Jags missed a defensive assignment. Even to close the half, IUPUI missed a chance as the Jags missed a free throw with 5.2 seconds left and NU's Bryant McIntosh raced the other way and swished a trey at the horn, pushing the hosts' lead to 15 at the break. 

The second half saw both sides trading baskets until Northwestern rattled off a 10-0 run to build a 25-point bulge with 10:29 to play. Taphorn and McIntosh fueled the run with threes and Skelly capped it with a layup off a gorgeous feed from Brown. 

Northwestern, which received votes in this week's AP poll, shot 48 percent from the field and outrebounded the smaller Jaguars 47-37. The Wildcats also had 23 assists on 31 baskets with four different players collecting at least three dimes. 

Sophomore D.J. McCall had nine points and five rebounds for the Jags and junior Ron Patterson closed with eight points off the bench. Senior Darell Combs had a somber homecoming trip to the Windy City, hitting just 3-of-15 shots, closing with seven points in 33 minutes. Sophomore Evan Hall had six points and eight boards on the interior, but was harassed into a 3-of-12 shooting night.

"Like I said, I like where we're at," Gardner said. "Our guys continued to fight tonight and that, as a coach, is what you like to see. They didn't hang their heads and they didn't give up, but they kept playing.

"We've got a lot of good things going and now we get to go home and play some games on our home floor."

The Jaguars will now take an extended break for the Christmas holiday before returning home to host Marian University in a doubleheader at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Wednesday, Dec. 28. The men's game with Marian will be immediately after the women's game with IU Northwest that night, which will tip at 5:00 p.m.. That game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) will be on the call from courtside. In addition, that game will be heard on 97.5 Fox Sports FM, 1260 WNDE and the iHeartRadio app as Morgan Adcock (pxp) is on the call. Tickets are available here, by visiting the Coliseum box office or by calling the IUPUI Athletics Offices at 317-274-5453.