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CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Jags did everything but finish. On a night in which seniors Aaron Brennan and Ron Patterson had career-best efforts, it came down to the final horn as IUPUI fell to Eastern Illinois on the road, 80-79.

EIU's Terrell Lewis made a pair of go-ahead free throws with 6.8 seconds left, giving IUPUI (1-2) one final possession for the win. Junior T.J. Henderson drove into the teeth of the defense from the right side, but lost the ball in amongst the trees after drawing contact as IUPUI was unable to get off an attempt before the final horn sounded. 

"It's a tough way to lose a basketball game," head coach Jason Gardner said. "I thought we fought and scrapped and battled all night long and put ourselves in position to win a road game. I'm proud of our guys, especially our seniors, because I thought they really stepped up and made plays when we needed them to. Ron was really good and did a good job of making plays for us. 

"And I thought AB was just a flat out force offensively. He playing at an incredibly high level right now and really showed his versatility tonight. It came down to one possession and we came up short. We had plenty of opportunities throughout the game, but at the end of the night, you have to give them credit for making the final play."

Brennan had a career-high 25 points and seven boards and Patterson added 19 points, six assists and four boards in 38 minutes of work. However, Lewis finished with 25 of his own, including hitting 7-of-9 three point attempts. Jajuan Starks finished with 16 points and a game-high eight boards and D'Angelo Jackson had 11 points for the victors. 

While IUPUI shot an impressive 60 percent from the field, largely behind Brennan's 12-of-17 night and an 8-of-14 effort from Patterson, EIU did the bulk of its damage at the foul line, specifically in the second half. The Panthers outscored IUPUI 23-3 at the free throw line, including a 16-1 edge in the second half. 

After leading by as many as seven in the second half, IUPUI was in position to win late, thanks in part to some hustle plays. After Evan Hall missed the frontend of a one-and-one with just more than two minutes left, D.J. McCall swept in for an offensive board to extend the possession. Given new life, Hall scored in close while drawing a foul to take a 77-76 lead. Hall missed the ensuing free throw but Patterson grabbed the board on a tip out. 

The Jags were unable to take advantage though and EIU went in front with 1:04 to play when Ray Crossland scored at the rim. IUPUI took its final lead of the night with 17 seconds to play when Brennan scored in close after grabbing an offensive rebound. IUPUI finished with a 29-26 rebounding advantage and a decisive 42-33 margin in points in the paint. 

Hall finished with 13 points and five boards while Henderson had 10 points and five assists. Freshman Jaylen Minnett scored all eight of his points in the second half, including a pair of threes. Illinois-native Elyjah Goss was the only other IUPUI player to score, contributing four second half points. 

The first half was played at a feverish pace with both teams' offenses overmatching the opposing defenses. IUPUI shot 65 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes as Brennan made his first eight shots of the game. The Jags had just four players take shots as Brennan tallied 17 in the first half and Patterson hit for 12. 

The Jags tried to stretch out to a quick lead in the second half, going up by six before Lewis hit treys in consecutive trips to tie the score at 46. IUPUI responded with a 7-0 run, capped by Patterson's steal and dunk. 

The game included 13 ties and nine lead changes as neither team led by more than seven points all night. 

Brennan easily eclipsed his career-high while Patterson matched his career-best in the scoring column. IUPUI hit a collective 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from three with Patterson knocking in three. 

IUPUI dropped to 2-3 all-time against EIU and had a two-game winning streak against the Panthers snapped. 

IUPUI will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Tickets are just $15 and fans can receive a $5 discount by bringing a non-perishable food item to benefit the on-campus Paws Pantry. For tickets, click here or contact Lauren Gronke at 317-278-2530. That game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and IUPUI Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) are on the call.