PULLMAN, Wash. - The IUPUI basketball team will look to snap a four-game skid on Saturday evening (Dec. 16) when the Jaguars face Washington State (6-3) at 3:00 p.m. Pacific (6 Eastern) inside WSU's Beasley Coliseum. WSU opened the season with six straight wins and was receiving votes in both polls before hitting a recent three-game slide heading into Saturday's contest. 

IUPUI (2-6) has been run through a non-conference gauntlet that has included road losses at No. 21/21 Purdue, Ball State and Bradley. The Jags hung tough with Purdue in the early going on Sunday night (Dec. 10) before ultimately falling to the Boilermakers, 86-61, inside Mackey Arena. Senior Maurice Kirby led three reserves in double-digits with a career-high 16 points while freshman Jaylen Minnett matched his career-high with 12 points. Junior T.J. Henderson fired in 10 points off the bench as the Jaguars tallied a season-high 42 bench points. 

The defensive end has been problematic for the Jaguars as opponents have shot 40.1 percent from three-point range and 48.7 percent overall. Five of IUPUI's last six opponents have shot better than 51 percent from the floor, all resulting in Jaguar losses.

However, head coach Jason Gardner's squad has showed a balanced attack and gotten contributions up-and-down the roster as Horizon League play looms. Senior Aaron Brennan continues to lead the crew at 13.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while fifth-year senior Ron Patterson checks in at 10.5 points per game and a team-high 16 threes made. Henderson has scored in double-digits a team-high seven times and is averaging 9.9 points per game while Minnett sits at 8.0 points per game and is hitting 43.3 percent from three-point range. 

Juniors Evan Hall (7.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and D.J. McCall (6.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg) are continuing to round into form and Kirby is coming off his best game of the season.  

"I think guys are still trying to figure out how to play alongside each other and figure out their roles. We lost our top three players from last season, so that left a major void and guys are still trying to figure out how to fill those voids," Gardner said. "It's a long season and we talk a lot about continuing to get better and better everyday and be playing our best basketball as we get into league play."

SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State opened the season with six straight wins, which included victories over St. Joseph's, St. Mary's and San Diego State. The Cougars have since dropped consecutive decisions to UC Davis and at Idaho and UTEP. Head coach Ernie Kent's squad shoots 39 percent from three-point range and knocks in an impressive 12.1 triples per contest. 
    PROBABLE STARTERS:
    G- Viont'e Daniels (6-2, Jr.) - 8.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 43.1 FG% 
    G- Malachi Flynn (6-1, Soph.) - 15.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 40.9 FG%
    G- Kwinton Hinson (6-4, Jr.) - 4.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.7 apg, 46.9 FG%
    F- Robert Franks (6-7, Jr.) - 19.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 53.2 FG%
    F- Drick Bernstine (6-8, Sr.) - 6.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 51.1 FG%

INSIDE THE SERIES
Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between IUPUI and Washington State. 

UP NEXT
IUPUI will conclude the two-game trip at No. 12/13 Gonzaga on Monday night (Dec. 18) at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. 

GAME NOTES (click here for PDF of the full games notes)
SERIES BREAKDOWN
    Today marks the first-ever meeting between IUPUI and Washington State on the hardwood.  
    
NEW FIVES
    IUPUI head coach Jason Gardner has continued to tweak the Jaguars' starting five, having used six different quintets in the season's first eight games. Senior Aaron Brennan is the lone Jag to have started all eight games and Ron Patterson and Evan Hall have each started seven times. Eight different players have at least one start this season. 

HOT BENCH
    As a result of the shuffling lineups, the IUPUI bench has been especially strong, averaging 22.6 points per game, including a season-high 42 at Purdue. In that game, IUPUI had three players in double-digits off the bench in Maurice Kirby (16 pts), Jaylen Minnett (12) & T.J. Henderson (10). 

KIRBY'S CAREER NIGHT
    The well traveled Maurice Kirby had his best night at the Division I level at Purdue, tallying a career-high 16 points (8-12 FG) and four rebounds in 23 minutes. It marked the first double-digit scoring game in the graduate transfer's career, including his two seasons at Loyola. Kirby also collected a pair of steals in the loss. 

NEW NIGHT, NEW SCORER
    It's seemingly been a new leading scorer every night for the Jaguars this season as four different players have been the team's top scorer and nobody has scored in double-digits in every game. Junior T.J. Henderson has a team-high seven double-digit scoring games while Aaron Brennan and Ron Patterson are next in line with four each. 

TOUGH THREE
    IUPUI is amidst arguably the toughest three-game stretch in program history. The Jags lost 86-61 at No. 21/21 Purdue (Dec. 10) and will take on Washington State (Dec. 16) and last year's national runner-up, No. 12/13 Gonzaga (Dec. 18) on the current two-game trip.  

DEFENDING THE TREY
    The Jaguars have struggled to defend the three-point line in the season's early going, yielding 40.1 percent through eight games. Below are some instances of the Jaguars' woes, both individually and collectively:
    at Bradley (57.1%) - Nate Kennell (5-of-9)
    at EIU (45.0%) - Terrell Lewis (7-of-9)
    at WIU (58.8%) - Kobe Webster (5-of-7)
    vs. SIUE (68.8%)
    IUPUI is 0-6 this season when hitting fewer threes than opponents this year and 2-0 when making the same number or more treys than foes. 

MAKE SHOTS, WIN GAMES
    The most telling number of outcomes of games under head coach Jason Gardner has simply been field goal percentages. 
    IUPUI is 36-8 (.818) in games in which the Jaguars have shot a better percentage than opponents and just 3-56 (.051) when being outshot. 

FIVE KEY NUMBERS
    Below are five key numbers from the Jaguars' loss to Purdue.
    19-10: IUPUI was ahead 19-10 near the midpoint of the first half after reeling off a 12-0 run.  
    23: IUPUI allowed a season-high 23 points off turnovers as the Jags turned it over 18 times against the Boilers
    16: Career-high scoring night from Maurice Kirby, who hit 8-of-12 shots against the Boilermakers' oversized front line
    54.4%: Purdue's shooting percentage for the game, fueled by sophomore Carsen Edwards' 11-of-17 shooting night
    19: Collective points for the Jaguars' starting five as none of the five finished in double-digits
    
0-FOR-RANKED
    IUPUI has never defeated a ranked opponent, going 0-16 versus the ranked in the program's Division I era. Below is a listing of those 16 results, 11 of which were true road games.
    The Jaguars' average margin of defeat is 20.6 points per game in the 16 total losses:
    12/13/99 at #2 Arizona L, 41-70
    12/15/01 vs. #20 Ball State L, 81-103
    3/21/03 vs. #2 Kentucky L, 64-95 // NCAA - Nashville, TN
    12/13/03 at #25 Dayton L, 59-61
    12/18/04 at #18 Louisville L, 60-80
    11/10/07 at #11 Marquette L, 68-78
    12/14/08 vs. #20 Arizona St. L, 58-59 (ot) Phoenix, Ariz.
    11/14/10 at #12 Gonzaga L, 56-86
    11/21/10 vs. #25 San Diego State L, 46-61 Oxford, Ohio
    12/9/10 at #2 Ohio State L, 64-75
    12/22/10 vs. #7 San Diego State L, 54-56 Las Vegas, Nev.
    12/7/11 at #5 Louisville L, 60-90
    11/12/12 at #5 Michigan L, 54-91
    12/7/15 at #11 Purdue L, 53-80
    12/28/15 at #9 Butler L, 54-92
    12/10/17 at #21 Purdue L, 61-86

 AT THE HORN
    Winning games at the horn has been a staple of head coach Jason Gardner's squads. So when IUPUI failed to get a shot off at the buzzer in Friday's 80-79 loss at Eastern Illinois, it was almost a surprise. Since Gardner took over, IUPUI has won four games in the closing seconds, including two as time expired:
    P.J. Boutte 15' floater at the horn vs. Ball State (71-69 / Nov. 22, 2014)
    Marcellus Barksdale layup at the horn at IPFW (84-82 / Jan. 23, 2016)
    Jordan Pickett wing 3 with :02 vs. NDSU (73-72 / Jan. 31, 2016)
    Darell Combs wing J with :01.5 vs. SDSU (85-83 / Jan. 18, 2017)
    
FRESH STARTS
    In the season opener at Bradley, true freshman Jaylen Minnett became the first IUPUI true rookie to start his debut since Alex Young did so against Northeastern in 2008.
    Minnett had five points, two boards and an assist in his IUPUI debut. 

JAGS LOCK UP RAVENS
    While head coach Jason Gardner has preached defense in the preseason, the win over Anderson was especially impressive in that IUPUI held the Ravens to just 43 points. The 43 were the fewest by a foe since Gardner took over the program and just the second time an IUPUI opponent tallied less than 50 in the Gardner-era (49 vs. Denver on Jan. 10, 2015). 
    The 43 points allowed was the lowest total by an IUPUI opponent since holding Western Illinois to 42 on Feb. 6, 2010. 

CUPBOARD CHECK
    IUPUI brings back seven returners from last season, five of whom saw meaningful minutes. Below is a rundown of the Jaguars' top statistical returners, along with some key numbers.
    Stat (% Returning): Top Returners 
    Scoring (45.8%): Patterson (9.3), Brennan (8.4)
    Rebounding (56.9%): Hall (5.2), McCall (5.0)
    Assists (45.3%): Patterson (64), Henderson (52)
    Minutes (50.2%): Patterson (23.7), McCall (21.2)
    FGM (47.3%): Patterson (107), Brennan (102)
    3FGM (43.4%): Patterson (62), Henderson (30)
    FTM (34.3%): McCall (45), Brennan (39)
    Blocks (69.0%): Hall (24), Patterson (13)
    Steals (60.4%): Patterson (44), Henderson (32) 

REBOUNDING BY COMMITTEE
    IUPUI's top five rebounders average four boards per game, topped by D.J. McCall's 5.1 caroms per game. McCall does the bulk of his work off the offensive glass, grabbing a Horizon League-best 3.1 boards per game at the offensive end. 

9-TO-14
    Head Coach Jason Gardner insisted throughout the preseason that his team will likely be led by a group of players that'll average anywhere from 9-14 points per game, as opposed to a runaway leader like Combs was last season at 16.8 points per game.
    So far, he's been on point as IUPUI's top five scorers (Brennan-Patterson-Henderson-Minnett-Hall) are all averaging between 7-14 points per game.     

FULL STRENGTH
    The Nov. 21 Morehead State game was the first time all season the Jags were at full strength. Evan Hall, D.J. McCall and Nick Rogers all missed time in the season's first three games. 

GRADS
    The IUPUI roster boasts a pair of graduates this season as Maurice Kirby completed his degree at Loyola (Ill.) and is pursuing his master's in sports journalism. In addition, junior guard D.J. McCall completed his undergraduate work in three years and is now pursuing his master's degree at IUPUI.