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GREEN BAY, Wisc. - The IUPUI basketball team built an 11-point second half lead and made enough plays down the stretch to fend off Green Bay inside the Resch Center on Tuesday night (Jan. 2), 67-63. Junior T.J. Henderson scored a team-high 13 points and Nick Rogers and Aaron Brennan added 11 apiece in the win. Junior Evan Hall collected his third career double-double with 10 points and 10 boards in the Jaguars' first road victory and first-ever Horizon League win. 

Khalil Small paced Green Bay (7-9, 2-1 HL) with 18 points and reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Week PJ Pipes finished with 16 points. Marquette-transfer Sandy Cohen III contributed 15 in the loss. 

IUPUI put up one of its best defensive efforts of the season, limiting Green Bay to just 39 percent shooting and 1-of-17 (5.9 percent) from three-point range, while outrebounding the Phoenix 43-31. 

"I liked that we showed we can win a game at the defensive end. That's what we're capable of doing. That way, when shots aren't falling, we're still able to compete and get a huge road win," head coach Jason Gardner said. "I thought Ev and D.J. did a great job on the glass and we did a good job of identifying their shooters and challenging their shots."

After using the three-point line to mask some other woes in the first half, IUPUI (4-10, 1-2 HL) all but abandoned the long-range and pummeled the Phoenix on the interior after halftime. Freshman Jaylen Minnett keyed the first half attack, including hitting a corner triple just ahead of the final horn to knot the score at 33 all. The Jags opened the game 0-of-6 from the floor and only warmed to 39 percent by halftime. The offensive struggles included hitting just 3-of-12 shots in close and 13 turnovers in 39 possessions. 

However, defensively, IUPUI held Green Bay without a field goal for more than five minutes to close the half and erased an eight-point deficit before the break. 

IUPUI scored on its first four possessions of the second half and never relinquished the lead from there. The Jaguars built a 57-46 lead with 7:11 to play when D.J. McCall hit a fadeaway jumper and followed with a steal and transition dunk. Moments later, Rogers broke free for a wide open layup underneath as part of his first career double-digit scoring game. 

Green Bay scored the game's next six points, all at the free throw line, and things got dicey down the stretch. A bevy of missed free throws and inopportune turnovers helped the hosts close within two with 36 seconds left after a Pipes three-point play. 

Brennan responded by drilling a pair of freebies and GB's Kameron Hankerson cut the lead to three by splitting a pair of foul shots. Brennan did the same with 17 seconds left to make it a two possession game before Pipes scored over McCall with 9.7 ticks left. 

After a full timeout, Green Bay ramped up the full-court pressure, but Henderson smartly leaked out for an uncontested layup off Rogers' outstanding inbounds pass. Pipes missed a three in the final seconds and McCall corralled the final board in the win. 

Despite scoring just five points, McCall had his fingerprints all over the win. The junior closed with nine boards (five offensive), three assists and four steals. He and Hall combined to grab 12 of the Jaguars' 16 offensive boards, leading to 11 second chance points. 

IUPUI outscored Green Bay 36-26 in the paint and 26-6 off the bench. 

The Jaguars were playing for the third time in six days, all on the road, however Gardner's nine-man rotation seemed fresh throughout. 

"I'm proud of our guys in how they've come out on the road and competed," Gardner said. "We haven't really slept in our own beds since Christmas, so I know the guys are excited to get home and play some games on our home floor."

IUPUI will return home to host UIC in its Horizon League home opener on Thursday night (Jan. 4) inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum at 7:00 p.m.. That game will be sponsored by IMCU and the K9 Crew is scheduled to perform at halftime of that game. For tickets, contact Lauren Gronke at lgronke@iupui.edu or click here on the Ticketmaster link. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) are on the call.