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INDIANAPOLIS - Junior Camron Justice scored a game-high 21 points and classmate Grant Weatherford added 14 points and four assists as IUPUI outlasted Eastern Illinois in the Jaguars' 2018-19 home opener inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Saturday (Nov. 10), 71-65. Sophomore Elyjah Goss contributed his first career double-double with 10 points, 10 boards and a pair of blocked shots. EIU's Rade Kukobat led the Panthers with 18 points and Shareef Smith turned in 13 points in the loss. 

IUPUI (1-1) used a 13-0 run early in the second half to seize control and made enough plays down the stretch to hold on.

"Today was a total team win. It wasn't the prettiest win and I don't think we're close to playing our best basketball, but honestly, we did enough to get the win. That's the most important part. I'm not sure we win that game last season," head coach Jason Gardner said. "We didn't shoot the ball particularly well and we left a lot of points on the foul line, but again, I thought we made enough big plays when we needed them to get the win.

"It was good to get Cam going a little bit and that makes it easier on everyone else when he draws so much attention."

IUPUI used transition basketball to build a 48-34 lead with 15:23 left. Goss provided some energy with a two-handed dunk off a nifty feed from Justice and on the next possession, it was Goss' block that ignited the break and a Weatherford fast break. Moments later, Justice score on the break, forcing EIU to call timeout. 

After another stop, Weatherford was fouled in transition, leading to a pair of made free throws. D.J. McCall followed with a steal, setting up Weatherford's fast break bucket. Rather than putting the Panthers away, the guests hung around and used a late 7-0 burst to cut the Jaguars' edge to 64-62 with 1:21 to play. Sophomore Jaylen Minnett missed a corner trey, giving EIU a chance to tie and take the lead. EIU missed a pair of looks and Nick Rogers collected the rebound and was immediately fouled. The Jags made enough freebies down the stretch and Rogers collected a key steal with 15 seconds to play to help ice the win. 

IUPUI forced 18 EIU (0-2) miscues and held the Panthers to just 35.8 percent shooting to help offset a 39 percent shooting day of its own. 

The Jaguars surged out to an 8-0 lead as Justice and Goss sandwiched treys around an Evan Hall layup to force a timeout less than three minutes into the contest. However, IUPUI wouldn't score another field goal for more than seven minutes when Weatherford splashed a corner trey to put IUPUI in front 12-11. IUPUI finally took the lead for good late in the first half as Justice showed a flurry of his offensive skills that made him one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school. 

After scoring four straight points at the line, Justice followed by drilling a long triple. On the next trip, Justice made a move on the right wing before stroking a long step back jumper just inside the arc.

Goss capped the first half scoring with a baseline jumper as IUPUI settled for a 35-31 lead at the break. 

Weatherford made all five of his field goal attempts and delivered four assists before fouling out and Rogers added nine off the bench. Minnett, coming off a career-high 21 points at Xavier, closed with seven points on 2-of-10 shooting. McCall was held scoreless, but had seven boards and five assists. 

The win avenged last year's one-point road loss in Charleston and moved the all-time series with EIU to 3-3 overall. 

IUPUI will return to action on Wednesday night (Nov. 14) when the Jaguars face Boston College in the opening game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off. That game will be televised on ACC Extra.