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FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IUPUI basketball team's three-game winning streak came to a halt on Tuesday night (Dec. 18) as the Jaguars dropped a non-conference affair at Purdue Fort Wayne, 87-77. PFW's John Konchar single-handedly carried the hosts with 30 points, 10 boards and four assists as the Mastodons shot an impressive 55 percent from the floor. IUPUI (8-4), which came in winners of six of the past seven games, knocked down just 39 percent in the loss. 

Junior Camron Justice scored a team-high 25 points and classmate Grant Weatherford posted a new career-high with 20 points, six boards and three assists. Kason Harrell finished with 20 for Purdue Fort Wayne (7-7) and Marcus DeBerry also connected for double-figures with 13 points off the Mastodons' bench. 

"I told our guys, it's really hard to win on the road. You have to be sharper, crisper and all around better than what we were tonight to win on the road," head coach Jason Gardner said. "We came out strong, but we missed some shots that we ordinarily make and it kind of snowballed from there. We never really got our post guys going tonight and that makes it harder on our guards to get loose when we can't get buckets in close.

"The good thing is that we have another opportunity to get a road win later this week. It's going to be another really good test for our guys before we can get a little break for Christmas."

IUPUI came out hot from three, making its first three hoists of the night to build a quick 16-6 lead, but it turned out to be Fool's Gold. The hosts caught fire from deep while the Jaguars went ice cold from the field, making just 1-of-12 attempts during one stretch. The Jaguars' misses came in all shapes and sizes as Jags found iron from deep, missed in close and had a slew of shots sent away. 

Purdue Fort Wayne took advantage, outscoring IUPUI 26-11 over the next nine-plus minutes to build a 32-24 lead late in the first half. 

Given the 'Dons hot shooting, Gardner went to a 3-2 zone to attempt to slow down the hosts. That slowed the game's pace, but not the Mastodons' efficiency. IUPUI was able to hang around as they found the range late in the first half to make it 45-39 at the break. Fort Wayne's Marcus DeBerry fired in a long jumper at the end of the half to push the lead back to six.

IUPUI struggled to get consecutive defensive stops in the second half as the hosts never relinquished the lead. The Jaguars crept within four with 16:30 left when D.J. McCall scored on a tough reverse in traffic, but Purdue Fort Wayne answered with the game's next four points. IUPUI got no closer than five the remainder of the night, in part due to the Mastodons' 21-of-24 (87.5 percent) night at the free throw line. IUPUI was similarly effective, making 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) attempts. 

Jaylen Minnett finished with 13 points off the Jaguars' bench and freshman Jack Hansen chipped in eight points and three boards. However, the Jaguars' starting forward tandem of Evan Hall and Elyjah Goss was limited to just five points on a combined 2-of-12 shooting and Ahmed Ismail was held scoreless in 21 minutes of work. The Jags made just 18-of-45 (40 percent) inside the arc while the Mastodons shot 21-of-28 (75 percent) in close. 

IUPUI will be back on the road one more time before Christmas to cap the non-conference portion of the schedule when the Jaguars take on Morehead State at 5:35 p.m. on Friday night (Dec. 21) in Morehead, Ky. That game will be aired on ESPN+.