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CHICAGO - IUPUI junior Camron Justice pumped in a career-high 30 points, including six triples, as the Jaguars staved off host UIC (7-9, 1-2 HL) inside Credit Union 1 Pavilion in front of a national television audience on Friday night (Jan. 4). Justice connected on 6-of-9 treys and all six of his free throw attempts as IUPUI (9-7, 1-2 HL) stopped a four-game losing streak and captured a first-ever win over UIC. 

"We needed this one," head coach Jason Gardner said. "We came out and jumped on them, knowing full well that they were going to fire back at us. That's what I like about this team though, they've got a lot of fight. We got down early in the second half and didn't really panic. We stuck to what was working and that was getting Cam the ball and getting him some open looks. Some of the other guys like Evan and D.J. and Elyjah came up with some big buckets when we needed them too. This was a total team win. We know that winning on the road isn't easy and you can't take anything for granted, but tonight, we were tough and we were lucky some too."

IUPUI led 60-52 with 1:55 left when Justice drilled a stepback three from the right wing, putting the Jags in prime position for a win. However, IUPUI miscues helped UIC rattle off seven straight points in the next 61 seconds, setting up a frenetic finish. UIC's Tarkus Ferguson drilled a trey and IUPUI handed the ball back over with a turnover, leading to Ottey drawing a foul and splitting a pair of free throws. IUPUI threw the ball away on the ensuing inbounds and Ottey swished a corner trey to make it a one-point game. 

However, IUPUI did enough in a tense final minute, including hitting 6-of-8 free throws, including a final connection from Elyjah Goss with just more than three seconds to play. Ferguson had a contested hoist from near midcourt clang off the backboard and front of the rim as the final horn sounded. 

Sophomore Jaylen Minnett scored 11 of his 12 points in the first half and senior Evan Hall added nine points and five boards, including becoming just the 15th player in school history to collect 500 career boards. Goss, from nearby Bolingbrook, Ill., had five points and 11 boards, matching his season-high. All total, IUPUI used a 42-30 win on the glass to help offset a season-high 20 turnovers. Senior center Ahmed Ismail grabbed six rebounds, including three off the offensive glass. 

Boahen had a team-high 18 points for the Flames on six treys and Ottey and Ferguson added 15 apiece. Ferguson added seven rebounds and seven assists, but was just 3-of-10 from downtown. 

IUPUI shot just 39 percent overall, but 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) from three-point range. UIC shot just 28 percent in the first half and closed at 38 percent for the night. However, the Flames made just 12-of-32 attempts from deep. 

IUPUI blew out to a 10-0 lead in the game's first 6-plus minutes before Godwin Boahen finally made a jumper at the 13:45 mark of the first half. The Jaguars pushed the lead out to 11 on two different occasions, both coming on Minnett threes. UIC cut the lead to 29-25 at the half and scored the first seven points of the second half, forcing Gardner to call a timeout. The Jags fired back and regained the lead when Evan Hall completed a three-point play to make it 37-35. 

UIC later tied the game at 49 all on a Ferguson drive and took a 51-49 lead with 6:00 to play when Ottey leaked out for a fast break layup after Justice misfired on a trey. However, Justice gave the Jags the lead for good with 4:36 to play when Hall fired a pass to his high school teammate for an open look from three. The Jags continued to steal the momentum, literally, as D.J. McCall picked off a pass in front of the UIC bench, sparking a fast break opportunity that resulted in the Jags scoring a point at the free throw line. 

IUPUI will now return home to host a pair of Horizon League games, beginning next Thursday night (Jan. 10) against Cleveland State at 7:00 p.m.. That game will be Back 2 School Night and IUPUI Dean's Night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. To purchase tickets, contact the IUPUI Ticket Office at 317-278-2530 or click here for the Ticketmaster link. Saturday's game against Youngstown State will be the annual Scout Day at the Coliseum as boy scouts from across the state will converge on the contest in support of the Jaguars.