Box Score (.html) I Box Score (.pdf)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The IUPUI basketball team's recent woes continued on Saturday night (Feb. 16) as the Jaguars dropped an 89-86 nail biter to Cleveland State for a fourth straight defeat. CSU's Tyree Appleby led the Vikings with 26 points and 11 assists as the hosts torched the Jaguars' defense for 15 treys in 27 attempts. CSU shot 59 percent overall and 56 percent from deep to collect just its third Horizon League win of the season. 

IUPUI (14-13, 6-8 HL) shot a respectable 47 percent overall, powered by 18 each from Evan Hall and D.J. McCall. Junior Camron Justice finished with 17 and sophomore Jaylen Minnett pumped in 15 off the bench, all in the second half. Senior center Ahmed Ismail also finished in double-digits with 12 points. 

"We just need to get back to where we're playing consistent basketball," head coach Jason Gardner said. "This is four games in a row where little things have cost us. We're not good enough to overcome those mistakes and still win. I liked how hard we played and how well we competed, but we had too many breakdowns tonight."

IUPUI trailed 87-80 with 33 seconds left, but stormed back to make things interesting in the closing seconds. Grant Weatherford scored on a putback and was fouled on the play with 23 seconds left, making it a two possession game. After missing the ensuing free throw, Jakoby Kemp battled for the offensive board and kicked out to McCall, who was fouled on a drive. 

McCall made both with 15 seconds left to pull IUPUI within three and then Appleby gifted the Jaguars a possession by turning the ball over in the backcourt. Justice, who picked Appleby's pocket, fired the ball inside to McCall, who threw down a two-handed dunk with 10.5 seconds left. Forced to foul, IUPUI sent Appleby to the line with six seconds left and the CSU sophomore hit both. 

Given a chance to tie the game, Weatherford pitched to Minnett in the corner, who misfired long on the game's last possession. 

IUPUI bullied their way to a 16-2 lead in the opening five-plus minutes, largely behind Hall and Ismail on the inside. Ismail also stepped out and buried his third triple of the season in the game's early stages. The lead grew as large as 21-5 at the 12:50 mark when Justice swished a pair of free throws after he collected a steal near midcourt and was fouled in transition. 

CSU used the three-point line to come all the way back as a Seth Millner wing three with 1:55 left before the break gave the Vikings their first lead of the game at 41-38. The Vikings eventually led 43-40 at the break after hitting 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) from three in the opening half. 

The Vikings led by as many as nine in the second half before the Jags responded to retake the lead late in regulation. 

IUPUI will return home for the final two-game homestand of the season, beginning against Milwaukee on Friday night (Feb. 22) at 7:00 p.m. at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The IUPUI Athletics Department will officially retire Hall of Famer Matt Crenshaw's No. 21 jersey number that night as part of the evening's festivities.