INDIANAPOLIS - Marcus Burk pumped in a game-high 18 points and sophomore Mike DePersia closed with 10 points and eight assists as IUPUI outlasted Tennessee State, 69-66 inside an empty Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Saturday. Burk swished two free throws with 5.1 seconds left after grabbing a tough rebound and the other end and TSU misfired on a contested three in the closing seconds as IUPUI escaped victorious. 

"I'm very grateful for the win, especially for us having been off for almost two months and coming back and playing. I really thought we were playing some of our best basketball right before we had to get that quarantine," head coach Byron Rimm II said. "We've only had a week-and-a-half of practice for this game today, so I'm very excited that we got the win. We've still got a lot of stuff we need to work on.

"We've very grateful to be healthy and alive. We've very grateful to be in school and to be playing basketball. We putting in everyday like it's our last day and we talk about that everyday because you never know what's going to happen tomorrow."

At least for one day, action on the floor felt someone normal as the Jaguars' were playing their latest opener since 1972 due to earlier COVID cancellations. 

The game was close throughout before IUPUI (1-0) built a 63-53 lead with 5:05 to play after freshman Bakari LaStrap sank a pair of free throws. Tennessee State (0-2) fired back quickly, largely behind a full-court press that forced some IUPUI miscues. The Jags compounded their issues by rushing some shots and leaving some points at the foul line to make things interesting. 

TSU crept within 65-61 with 3:19 left after Marcus Fitzgerald Jr. scored in transition, but LaStrap helped quell the rally with a layup from the right side with 2:23 left. Milking the lead, IUPUI opted to wind down the shot clock on subsequent possessions and nearly paid the price. Burk missed a jumper as the shot clock expired and TSU rushed the other way for a Yusuf Mohamed dunk with 1:30 left to make it a four-point game. Again, IUPUI drained the clock all the way down before Bobby Harvey missed an open three and TSU responded with a corner three with 49 seconds left. 

On the next possession, Elyjah Goss missed in close, but the Jaguars retained possession when the TSU defender fell out of bounds trying to corral the board. With TSU forced to foul, Burk received the inbound pass and was immediately hacked, However, the typically dependable Burk misfired on both, leaving the door ajar. 

TSU's Mark Freeman, who scored 26 in the Tigers' season opening loss at Belmont, tried the right side and was unable to score over Goss before Burk plucked the rebound from a scrum under the basket and was immediately fouled. This time, Burk splashed both with 5.1 seconds left and Freeman missed a contested trey from the top of the key as time expired. 

"It's always good to come out with a win in the first game. It feels like forever since we're played. We've got a lot of new guys here. For us to fight that adversity and come together, I mean honestly if that happens last year, I think we blow this game," DePersia said of the Jaguars' ability to hang on late. "It's good to have a bunch of new guys - we had each others' back."

Shakem Johnson led TSU with 17 points and eight rebounds while Freeman tallied 14 points on just 5-of-15 shooting. Mohamed added 11 points on just 4-of-12 shooting as TSU shot just 39 percent from the floor and 3-of-17 (17.6 percent) from long distance. 

IUPUI didn't fare much better, shooting just 36.7 percent overall and 7-of-20 (35 percent) from deep. However, IUPUI outscored the guests 18-9 at the free throw line.

Rimm also showed a willingness to dive deep into the bench as 12 different players saw action and the reserves contributed 22 points. LaStrap had nine points in just 14 minutes in his collegiate debut while Azariah Seay pumped in seven points in 13 minutes off the bench. Dimitri Georgiadis (2 points, 2 rebounds), Jonah Carrasco (2 points) and Nathan McClure (2 points, 2 rebounds) also scratched in their IUPUI debuts off the bench. Ten of 12 Jaguars scored and 11 different players had at least one board.

"Last year, we didn't have a deep bench. This year, we've got a lot of new players, a lot of transfers and we've got a lot of depth this year. For us, it's about next man up and you saw that today," DePersia said. 

IUPUI played without senior sharpshooter Jaylen Minnett, prompting Burk (37 minutes) and DePersia (36 minutes) into extended action. Down the stretch, Rimm put trust in the team's lone freshman, LaStrap, to aid in securing the win. 

Given the unusual circumstances of the season, LaStrap was unflappable in his debut. 

"Coming in as a freshman, I'm just trying to learn from the older guys," LaStrap said. "It's been a little bit difficult with us practicing a little later and not getting to play games.

"Overall, it's just a blessing to play now."

Burk, a preseason first team All-Horizon League pick, looked the part with 18 points, four rebounds and two steals. Harvey chipped in seven points in his debut while Dimitar Pandev tallied five points in his first game. 

IUPUI will now turn to Horizon League play, beginning at Purdue Fort Wayne next Saturday (Dec. 19) and Sunday (Dec. 20). Both of those contests will be broadcast on ESPN3.