SAN ANTONIO - Despite leading for more than 37 minutes and putting up one of its most efficient offensive performances on the early season, the IUPUI basketball team came up just short against UTSA on Wednesday night (Nov. 17), falling 60-57. The Jaguars were held scoreless over the final 2:47 of the contest as the host Roadrunners tallied the game's final nine points in the victory. 

Dhieu Deing scored seven of those final nine points, including the go-ahead layup with 30 seconds to play as part of his game-high 20-point effort. IUPUI graduate transfer B.J. Maxwell had his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and freshman Chuks Isitua had 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting off the bench. 

"I'm really proud of the young men's resiliency tonight," head coach Matt Crenshaw said. "We have to continue to limit our turnovers and fouling our opponents. Those have both been our Achilles heel to this point in the season. 

"There were countless things we can look back on that decided the outcome of the game tonight - not just the last three or four possessions."

IUPUI led by 10 with 6:44 left and still maintained a 57-51 lead at the 2:47 mark when freshman KJ Pruitt drilled a three off a Bakari LaStrap feed. Deing cut the IUPUI lead in half when he splashed a wing three after Jordan Ivy-Curry had missed an initial three-point try. After Pruitt missed a three from the top of the key, Deing was fouled on a three of his own with 1:33 left. He made the first two freebies and missed the third, only to see Cedrick Alley Jr. collect the offensive board. Isitua rejected a pair of attempts in close and Pruitt corralled the rebound with under a minute to play and the Jags clinging to a 57-56 lead. 

On the ensuing possession, LaStrap had a pass picked off and Deing raced to the opposite end for a layup and was fouled with 30 seconds left. He missed the free throw, giving IUPUI the ball and one final chance. However, after the teams traded timeouts, the Jags were unable to get a final shot attempt as LaStrap stumbled on a drive near the elbow and ultimately turned the ball over. 

IUPUI led the majority of the game, scoring the first five points of the contest and never relinquishing the advantage. Boston Stanton III made a tough step back three in the closing seconds of the first half to give the Jags a 33-28 halftime lead. UTSA took a brief 36-35 lead at the 17:31 mark on an Ivy-Curry floater, but IUPUI fired back with a Pruitt runner to regain the advantage. The Jags stayed in front for the duration of the second half until the lead changed hands one final time in the final minute. 

Senior Bobby Harvey came off the IUPUI bench to post eight points and four boards and LaStrap had six points and four assists. Pruitt, Stanton and Nathan McClure all had five each and Jonah Carrasco played a solid 14 points, closing with three points and seven boards. Four of his seven boards came off the offensive glass as the Jags cashed in on 12 second chance points. 

IUPUI shot 49 percent overall and 7-of-18 (39 percent) from three-point range while limiting UTSA to just 33 percent overall and seven made threes. However, a combination of offensive rebounds and IUPUI miscues allowed the hosts 16 more shot attempts than the Jaguars. 

"I need to put our young men in better situations. As a coach, I grew tonight and I really believe we grew as a team tonight," Crenshaw said. "The great thing about it being so early in the season is that we play again in just a few days.

"Honestly, I wish we played tomorrow."

The Jaguars will return to Indianapolis and host Spalding University in their 2021-2022 home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 7:00 p.m. inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum.