INDIANAPOLIS - Sophomore Bakari LaStrap scored a career-high 16 points and Jonah Carrasco notched a career-best 10, but the Jaguars fell just short against UIC on Monday night (Jan. 10), 67-65. 

Filip Skobalj swished a pivotal three from the top of the key in the final minute and the visiting Flames were perfect from the free throw line down the stretch to stave off the Jaguars. Nursing a three-point lead in the closing seconds, UIC (5-8, 1-3 HL) purposely fouled LaStrap and the sophomore guard hit the first of a one-and-one before intentionally missing the second. However, neither team was able to secure the rebound before the final horn sounded. 

"I loved the fight (of the team)," head coach Matt Crenshaw said. "I think with adding back DePersia and having Bakari, we had some ballhandlers out there and it finally gave us the chance to get some easy baskets. We were able to stay locked in and not get discouraged when (UIC) made a run. 

"I was encouraged by that."

Kevin Johnson had a game-high 17 points and six assists in the win and Zion Griffin chimed in with 15 points. Jace Carter added 11 points in the win. 

B.J. Maxwell also finished in double-digits for the Jaguars and Nathan McClure finished with nine points and six boards in the loss. IUPUI (1-12, 0-4 HL) shot a season-high 52 percent from the floor and tallied a season-high 65 points, doing so against one of the league's better defensive teams. 

"We've honestly been talking about this all season. We want to be able to take paint touch threes and early on throughout the season, we've been taking outside the perimeter, pass-pass-pass threes," Crenshaw said. "The goal for us is to get to the second and third side of the floor, make the defense work and then continue to work for a good shot."

After a sluggish start both ways, IUPUI built an early 8-3 lead on a pair of Maxwell threes and led the majority of the first half. The guests took a 21-19 lead when Jace Carter stroked a wing three, but Stanton later countered with a three of his own. The teams traded buckets down the stretch with the Flames ultimately taking a 29-28 lead to the locker room. 

IUPUI got out to an eight-point lead at 50-42 with 8:10 left after Maxwell swished a pair of free throws, but UIC immediately countered with an 8-0 run to tie the score. Neither team led by more than three over the final seven minutes and Skobalj sank the game's biggest shot with 36 seconds left. 

UIC finished the game at 49 percent overall and 9-of-27 (33.3 percent) from three. IUPUI outrebounded the Flames 29-23 and each team committed 14 turnovers. 

All eight Jaguars who saw playing time cracked the scoring column as Boston Stanton III had seven points and three boards and Azariah Seay had six, including a four in the closing minutes. Mike DePersia, who had missed the Jags' previous three games, finished with three points and three assists. 

The Jaguars will kickoff a two-game road trip on Thursday (Jan. 13) at Green Bay in an 8:00 p.m. Eastern tip-off inside the Resch Center. IUPUI will then cap the trip at Milwaukee on Saturday (Jan. 15). Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.