INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI basketball team will look for a bit of good fortune on Saturday (Jan. 22) when the Jaguars host Northern Kentucky (7-9, 3-4 HL) inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum at noon. IUPUI will be hosting its annual Cram the Coliseum Day and Scout Day at the Coliseum as scouts from across Central Indiana have been invited to the contest. Fans planning to attend are encouraged to allow extra time for traffic and parking leading into the Indiana State Fairgrounds due to multiple major events occurring on the grounds. 

On the court, IUPUI (1-16, 0-7 HL) is looking to snap an 11-game skid following Thursday's loss to Wright State. While IUPUI has struggled offensively all season long, the defense has been porous of late, allowing the last three opponents to shoot a combined 57 percent from the floor. Sophomore Bakari LaStrap is playing the best basketball of his two-year career, having scored in double-digits in five of the Jaguars' last seven games. Freshman big man Chuks Isitua is averaging 6.3 points per game over IUPUI's last three games and Mike DePersia has made a three in each of the team's last four games, hitting 6-of-9 from deep during that span. 

The undermanned Jaguars finished Thursday's game with just seven healthy bodies as Nathan McClure left to an injury and Isitua fouled out in the closing minutes. The injuries have continued to mount over the course of the season as both KJ Pruitt and Bobby Harvey are sidelined to injuries as well. 

QUOTABLE
"They're a good team and their big guys really did a number on us tonight. We just can't afford those long dry spells where we don't get good shots or turn the ball over. We had good energy early, but that long stretch in the first half where we didn't get good looks or turned the ball over and allowed them to get out in transition really hurt us. Good teams take advantage and that's what they did," head coach Matt Crenshaw said following Thursday's loss to Wright State. 

SCOUTING NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Northern Kentucky comes in at 7-9 overall and 3-4 in Horizon League play. The Norse have alternated wins and losses over six straight games dating back to a road loss at Indiana on Dec. 22. NKU is coming off an over time win at UIC on Thursday night, having defeated the Flames, 74-70. Sophomore Marques Warrick leads three Norse in double-digits at 14.3 points per game and Trevon Faulkner checking in at 12.1 points per game. Freshman Sam Vinson leads the Norse in assists (55) and is scoring in double-digits at 11.1 points per contest. Adrian Nelson comes in averaging 7.7 points and a team-high 8.5 boards per game while shooting 59.5 percent from the floor. NKU is just 2-6 in road games with the wins coming at UIC and Youngstown State.  

SERIES NOTES
IUPUI is 4-9 all-time against Northern Kentucky and comes in having won two-in-a-row over the Norse. IUPUI swept a two-game series in Highland Heights last season on Jan. 15-16. IUPUI is 2-3 in the five meetings in Indianapolis with the last win coming on Feb. 1, 2019. 

UP NEXT
IUPUI will cap the current three-game homestand on Monday (Jan. 24) when the Jaguars host Brescia University at 7:00 p.m. inside the Jungle.  

Game Notes (click here for the full PDF packet)

QUICK HITTERS

• IUPUI comes in amidst an 11-game losing streak and still seeking a first win against a Division I opponent this season. The offense has been the primary culprit as the Jaguars rank at the bottom of D1 schools, tallying 50.9 points per game. 
• After not allowing an opponent to shoot better than 50 percent in the season's first 14 games, IUPUI's most recent three opponents have all shot above 50 percent. During that span, IUPUI's foes have shot a combined 56.8 percent from the floor and 47.0 percent from three-point range and averaged 81.7 points per game. 
• It's not unfair to say the trio of Bakari LaStrap, Mike DePersia and Chuks Isitua have been IUPUI's top players of late. LaStrap has hit for double-digits in five of the team's last seven games and Isitua has hit 9-of-12 field goal attempts and is averaging 6.3 points over IUPUI's last three games. DePersia has made at least one three in each of IUPUI's last four games, shooting 6-of-9 from three-point range during that span and is scoring 6.3 points per game over the past four. 
• With a rash of injuries in December, the IUPUI starting lineup and rotations has become a patchwork chore for first year head coach Matt Crenshaw. Of the 11 players who have seen action this season, 10 have started at least one game this season. Freshman Boston Stanton III is the lone IUPUI player to have started all 17 games and Dimitar Pandev is the lone player to have not started a game. 
• Of IUPUI's 11 active players, 10 have scored in double-figures in at least one game this season with senior Jonah Carrasco adding his name to that list  on Jan. 10. Carrasco had a perfect shooting night, hitting all four field goals and both of his free throws in tallying a career-high 10 points against UIC. The only player to have not scored in double-digits this season is junior guard Mike DePersia.  
• Maxwell leads IUPUI in scoring (10.9 ppg), rebounding (4.4 rpg), minutes played (31.5 mpg), free throw percentage (82.2%) and threes made (19). Maxwell has led IUPUI in scoring nine times this year and had a career-high 20 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3's, 5-5 FT) against Chicago State on Dec. 16. 
• The IUPUI basketball team had a 3.23 grade point average for the fall with 10 of the 14 team members notching a 3.0 or better. Nathan McClure had a perfect 4.0 in the fall and Stanton had a 3.95 mark. As a team, the Jaguars currently have a cumulative 3.37 team GPA.  

    AGAINST THE NORSE
    IUPUI earned a series sweep over the Norse last season at BB&T Arena, winning on Jan. 15 by a 74-69 score and following with 65-63 the following night. 
    Returners who played a key role in the sweep included Nathan McClure (11 pts, 6 reb in two games), Mike DePersia (10 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast in two games), Bobby Harvey (13 pts, 6 reb in two games) and Azariah Seay (8 pts in two games). 
    The two wins marked IUPUI's first-ever road wins over the Norse. 

    WRIGHT STATE TIP-INS
    IUPUI allowed a monster 22-1 run late in the first half to break a 17 all tie as the Raiders raced to an over-sized halftime lead and cruise from there... sophomore Bakari LaStrap hit for double-digits for the fifth time in seven games with a team-high 10 points and career-high six rebounds off the bench... Jonah Carrasco had seven points and four boards and B.J. Maxwell finished with seven points and five rebounds... IUPUI finished with just seven healthy bodies as Nathan McClure left early in the second half to an injury and Chuks Isitua fouled out... Grant Basile scored 17 of his game-high 20 points in the opening half, including eight during the Raiders' 22-1 run. 

    ANOTHER ADDITION
    IUPUI will add another quick turnaround home game as the Jaguars have scheduled a game with Brescia for Monday, Jan. 24 inside the Jungle. It will mark just the second meeting all-time between the teams as IUPUI defeated Brescia 120-76 on Dec. 16, 1989 at the DePauw University Tourney in Greencastle. Martin Reedus led five Metros in double-digits with 18 points, followed by Greg Wright (17), Eric Foster (15), Tony Long (13) and Ed Zello (10). 
    There will be no broadcast for Monday's game and admission will be free of charge.  

    PG PLAY
    IUPUI's two point guards have both stepped up their play of late as sophomore Bakari LaStrap has scored in double-digits in five of IUPUI's last seven games, including a career-high 16 against UIC on Jan. 10. The past seven games, LaStrap is averaging 9.9 points per game and shooting 51 percent from the floor. 
      In addition, junior Mike DePersia is rounding back into form after suffering an injury earlier this season. The past three games, DePersia has played 29.7 minutes per game while averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. In addition, he's hit 5-of-7 from three over the past two games and is now shooting 47.8 percent from deep this season. For the year, DePersia has a 2.42 assist/turnover ratio, delivering 29 assists against just 12 miscues. 

    THREE-HEADED MONSTER
    IUPUI has used a trio of bodies in the middle this season in Jonah Carrasco, Chuks Isitua and Dimitar Pandev. Collectively, the group is averaging 10.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game while shooting 52 percent (67-of-129) from the field. 

    THIN ON NUMBERS
    IUPUI entered the season thin on numbers with Zach Gunn suffering a season ending injury in the preseason and two others, Kaleb Edwards and Derek Petersen, intending to redshirt. 
    That said, it's been a nine-man bunch for Coach Crenshaw of late with both K.J. Pruitt and Bobby Harvey currently sidelined due to injury. Pruitt is expected to miss the remainder of the season after suffering an injury against Chicago State on Dec. 16. Harvey hasn't suited up since suffering an injury during pregame warmups prior to the game against Morehead State on Dec. 21.
    All total, IUPUI has had four different players (DePersia, Maxwell, Harvey and Pruitt) miss at least one game this season due to injury. 

    TAP INTO THE RESERVES
    With IUPUI's scoring coming via committee, IUPUI is averaging 19.8 points per game off the bench this season. IUPUI has received 10-or-more points from its bench in every game this season and has had a season-high 30 points twice, including at Milwaukee on Jan. 15. 

    CRAFTY VETERAN
    Maxwell is an interesting case study in today's new world of college basketball as he's entering his seventh year of college this season. After redshirting his opening season (2015-16) at Abilene Christian, he played three full seasons at ACU before transferring out for a fifth season. He played just two games at Detroit Mercy in 2019-20 before suffering a season ending injury and receiving another season of eligibility. He spent all of last season at Saint Edward's University in Austin, Texas, where he averaged 18.6 points and 5.3 boards per game while earning NABC Second Team All-District honors.
    After all NCAA student-athletes were granted an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19 issues, Maxwell opted to join the IUPUI program for a seventh season of schooling. He enters this season having played 94 collegiate basketball games and having scored 758 points across both NCAA Division I and II levels.     

    CHASING 1,000
    Maxwell's journey has spanned four schools in three different states at both the Division I and Division II levels, but through it all, he's closing in on 1,000 collegiate points. Maxwell has 932 collegiate points entering play - 385 at Abilene Christian, 2 at Detroit Mercy, 371 at St. Edward's University and 174 this season at IUPUI.