INDIANAPOLIS - Grad transfer B.J. Maxwell poured in a career-high 22 points and Bakari LaStrap tallied 15, but the Jaguars fell at home to Youngstown State on Thursday night (Feb. 3), 61-55. Dwayne Cohill led four Penguins in double-digits with 14 points and reigning Horizon League Player of the Week Michael Akuchie had a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards. 

The game was played in a virtually empty Indiana Farmers Coliseum as winter weather continued to batter the entire Midwest. 

IUPUI (2-18, 0-9 HL) continued to play with just six players as injuries have piled up over the course of the season, severely limiting head coach Matt Crenshaw's options. Freshman Chuks Isitua took advantage of a rare start with eight points and a pair of blocked shots and Nathan McClure grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds in the loss. Turnovers continued to plague IUPUI as the Jaguars committed 17 miscues, leading to 16 YSU points. On the flip side, YSU (13-10, 7-6 HL) turned it over just 10 times and IUPUI cashed in on just two points. 

After falling behind by as many as 12 in the opening stanza, IUPUI closed the first half strong, rattling off 11 straight points over the final 4:17 to make it 28-27 at the break. Maxwell scored seven of the 11 points, including a corner jumper at the final horn to cut YSU's lead back to one. 

IUPUI continued the surge into the second half, outscoring the Penguins 7-2 over the opening three-plus minutes to build a 34-30 lead. Maxwell delivered a go-ahead three in front of his own bench before Isitua pushed the lead out to four with a layup off a LaStrap find. 

YSU fired back with the game's next seven points, capped by a Shemar Rathan-Mayes wing three, to retake the lead with 13:10 to play. The Jags continued to hang tough, but were unable to move back in front from there. Maxwell hit another key three from the top of the key with 8:08 left to pull IUPUI within one, but YSU countered with back-to-back buckets to take a two possession lead. 

IUPUI tired late and lacked the firepower to come all the way back while YSU connected on its free throws down the stretch, finishing the game 16-of-20 (80 percent) from the charity stripe. IUPUI was just 4-of-10 at the line in the loss. 

IUPUI shot 46 percent overall and 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) from three and outrebounded YSU 34-29. YSU shot just 41 percent overall and 5-of-20 from three-point range. 

LaStrap grabbed seven boards and handed out four assists to accompany his 15 points and Mike DePersia finished with five points and three boards. 

IUPUI will cap the homestand on Saturday (Feb. 5) when the Jaguars host Robert Morris inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum at noon. That game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and IUPUI Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) describe the action from courtside.