TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Junior Jlynn Counter scored a game-high 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting and sophomore DJ Jackson added 11 points off the bench, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Jaguars fell to a hot shooting Indiana State squad on Tuesday night (Nov. 14), 96-57. Indiana State (2-1) shot better than 60 percent from the floor and 10-of-23 (43.5 percent) from deep in the win. 

Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope led four Sycamores in double-digits with 16 points apiece and Jayson Kent added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

IUPUI struggled offensively, shooting just 39.7 percent from the floor and going 0-for-13 from three-point range.

"We knew we'd have to get off to a good start and we didn't get (defensive) stops early," head coach Matt Crenshaw said. "They're a tough matchup, particularly with having (Avila) back in the lineup and playing five out like they do. They spread us out and got open looks and knocked them down and really fed off that energy.

"Credit to them - that's a really good team and they're going to be a problem for a lot of teams that come in here."

IUPUI, which had allowed just four threes in the season's first two games combined, saw the host Sycamores pour in three treys in the opening four minutes in building an early 12-8 lead. The hosts opened the game 7-of-8 from the floor and used a 10-0 run to surge out to a 19-8 lead midway through the half. Counter was the only IUPUI player with any first half success as the Jags hit 4-of-6 to start the game and proceeded to make 4-of-24 attempts from the floor over the final 15 minutes of the half. Counter scored 10 of IUPUI's 21 in the first half, despite missing his final four attempts before the break. 

By the time the first half dust settled, the Jaguars trailed 48-21 at intermission on a putrid 26.7 percent from the floor. 

IUPUI showed glimmers of life in the second half, including an Abdou Samb layup followed by a Qwanzi Samuels transition dunk off a Samb assist to prompt an ISU timeout. The Jaguars shot 54 percent in the second half, largely behind Counter and Jackson, but was unable to string together defensive stops as ISU scored 48 in each half. 

All 16 of Swope's points came in the first half while Avila scored 10 after the break. The Sycamores delivered 28 assists on 38 made baskets while the Jaguars had just six assists against 14 turnovers. ISU outscored IUPUI 56-36 in the paint and 19-7 off turnovers. 

Redshirt freshman Braden Allen, from nearby Brazil, Ind., provided a late bright spot, scoring the first four points of his collegiate career in the closing minutes. 

IUPUI will continue its stretch of five straight games away from home when it competes in Winthrop's Rock Hill Classic in Rock Hill, S.C. The Jaguars will face Elon (Nov. 17), Winthrop (Nov. 18) and Holy Cross (Nov. 19) in a span on three days. All three games can be seen on ESPN+.