CLEVELAND - The IUPUI basketball team's 2023-24 campaign came to a crashing close on Tuesday night (Mar. 5) as the No. 10 Jaguars fell to No. 7 Cleveland State in the opening round of the 2024 Barbasol #HLMBB Championships, 85-66. Cleveland State shot a blistering 60 percent overall and 40 percent from three-point range in breezing past the Jaguars. IUPUI shot an efficient 51 percent from the floor, but saw any hopes of an upset unraveled by 19 turnovers. 

CSU (19-13) turned the 19 turnovers into 33 points. 

The Jaguars close the campaign with a 6-26 overall mark while Cleveland State moves on to the quarterfinals round of the Horizon League Tournament. 

IUPUI got the start it wanted, surging out to a 9-3 lead with contributions coming from four different players. However, CSU gained its footing and scored the game's next eight points to take the lead. After ties at nine all and 11 all, the Vikings got some breathing room by scoring seven straight to build a 24-15 advantage. After operating efficiently to start the game, the IUPUI offense began settling for outside jumpers and saw the Vikings take advantage and push away to a 44-29 lead by the break. 

The Jaguars shot 55 percent in the opening half despite going just 1-of-8 from three. Cleveland State was brilliant in the opening 20 minutes, making better than 59 percent of its attempts. 

IUPUI held Cleveland State scoreless for nearly three minutes to start the second half, but scored just five points of its own during that span to cut the lead back to 44-34. However, IUPUI never got closer than 10 and the Vikings methodically pulled away behind Tristan Enaruna and Jayson Woodrich. 

Woodrich closed with a game-high 18 points, including four threes, and Enaruna had 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and grabbed five rebounds. 

IUPUI reserves closed the game with a 13-3 run to shave into the final margin. Vincent Brady II, John Egbuta and Bryce Monroe all finished with a team-high 11 points apiece and Jlynn Counter added 10, all in the second half. Egbuta grabbed a team-high five rebounds and Monroe finished with three assists and a pair of steals off the bench. Sophomore DJ Jackson finished with seven points, exclusively from the foul line, to accompany his three boards and two thefts.