INDIANAPOLIS - The IU Indianapolis men's basketball team will close out a season-opening three-game homestand on Wednesday night (Nov. 11) when the Jaguars host Southern Indiana (1-2) inside James T. Morris Arena. Wednedsay's game will mark the official dedication of the building as IU President Pamela Whitten will be joined by members of the Morris family for a pregame recognition. Additionally, partners from the 500 Festival will be in attendance and selected veterans will be honored throughout the evening as part of Veterans Day. 

Nate Spangle, host and founder of the Get IN. Podcast will serve as the in-venue emcee on Wednesday. 

On the floor, head coach Ben Howlett's team seeks the program's first 3-0 start since the 2009-10 season. The Jaguars won a 75-74 thriller over UT-Martin on Saturday behind a game-high 24 points from Gus Etchison. The Jags trailed by 13 points with under seven minutes to play, but scored the game's next eight points and got a pair of threes from Kameron Tinsley in the final two minutes to secure the win. Junior Jason Clarke Jr. sealed the victory with a steal on UTM's final possession as the Jaguars ultimately forced 20 Skyhawk miscues. 

Etchison leads the team in scoring at 19.5 points per game through two games while Tinsley checks in at 16.5 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game. 

QUOTABLE
"Just guard, do what I normally do in practice every day. I guard all the time. He had faith in me to go get a stop," Clarke Jr. said of being called upon for the final possession defensively. 

SCOUTING SOUTHERN INDIANA
USI is 1-2 overall on the season and 0-2 in road games with losses at Belmont and Evansville. Kaden Brown leads USI in scoring (11.7 ppg) and all 11 field goals he's made this season have come from beyond the arc. Behind him, Afan Trnka is scoring 9.0 points per game and Josiah Dunham checks in at 8.7 points per game. 

INSIDE THE SERIES
IU Indy is just 5-13 all-time in the series and 4-4 in eight meetings in Indianapolis. The last meeting was a neutral site matchup in Fort Wayne back on Dec. 19, 2022, won by the Screaming Eagles, 87-74. 

UP NEXT
The Jaguars will hit the road for the first time this season when they take on Morehead State on Saturday (Nov. 14) for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on ESPN+ and 1430 AM.