INDIANAPOLIS - The IU Indianapolis men's basketball team will close out a quick three-game homestand on Thursday night (Feb. 12) when the Jaguars host Northern Kentucky (15-11, 7-8 HL) inside the Jungle at 6:30 p.m. The Jaguars opened the homestand with an emphatic victory over Cleveland State before dropping a tight contest to Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Freshman Maguire Mitchell scored a career-high 23 points in the 92-88 loss to Milwaukee while junior Kyler D'Augustino finished with 22 points. Senior Finley Woodward tied the program's single-game record with 14 assists as the Jags delivered 23 assists on 32 field goals. 

IU Indy (7-19, 3-12 HL) tried to claw back in the game in the closing minute, but yielded an offensive rebound and putback on a missed free throw with 6.1 seconds to play to make it a two possession game. The putback culminated a night in which the Jags allowed 14 offensive rebounds and 22 second chance points to the Panthers. 

Senior Jaxon Edwards finished with 17 points and sophomore Kameron Tinsley added 13 off the bench, including three threes. 

For the season, the Jaguars continue to average a league-best 84.3 points per game while ranking second in the country in assists at 20.7 per game. D'Augustino continues to lead the team in scoring at 18.8 points per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three. Edwards averages 11.5 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game while Mitchell checks in at 10.4 points per game. Woodward continues to do a little bit of everything with 8.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per contest. 

QUOTABLE
"Finley. He always steps up, because he's been in the system for so long, so he knows what's going on. Jax is starting to understand, I would say he's a leader as well. I feel like anyone could be a leader at any time, it just depends on what everyone sees and we all kind of talk to each other through every situation. So it's a little bit of everyone," D'Augustino said of who the team's best leaders are following Tuesday's game with Milwaukee. 
 
SCOUTING NKU
NKU is 15-11 overall and 7-8 in Horizon League play. The Norse are just 4-7 away from home this season and recently snapped a five-game losing streak with a home win over Milwaukee. The Norse shoot 47 percent as a team and 33 percent from three. 
    G Dan Gherezgher (6-4, Sr.) - 16.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
    G Shawn Nelson (6-3, Grad.) - 3.6 ppg
    G Ethan Elliott (6-3, Fr.) - 5.1 ppg, 4.3 apg
    G Donovan Oday (6-2, Sr.) - 18.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg
    F LJ Wells (6-8, Sr.) - 13.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg

INSIDE THE SERIES
IU Indy is just 4-17 all-time against Northern Kentucky and 2-7 in nine meetings in Indianapolis. The Jags come in having lost eight straight to the Norse, including an 81-72 defeat at NKU on Jan. 1 of this season. 

UP NEXT
The Jags will cap a busy week with a road game at Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday (Feb. 15) at 2:00 p.m. Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and heard locally on 1430 Indy's Sports Ticket.