Mastodons Fall in Heartbreaker to IUPUI

Saturday, February 4

Indianapolis, Ind.

1:00 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

10-13, 4-10

IUPUI

10-15, 4-9

IPFW

IUPUI

2/4/2012 1:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The IPFW Mastodons led by as many as ten in the second half, but could not hold onto the lead, as the Jaguars came back with a vengeance and used a three-pointer by Stephen Thomas with 24 seconds left to clinch the 66-63 Jaguar win.

Trey McCorkle scored a team-high 14 points, while Frank Gaines and Mario Hines each scored 13, and Joe Edwards scored 11. Jonny Marlin and Antwaun Boyd each added five points.

Trey McCorkle pulled down seven rebounds, while Gaines and Hines each grabbed five. Justin Jordan dished out a game-high four assists while Marlin gave out three scores. Gaines had three steals, while he, McCorkle, and Edwards had one block apiece.

IPFW falls to 10-13 on the season, and 4-10 in the Summit League, while IUPUI improves to 10-15, and 4-9 in league play.

IPFW led early, and was tied at six apiece before the Jaguars ran off six straight to lead 12-6 two minutes later. IPFW fought back to tie the score again at a dozen; however, the IUPUI quickly responded with a 7-0 run, taking their biggest lead with 8:04 to play after an Alex Young breakaway dunk.

The Mastodons methodically worked back, and after trailing by five at 22-17 with 6:25 to play in the period, the 'Dons ran off nine straight to take a four-point, 26-22 lead four minutes later. IUPUI twice closed the gap to one, including at the first-half buzzer, as IPFW took a 29-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.

IUPUI came away quickly out of the locker room, scoring the first five points in the second half, leading 32-29, and trailed by three at 36-33 before the 'Dons went on a 9-2 run to take a four-point lead on Edwards' third three-point basket of the game.

The lead reached as many as 10 when Hines made two straight free throws with 6:28 to play in the game. The Jaguars quickly reeled off four straight points, before a Marlin jumper pushed the advantage back to eight.

IUPUI answered back with seven straight points, five coming from Thomas, before Marlin once again stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer with 2:45 left to push the IPFW lead back to four.

The teams traded baskets before Thomas made his second three-pointer of the game with 1:35 to tie the score at 61 apiece. Boyd followed with two free throws, which were countered by two charity stripe attempts by Christian Siakam, tying the score at 63 with 1:10 to play in the contest.

IPFW committed a turnover on its next possession, which was followed by Thomas' third and final three-pointer of the game with 24 seconds remaining in the game.

A Gaines three-pointer was off the mark; however, the team would get another shot at tying the game when IUPUI's Ian Chiles missed both of the ensuing free throws, but Gaines' next attempt was also missed, and an attempt at a third shot would not beat the buzzer, giving the Jaguars the three-point victory.

IUPUI was led by Young who scored a game-high 21 points, while Thomas scored 20, 14 of those in the second half. Siakam scored 15 while pulling down a team-best seven boards.

The 'Dons out-rebounded the Jaguars 35-to-31, and made 41.7 percent of their shots (20-of-48), while IUPUI made just 21-of-53 (39.6 percent) of its shots.

IPFW next takes to the court in Chicago, Ill., when the team faces off against Chicago State in an 8:05 p.m. EST tip-off.

~ Feel the Rumble ~