Dec. 19, 2009

Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS - Robert Glenn, Alex Young and Leroy Nobles combined for 66 points to lead IUPUI (9-3) to a 73-64 win over Duquesne (8-4) at Indianapolis.

Eric Evans led three Dukes in double figures with a career-high 20 points.

The Jaguars, who entered the game shooting a Summit League-best .505, went 27-of-54 from the field in becoming just the second team to top the .400 mark against the Dukes this season. Glenn, who had 27 points and 13 rebounds, went 10-of-18 from the field. Young hit five 3-pointers in going 8-of-15 and Nobles was 6-of-11 for 17 points. John Ashworth added a game-high 12 assists for IUPUI.

Evans, who entered the game 3-of-33 from the 3-point arc, hit 4-of-8 from beyond the arc in eclipsing his career high of 19 reached twice last season. Bill Clark added 16 points and Damian Saunders had 10 points and a game-high 18 rebounds for the Dukes who shot .387.

IUPUI, which never trailed, took a 60-42 lead on a Young 3-pointer with 14:24 left. The Jaguars led by 16 with 8:55 to go before the Dukes mounted a 10-0 run to cut the lead to six on a Saunders layup at the 6:45 mark. DU held the Jaguars scoreless for over four minutes during the comeback.

Duquesne trailed by seven with 3:30 remaining, but couldn't pull any closer despite the fact that IUPUI missed seven of 12 free throws down the stretch.

"It took us getting down 18 to fight," said Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart. "We cut it to six and just weren't intelligent down the stretch. They kept missing free throws and we couldn't take advantage of it. We showed signs of being a tired, flat team tonight."

Everhart was referring to the Dukes' 86-77 double-overtime win over Canisius on Wednesday.

Duquesne went 2-of-17 from the 3-point arc in the second half and 6-of-23 for the game. IUPUI was 7-of-14 from the arc.

Duquesne returns home to face Saint Francis, Pa. on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 7:00 p.m.

NOTES
• Entering the game, Western Carolina was the only team to top the .400 mark from the field against the Dukes ... IUPUI shot .576 in the first half in building a 41-33 lead ... the Jaguars finished at an even .500.
• Damian Saunders posted his ninth double-double of the season (10-18) ... the 18 boards were one shy of his career high set in the season opener against Nicholls State ... Saunders' nine double-doubles are the most by a Duquesne player since Derrick Alston had 12 in 1992-93 (Duquesne's lone season as a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference) ... all of Saunders' 16 career double-doubles have come in his past 43 games ... Saunders is averaging 13.6 points and 13.2 rebounds per game ... his rebounds per game average is the best by a Duquesne player since Lionel Billingy averaged 13.6 rpg. In 1972-73 ... Saunders has pulled down 15 or more rebounds in a game seven times this season ... his career high entering this year was 14.
• Eric Evans, who entered the game 3-of-33 from the 3-point arc, made 4-of-8 3-pointers in scoring a career high 20 points ... Evans' previous career best was 19 (two times) ... Evans was 8-of-17 from the field.
• IUPUI, which entered the game with an RPI of 64, is now 2-0 all-time in home games against Atlantic 10 teams ... the Jaguars defeated UMass 89-77 at The Jungle on Dec. 1, 2007.
• DU is 18-of-87 from the 3-point arc (.207) in its past four games.