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INDIANAPOLIS – Last season Eastern Illinois made two free throws in the final seconds to beat IUPUI in Charleston. On Saturday it was IUPUI making seven of ten from the line in the final 36 seconds to hold off EIU, 71-65, at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.
Josiah Wallace capped a 6-0 EIU run that trimmed an eight point Jaguars lead down to 64-62 with 1:21 left in the game. EIU would then have two shots to tie the game just under the minute mark after
Rade Kukobat pulled down a rebound on a IUPUI miss. The Panthers were unable to tie the game and had to foul over the final 36 seconds.
Nick Rogers made four of the free throws down the stretch for IPUI as he was 6-of-10 from the stripe finishing with nine points. Cameron Justice had 21 to lead IUPUI as the Jaguars improved to 1-1 on the season.
IUPUI opened the game on an 8-0 run with a pair of 3-pointers by Justice. EIU would respond and take the lead 11-9 on a
Ben Harvey 3-pointer. Harvey scored 10 points off the bench as he was one of five Panthers to score in double figures.
Grant Weatherford answered Harvey's bucket before Wallace knocked down a jumper to give EIU the lead for the final time at 13-12 with 9:44 to play in the first. Weatherford was 5-of-5 shooting for IUPUI finishing with 14 points. Wallace had 12 points for EIU.
A pair Rogers free throws just before half gave IUPUI a 35-31 lead at the half. IUPUI opened the second half with a 13-3 lead as they extended the lead to 48-34 on a Justice lay-up with 15:23 remaining.
EIU battled back to trim the lead to two points on the Wallace free throws but never got closer.
Kukobat had a team high 18 points with
Shareef Smith scoring 13.
Mack Smith had 12 points and eight rebounds. EIU shot 36 percent for the game as the Panthers fell to 0-2 on the year.