IUPUI beats Alabama A&M 86-47
Hill led the Jags with 20 points

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio - After a sluggish start, IUPUI's defense propelled a 24-5 first half run en route to a resounding 86-47 win over Alabama A&M in the opening game of the BCA Classic at Value City Arena. The Jaguars sprinted out to a 46-27 halftime edge and coasted from there.

Junior guard George Hill (Indianapolis, Ind./Broad Ripple) led the Jags with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

Defensively, IUPUI forced 27 turnovers, including gathering 14 steals.
"We've preached defense from day one," IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter said. "We really wanted to get after them since they (Alabama A&M) were playing so many freshmen. Once we were able to dictate the tempo and get comfortable, it really got us going."

Freshman Billy Pettiford (Marion, Ind./Marion) and sophomore Craig Swoope (Fort Pierce, Fla./Carmel [Ind.]) both provided back-to-back steals in the spurt, leading to a 21-8 edge in points off turnovers for the game.

Swoope finished with a career-high nine points in 10 minutes work, while Pettiford contributed seven points and six rebounds in his first career game. Bowling Green-transfer Austin Montgomery (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) was the only other IUPUI player in double-digits with 15 points in 23 minutes.
Montgomery hit two early threes to stake Hunter's squad to 17-12 lead midway through the first half, which they never relinquished. The two teams traded baskets before IUPUI ripped off the monstrous run, spanning the next five minutes. The final margin marked the Jags' largest lead of the game, and was the program's largest-ever over a Division I opponent.

All 13 players in uniform played at least three minutes, while nine different Jags scratched the scoring column. No IUPUI player played more than 29 minutes.
"Everyone contributed today," Hunter said. "It was a total team win. We were able to rest some guys, so hopefully that pays off the next two days."

Despite hitting just 6-of-20 (30.0 percent) from three-point range, IUPUI's interior presence helped the team connect on 49.1 percent overall. The Jags also dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Bulldogs 39-31 overall and 14-9 off the offensive glass.

Senior point guard David Barlow (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) led everyone with seven caroms. Senior Angelo Smith (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and Gary Patterson (East Chicago, Ind./Bishop Noll) had nine points apiece while Fred Kounkorgo (Lowell, Mass./Notre Dame Prep) added eight.

Evan Hilton led Alabama A&M with 15 points, but the Bulldogs managed to hit just 17-of-45 (37.8 percent) from the floor and 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) from the foul line.

IUPUI will take on the winner of the Kent State/South Dakota State game on Saturday night, with tipoff slated for 5:30 p.m.. All IUPUI games can be heard on 95.9 FM in Indianapolis.