Cougars Men's Basketball Beat IUPUI 61-55

The Chicago State men's basketball team beat IUPUI 61-55 Thursday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis. The win was the Cougars first on the road this season and first road win since Dec. 4, 2019 at SIUE (89-81), a span of 24 games away from the Jones Convocation Center (includes two neutral site games).

Dominique Alexander scored a season high 17 points and Brandon Betson 15 while Coreyoun Rushin led both teams with nine rebounds. With the win, the Cougars improve to 4-7 while IUPUI drops to 1-9.

Both teams struggled from the field early before CSU's Betson scored the game's first points with a long three. IUPUI was held scoreless over the first 4:27 but the Cougars couldn't capitalize and only led 5-3. The Jaguars then took their first lead of the game, 6-5, before Betson converted another long three to put CSU back up, 8-6. In the early going, CSU only made three of their first 13 shots (23.1 percent) while the Jaguars were just 2-of-11 (18.2 percent).

Following a pair of Jaguars made free throws, IUPUI scored on three straight trips sandwiched by a Carlo Marble three and the Jaguars led 15-11. At that point, CSU went on a 9-0 run started by a Jahsean Corbett bucket and free throw, Betson did the same then converted another three and the Cougars led 20-15.

The Cougars finished the first half with a 16-2 run and Betson scored 15 of the Cougars 27 first-half points. He was 5-of-9 from the field including 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc. Betson also contributed six rebounds. The Cougars made five first-half three pointers while the Jaguars were 2-of-11 (18.2 percent) and 6-of-27 overall (22.2 percent).

Dominique Alexander converted a long three for the Cougars to give CSU their largest lead of the game, 15 points, at 32-17 and the Jaguars shooting woes continued, bridging a scoreless streak of 8:12 from the first half into the second. Following a pair of IUPUI free throws, Alexander nailed another three to put CSU up 35-19.

With the Cougars leading by 12, 43-31, Corbett made a three to extend the lead to 15 before IUPUI's Azariah Seay scored seven straightt points to pull the Jaguars to within 10, 46-36, with an opportunity to cut the lead into single digits with a 12-3 run.

Alexander converted a pair of free throws and Favour Chukwukelu had a driving layup to extend the lead back to 14. Coreyoun Rushin then slammed down a dunk to cap a quick 6-0 run and the Cougars led 52-36.

IUPUI made it interesting coming down the stretch, going on a 13-2 run during the last three minutes and pulled to within five with 40 seconds remaining, 54-49.

The Cougars will wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule with a two-game trip to Iowa, taking on Drake in Des Moines on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. at the Knapp Center before a taking on nationally-ranked Iowa State (No. 11) in Ames on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m.