For the first time this season, IUPUI (2-3) put three players into double-figures, led by sophomore Julia Whitted, who had 18 points and 9 rebounds. Senior Amy Cook shook off the worst slump of her career to finish with a season-high 16 points, including three second-half three-pointers as IUPUI pulled away.

Junior Jernisha Cann chipped in 16 points and 9 rebounds, helping the Jaguars outscore the Spartans, 28-12, in the paint.

IUPUI came back from intermission and immediately got the ball inside to Whitted, who hit back-to-back baskets to cut the Spartan lead to two. The sophomore's interior play opened up the outside, where Cook finally got on track after averaging 1.0 point over her first four games.

A kick-out by Cann to Cook got the senior rolling by knocking down her first three of the season to give the Jaguars their first lead since Cann's jumper 1:59 into the game.

Cook brought the Jaguars back again, after SC Upstate had reopened a four-point lead, the native of Australia hit her third three of the night and came away with a steal and layup to give IUPUI the lead back at 32-31.

The steal gave the Jags momentum, as they reeled off a 16-4 run beginning with Cook's three.

Freshman Nicole James corralled an offensive rebound to convert the layup while being fouled. Her free throw pushed the IUPUI lead to four, where another basket from inside, this time by Cann, extended the advantage to six.

Another jumper by Cann helped the Jags maintain their six-point lead before freshman Jessica Bennett hit her first collegiate basket, a three-pointer, to stake IUPUI to a 44-35 lead with 11:10 to play. Cann finished the run with another layup, forcing SC Upstate to take a timeout with a little more than 10 minutes to go in the game.

Whitted helped keep the Spartans at bay, answering three straight SC Upstate baskets with buckets of her own, keeping the Jaguar lead at 11.

However, SC Upstate (1-3) rallied to cut the deficit to 2 with 4:10 to play. IUPUI had an answer, as Cann knocked down a layup to push the lead to 4, then came away with a key defensive rebound.

On the ensuing possession, Cann rebounded her own miss and converted the layup to make it a 60-54 Jaguar lead with 2:21 to play.

Two free throws gave the Spartans hope of coming back in their Division I-home opener, but Cook hit her fourth three of the night to end SC Upstate's hopes, and IUPUI put the game away at the free throw line.

The Jaguars found themselves down 26-20 at the break, due in large part to 12 turnovers and 7-for-23 shooting. A layup by Cann gave the Jags a 3-2 lead, but SC Upstate used a 14-4 run over the next five minutes to open a nine-point lead. Another layup, this time by Whitted, cut the Spartan lead to two, but SC Upstate again used an 8-0 spurt to take a 10-point lead with 1:18 to play. Jumpers by Cann and Whitted created the six-point halftime deficit.

IUPUI will continue their trip through the Carolinas on Saturday, when they will head north to Boiling Springs, N.C., to take on Gardner-Webb University. The game will begin at 2 p.m. from Paul Porter Arena.