INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI women's basketball team went toe-to-toe with No. 17 Notre Dame for the first 19 minutes of the game, before the Fighting Irish used a 17-0 run to pull away and down the Jaguars, 67-44, Friday night at The Jungle.
Hosting a ranked opponent for just the second time in school history, IUPUI (3-9) withstood an early 6-0 run by Notre Dame through the first 1:34 of the game, battling back to tie the score at 6 and never backing down from their nationally ranked opponent.
Junior Jernisha Cann led all scorers with 15 points and a season-best 14 rebounds, tallying her sixth double-double of the year.
Despite 15 turnovers in the half, IUPUI used its defense and energy to stay in the game and seize momentum through the middle of the half.
A 6-0 run gave the Jags a 14-13 lead nine minutes into the game, and back-to-back layups by Cann and fellow junior Brykeesha Tate put IUPUI ahead, 27-25 with 2:42 remaining in the opening stanza.
However, No. 17 Notre Dame (10-1) responded with a 9-0 run following a 30-second timeout. Charel Allen knocked down two buckets during the run, allowing Notre Dame to take a 34-27 lead into the intermission.
Notre Dame continued their push through the first three and a half minutes of the second half, pushing their lead to 42-27, as IUPUI struggled with the Fighting Irish pressure and zone defense.
The Jaguars were able to close within 11, but Notre Dame wore IUPUI down, eventually extending their lead to as much as 28 points.
Freshman Nicole James had 8 points for the Jags, while sophomore Julia Whitted had 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Cann matched her career high with 5 assists. Fellow Naismith Trophy candidate Charel Allen led a balanced Notre Dame attack with 12 points. Ashley Barlow, an Indianapolis native and sister of former Jaguar David Barlow, had 6 points and 7 rebounds.
IUPUI will play their second consecutive game at The Jungle when they host Northern Illinois on Saturday, December 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets are still available for the game by contacting the Athletics Office at 317-274-5453 for additional details.
The game will also be available online, with Scott McCauley handling the play-by-play of the SummitTV broadcast. Single games are available for $4.95 apiece while a full season can be purchased for $49.95, via the Summit League website.
