INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI women's basketball team held on for a 58-55 victory over Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon at The Jungle, snapping a six-game losing streak in the process.
IUPUI (4-9) was sparked by two freshmen - Brittany Ransom and Nicole James - who combined for 18 points.
Ransom (pictured) sparked the Jaguars off the bench with a career-high 10 points, while James provided the go-ahead basket with 1:40 remaining.
After leading throughout the half, IUPUI allowed Northern Illinois to tie the game at 54 with 2:28 to play. A steal by the Franklin Central-product gave the Jags the ball, and following an errant shot by junior Jernisha Cann, sophomore Julia Whitted threw the ball to James - as she was falling out of bounds - who laid the ball in as the shot clock expired.
The Jaguars defense buckled down in the final minute, forcing the Huskies to use three timeouts off the same inbounds play. NIU was forced to settle for a three-pointer that missed, allowing IUPUI to seal the game when junior Brykeesha Tate knocked down two free throws with 13 seconds to play.
IUPUI dominated Northern Illinois on the inside, outscoring the Huskies, 36-14, in the paint. Whitted was a large part of the Jags success, posting a game-high 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
The sophomore helped the Jaguars turn a three-point halftime lead into a nine-point advantage, as she scored the first four points of the second half, forcing NIU into a quick timeout.
Cann chipped in with a jumper on the next possession before the Jaguars went cold from the field, allowing Northern Illinois to climb back into the game.
Still, the Jags defense held, as IUPUI never gave away the lead in the second half, answering the two ties with baskets to move back in front.
Cann nearly recorded her first career triple-double, finishing with 8 points, 9 rebounds and a career-best 8 assists.
Northern Illinois (4-8) was led by Jessie Wilcox, who had 15 points.
IUPUI will resume Summit League play on Saturday, January 5, when they venture to Southern Utah in the Conference Game of the Week. The action will begin from Centrum Arena at 5 p.m. MST. The game will also be available online, via 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.
The Jaguars will take on UMKC at 7 p.m. CST on Monday, Jan. 7, before returning to The Jungle on Saturday, Jan. 12, when they host South Dakota State at 4:30 p.m. as part of a doubleheader. Tickets are still available for the game by contacting the Athletics Office at 317-274-5453 for additional details.
(12-29-07)
