MACOMB, Ill. -- The last time the IUPUI women's basketball team defeated Western Illinois at Western Hall was February 13, 1999. The Jaguars were not able to stop their skid Saturday evening, falling to the Westerwinds, 53-43, on Waste Management Court at Western Hall in their Summit League opener.
IUPUI (3-7, 0-1 Summit) dropped their fourth consecutive game after battling back from a seven-point deficit to close within one, but Western Illinois used a 7-0 run to pull away in the later stages of the second half.
Junior Jernisha Cann led the Jaguars with 13 points, but they came in 15 attempts. For the game, IUPUI shot just 31.6 percent on 18-for-57 shooting.
For the second straight game, IUPUI struggled to hit their shots in the second half, shooting 8-for-29. The opening four minutes of the half were especially critical, as the Jags started just 1-for-6 in falling behind by five in the early going.
Western Illinois (2-6, 1-0 Summit) slowly pulled away in the second half through a combination of jumpers and IUPUI turnovers. Five Jaguar turnovers limited their possessions and allowed the Westerwinds to shoot 50 percent in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Bending on defense, the Jags' levy finally broke as a Katy Davenport three-pointer opened a 36-29 lead for Western, forcing a Jaguar timeout.
IUPUI responded with a 6-0 run to pull within one. Senior Amy Cook knocked down a three in the corner before Cann skied for an offensive rebound and converted the three-point play.
Western Illinois extended their lead back to five by getting back to the free-throw line, hitting four consecutive shots from the charity stripe.
Gina Hugelier knocked down a long jumper off an inbounds pass, and following a Jaguar turnover, Jordon O'Brien hit a three from the top of the arc to push the Western Illinois lead to 10 with 4:32 to play.
The Jaguars had one last gasp, getting two straight buckets from Whitted to make it a two possession game, but Western Illinois converted their foul shots down the stretch to ice the game.
The Jaguars came out of the gate sluggish, committing five turnovers and five fouls in the first four minutes of play. Still, their defense held the Westerwinds to one field goal in their first five attempts.
Both teams shook off their early struggles to trade baskets midway through the opening half. IUPUI was able to control the offensive glass, allowing them to keep within striking distance of Western Illinois despite some streaky shooting.
When sophomore Julia Whitted corralled an offensive board and converted the putback, she gave the Jaguars a 16-15 lead with 6:00 to play in the first half. 54 seconds later, Whitted extended the lead to three by beating the shot clock with a turnaround in the post.
IUPUI found answers for Western Illinois's outside shooting, using a pull-up jumper by junior Brykeesha Tate and an offensive board by senior Christina Cunningham to regain the lead a 21-19 with 2:28 remaining in the half.
A late Westerwind jumper tied the game, and the teams went into the half tied at 23.
The Jaguars will take an 11-day break for finals before heading to Oxford, Ohio, for the second time this season. After taking on Miami (Ohio) in the Preseason WNIT, the women's team will play their regularly scheduled game versus the RedHawks at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 19.
IUPUI will return to The Jungle on Friday, Dec. 21, when they host nationally ranked Notre Dame. Tickets are still available for that game.
