Box Score | Photo Gallery
TULSA, Okla. -- Another day, another record-setting performance. The IUPUI Jaguars’ stifling team defense set a new standard in its quarterfinal victory over Southern Utah University, but it was Julia Whitted who led the Jaguars into The Summit League Tournament Finals in a 54-42 win over UMKC Monday afternoon at the John Q. Hammons Arena at the UMAC. The third-seeded Jags will face fourth-seeded and reigning Summit League Champions Oral Roberts University Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m EDT.
The BOK Tower in Tulsa may be the tallest structure in Oklahoma at 667 feet, but it was the 6-5 Whitted who loomed the largest on the Tulsa skyline Monday afternoon, leading the Jags to victory with 24 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and a Summit League Tournament record 8 blocks. Whitted adopted a “get outta my house” attitude, in her own words. “When (Head Coach Shann Hart) said (Jernisha) Cann was in early foul trouble, I stepped it up…I told myself, 'don’t let them put the ball in the hoop,'” she said.
“Julia forces double teams so that’s going to create and open up shots for other people,” said Hart. “We got away from our game plan and started jacking up three-point shots. We’re not a three-point shooting team and I don’t have a problem in saying so. We’re dead last in the league in shooting the three. And if you look at us today, we started jacking up threes, which is not a strength of our team.”
In a game where there were seven ties and six lead changes, it was IUPUI’s league-best team defense that led to victory. As a team, the Jaguars held UMKC to just 23.6 percent shooting from the floor and out-rebounded the ‘Roos 44-38.
“Part of the game plan was to minimize and limit the touches for (Chazny) Morris, their leading scorer,” said Head Coach Shann Hart. “I think most of her points came from the foul line. We did a really good job in making her work on every catch. I thought if we could limit their (Morris and Alysa Klein) touches we could very easily win this game. Since we didn’t’ do much to Klein, we focused on Morris.”
On the offensive end, the Jaguars relied on Whitted’s interior presence to outscore UMKC 32-10 in the paint. Freshman guard Nicole James added 12 points—including four crucial points in the final minute of play. She also had four steals and three assists.
Team defense set up the Jaguars offense to open the game. The Jaguars jumped out to an early 11-4 lead over UMKC, as Whitted’s presence in the paint altered Kangaroos center Alysa Klein’s offensive output. By the end of the opening period, Whitted had tied the Summit League Tournament record for blocked shots in a game with seven. She also led all scorers with 10 points and added six rebounds.
While the IUPUI defense was in lockdown mode, lapses in offense allowed UMKC to tie the game at 19 apiece with 2:28 remaining in the opening stanza. A pair of Whitted free throws pushed it back to a two-point lead, but UMKC cut it in half on a Brittny Picconi free throw. Senior guard Christina Cunningham missed her first five shots before hitting a jumper with 90 seconds left in the half. A Whitted field goal pushed the Jags lead to five at the half, 25-20.
Klein and UMKC found an offensive rhythm to open the second half, cutting IUPUI’s lead to one at 27-26. But the Jags fought off the ‘Roos with a pair of timely steals, leading to a Whitted field goal and a James free throw to push the lead back to four at 30-26 with 15:25 remaining.
But UMKC turned up its defensive pressure, anchored around the steady defensive performance of Klein, who finished with five blocks and 11 rebounds to go with her 11 points to lead UMKC. In a half marked by four lead changes and four ties, the ‘Roos grabbed a brief one-point lead on Sierra Radke three pointer with 14 minutes remaining. But Cunningham quickly nailed a jumper from the wing to reclaim the lead for the Jags at 32-31.
Turnovers took their toll on IUPUI in the second half, leaving the door for UMKC to tie the game for the seventh and final time at 38-38 on a Marta Waalen basket with just under seven minutes remaining. From that point, the Jags locked down defensively, only allowing four points – all on free throws - for the remainder of the game.
Field goals from Tate, James and Cann were punctuated by Whitted’s record-setting blocked shot with 4:30 on the clock. Looking ahead, the Jaguars will face an Oral Roberts team they beat twice this season.
“Both times around, we came out on fire, very aggressively,” said Hart. “We came out on fire and it was a little difficult (for ORU) to regroup from that large margin, but they did. I think they may have even outscored us the second half, but we built such a huge lead we were able to hang on.”
“Down at our place the lead changed a number of times. They probably should’ve won, but they didn’t make shots down the stretch and we did. There’s no question it’s going to come down to the team who makes plays down the stretch.”
Fans can watch the action live on ESPNU, with coverage beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Greg Rakestraw will also call the action live on www.IUPUIJags.com.
