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TULSA, Okla. -- IUPUI entered The Summit League Basketball Tournament as the league’s top defensive team and backed it up with a record-setting performance, defeating Southern Utah University 64-32 and advancing to the semifinals vs. No. 7 UMKC on Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Sophomore center Julia Whitted and junior forward Jernisha Cann combined for 31 points and 30 rebounds to nearly single-handedly take down the Thunderbirds.
“I didn’t get Defensive Player of the Year for nothing,” Cann quipped after pulling down 16 rebounds, 14 off the defensive glass. She added 13 points, notching her 32nd career double-double and 13th of the 2007-08 campaign.
Whitted led all scorers with 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for her 11th career double-double (10th this season). It is the sixth time the duo of Cann and Whitted have combined for double-doubles in one game, with IUPUI emerging victorious in the past four.
By virtue of holding the Thunderbirds to 34 points, IUPUI also set a new defensive mark in fewest points allowed in conference tournament play.
“We stayed the course today, which I think was really the difference in the outcome of the game,” said Jaguars Head Coach Shann Hart. “I thought we played with a little more consistency and especially defensively, and that was our game plan.”
Stifling first-half team defense anchored by Cann and a steady offensive output from Witted staked the Jags to a commanding 28-12 halftime lead. The Thunderbirds managed just one field goal in the final 10 minutes of the opening period, turning the ball over six times.
IUPUI’s defense held Southern Utah to 20 percent first-half shooting.
By the time the Southern Utah found their offensive rhythm in the second half - scoring four consecutive points with 10 minutes remaining, it was too much to overcome. The Jags had already gone into cruise control, holding the lead from start to finish.
“I think, in about the last seven and a half or eight minutes of the game—in the timeout—(I said) we need to work on the things we need to do to better ourselves for tomorrow, executing offensively and defensively,” said Hart. “I don’t think our defense isn’t going to get any better or worse, so we have to do what we did today.”
Senior guard Christina Cunningham had eight points and junior guard Brykeesha Tate added seven in keying some early offense for the Jags.
Southern Utah was led in scoring by Erin Haskins, who scored 14 points.
With the win, IUPUI earned its third consecutive trip to the conference championship semifinals, the second longest opening round streak behind Oakland University. They will face an upstart UMKC team who defeated second-seeded Western Illinois, 62-55 in Saturday’s opening round game.
Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. EDT. Greg Rakestraw will call the action live via Webstream, available at www.IUPUIJags.com. Fans can also view the action live from Tulsa via SummitTV at www.thesummitleague.org.
