Box Score

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Despite a furious rally to tie the score in the second half, the IUPUI women's basketball was not able to get over the hump, falling to UMKC, 58-48, Saturday evening at Kemper Arena.

The playing floor at Kemper Arena sits on top of a hockey rink, and in the first half of the contest, IUPUI (10-11, 5-5 Summit) was colder than the ice below, hitting just 6-of-31 on their way to 16 points.  After Jernisha Cann hit a turnaround jumper in the post to put the Jaguars ahead, 6-5, IUPUI went cold from the field, failing to knock down a field goal for 13:37, helping UMKC (10-11, 5-5 Summit) take a 23-13 lead.

An Elizabeth Mercer three-pointer temporarily cut the Jaguar deficit to seven, but Chazny Morris drained a three on the other end and Mercer fouled Jade Tinner, who was screening for Morris.  Tinner converted 1-of-2 free throws to complete the odd four-point play for the Kangaroos, who took a 27-16 lead into halftime.

Despite holding the 'Roos to 9-for-31 shooting in the first half, the Jaguars still trailed because of their 19.4-percent mark from the field.

The second half was a different story for IUPUI, as they blitzed UMKC with a 10-0 run to begin the half and cut their deficit to one point.  At that point in the game, Kalei Nance took over for the Kangaroos, single-handedly holding the Jaguars at bay.

A Kiara Butler three from the wing tied the game at 31 with 12:16 remaining, but Morris converted down low off a feed from Kristin Aldridge; Butler missed a three on the opposite end, leading to a Nance jumper, giving the Kangaroos a 35-31 lead.

Though the Jaguars would come within a single possession of the lead, they would not gather the advantage the remainder of the contest, due to Nance's strong play on the interior.  Nance scored all 15 of her points in the second half, stifling IUPUI's attempts to take over the contest. 

Down four with 2:47 to play, the Jags could not get a shot off, committing a 30-second violation; after a Morris layup with just under two minutes remaining made it 51-45, IUPUI could not inbound the ball after taking a timeout, giving the ball back to the Kangaroos.

Though Butler drained her fourth three-pointer of the night to momentarily give the Jaguars a glimmer of hope, UMKC iced the game by going 7-for-10 from the free-throw line down the stretch.

The loss gave the Jaguars their second straight defeat after a three-game winning streak.  IUPUI has not won more than three in-a-row at any point this season, but the Jaguars have not dropped more than three consecutive games, either.

However, since UMKC swept the season series from the Jags, they now hold the tiebreaker should the teams finish tied at the end of The Summit League regular season.

Butler's four three-pointers set a new career high, while Brykeesha Tate grabbed 12 rebounds to post a new career best.  In her final game in her hometown of Kansas City, Cann had 7 points and 12 rebounds.

IUPUI will look to snap their skid when they continue their trip west with a matchup with Southern Utah on Monday.  Tip-off from The Centrum is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET), and fans can catch the game via IUPUI Live!