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INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI women's basketball team knew it would be tough going up against the MAC's most-talented front court on Thursday night; they just did not know how much they would miss First Team All-Summit selection Julia Whitted in the process.  The Jaguars were outrebounded, 51-28, as Northern Illinois dominated the glass in handing IUPUI a 71-55 loss at The Jungle.

IUPUI (0-3) started strong for the second straight game, as they built an early 11-4 lead with crisp ball movement and balanced scoring.  On the Jaguars' first five baskets of the game, five different players scored, with assists credited to three different players.

"We started strong again," IUPUI head coach Shann Hart said.  "But we just couldn't stop their posts, which we knew would be a problem.  We emphasized boxing out and rebounding, but we didn't put enough bodies on them to contain them."

Briannica Tye's second three-pointer of the game put IUPUI up, 14-6, just 6:36 into the contest, as the Jaguars held momentum in their hands.  Even as Northern Illinois (2-1) tried to get back in the game, the Jags countered with jumpers from Jessica Huffman and Kerah Nelson to hold on to a seven-point lead midway through the half.

However, the Huskies clawed their way back into the game, one rebound at a time.  Just as Northern Illinois was securing second-chance opportunities, the Jaguars went cold from the field, knocking down one field goal over a seven-minute stretch spanning the later part of the half.

During that time, Northern Illinois grabbed three of their 14 offensive rebounds in the half, leading directly to baskets.  The Huskies ended the half with 13 second-chance points and 22 points in the paint.

From the time Janna Eichelberger hit a runner to give IUPUI a two-point lead at 21-19 to Clara Mitchell's turnaround in the paint with 3:23 left in the half, Northern Illinois had built a 31-23 lead, taking a five-point lead to the locker room, 34-29.

Nelson and Huffman would drain baskets to start the second half, bringing IUPUI within three points in the first minute of the half, but the Jags went cold again, hitting just seven of their final 23 attempts from the floor.

Nothern Illinois outrebounded IUPUI, 25-12, in the second half to secure the glass and build their lead to as much as 21 before the teams settled on the final outcome.

Tye had a career-best 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting, but was saddled with three fouls early in the game, limiting her time.  Nelson led the Jaguars with 13 points, while Eichelberger added 11.

Northern Illinois' Mauvolyene Adams and Ebony Ellis each finished with double-doubles, as Adams led all players with 20 points to go along with 11 boards; Ellis had 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Jaguars will look to pick up their first win of the 2009-10 campaign when they travel to Ithaca, N.Y., for a meeting with Cornell University on Tuesday, Nov. 24.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and Scott Taylor will have the call of the game on IUPUIJags.com.