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INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI women's basketball led in the second half for the first time since Dec. 2, but could not maintain their momentum, as a 9-0 Western Illinois run wiped out a three-point lead for the Jaguars, fueling a 52-44 loss at the Jungle on Saturday evening.
IUPUI (1-15, 0-5 Summit) dropped their ninth straight game, while Western Illinois (5-11, 1-4 Summit) snapped a five-game losing skid.
"It's frustrating for everyone," IUPUI head coach
Shann Hart said following the game. "We've made some progress though in each of our last two games. We'll get over the hump soon and when we do, I think you'll see a different team."
For a four-minute span early in the second half, the Jaguars looked as if today would be the day they broke out of their two-month long funk. Trailing 25-18,
Jessica Huffman got the Jaguars rolling with a layup at the 16:56 mark before
Janna Eichelberger knocked down a long jumper from the corner to bring it to a one-possession game.
Huffman, who had just two points in the opening half, then drained her only three-pointer of the game from the left wing to knot the contest at 25.
The Jaguars' aggressive second-half defense, which featured the 5-foot-11
Ebony Davis guarding the 5-foot-7 Jordon O'Brien of Western Illinois for much of the half, came up with a steal on the defensive end, leading to Eichelberger's outlet pass to Huffman, who converted the layup while being fouled in the process.
The fastbreak layup led to a Western Illinois timeout, and Huffman came out of the break and converted the three-point play, giving IUPUI their first second-half lead since their Dec. 2 win over IU-Southeast.
The 10-0 was halted however, when Lunden Roberts nailed a three in the corner on Western's subsequent possession, sending the Fighting Leathernecks on a 9-0 run of their own.
During the run, the Jaguars put Western Illinois in the bonus, and the Leathernecks capitalized, knocking down their first 13 free throws of the game, the first four of which came during the game's decisive run.
The Jaguars had one more push in them, as
Kerah Nelson knocked down the first of her two three-pointers at the 4:20 mark of the half, bringing IUPUI's deficit to 42-36. However, Anneloes Kodde hit her only bucket of the game - a three - to render Nelson's shot moot.
The Leathernecks used free throws the rest of the way to hold off two late IUPUI three-pointers.
The first half featured just 16 combined made field goals and 37 points - 21 of which came from Nelson and O'Brien. Nelson had 8 in the opening 20 minutes, while O'Brien found seams in the Jags' defense to post 13 of her game-high 25 points.
Trailing 21-16 at the half, the Jaguars put Davis on O'Brien in an effort to curb her looks. While the senior hit just two shots the rest of the game, she went 8-for-8 at the charity stripe, helping seal the game.
Nelson led the Jaguars with 17 points, her fourth straight game with more than 15 points. Huffman added 12 for IUPUI.
The Jaguars will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 16, when they meet Centenary in a game that will break the teams' tie in The Summit League standings. Fans are encouraged to wear Colts apparel to the game and two pairs of two tickets will be given away during the game.
