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INDIANAPOLIS - Following a 92-52 win in its lone exhibition, the IUPUI women’s basketball team opens its 2011-12 season on Sunday, Nov. 13, against No. 21 Purdue in Mackey Arena as part of the Mackey Arena Celebration. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
 
Head coach Austin Parkinson will be making his first trip back to Mackey Arena as an opposing head coach after playing under legendary Boilermakers basketball coach Gene Keady from 2001-04.
 
SCOUTING THE BOILERMAKERS

• Purdue returns 11 players from a season in which it went 21-12 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Of the 11 returners, six are seniors and the Boilermakers return over 95 percent of last year’s scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocked shots, and minutes played.
• Brittany Rayburn was the leading scorer last season averaging 14.4 ppg and was one of three players to average over 10.0 ppg.
• Defensively, Purdue held its opponents to 58.7 ppg and 36.7 percent shooting from the floor.

 ALL-TIME SERIES WITH PURDUE

• Purdue leads the all-time series against IUPUI, 1-0.
• The Boilermakers won the only meeting between the schools, 80-44, in West Lafayette back on Nov. 16, 2008.
• During that match-up, Jernisha Cann led the Jags in scoring and rebounding with 17 points and 13 rebounds, becoming IUPUI’s all-time leading rebounder.
• Senior Janna Eichelberger saw action in that game and scored five points, grabbed a rebound, and added an assist in 21 minutes of action.

 IUPUI AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS AND THE BIG TEN

• The Jags are 0-9 all-time against ranked opponents.
• IUPUI’s most points scored against a ranked opponent are 55, when it fell to No. 18 Auburn, 70-55, during the 2000-01 season.
• IUPUI is 1-11 all-time against Big Ten opponents, with its lone win coming against Minnesota, 85-80, on Dec. 31, 2000.

 SEASON OPENERS

• The Jags are 15-20 all-time in season openers, including a 4-9 mark since joining Division I status in the 1998-99 season.

 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE

• Kerah Nelson, an Honorable-Mention All-Summit League performer for the 2010-11 season, was selected as a preseason second-team all-conference selection as the Summit League released its 2011-12 Preseason Women’s Basketball Poll and All-Conference selections conducted by head coaches, sports information directors, and media.
• Last year, Nelson led the Jaguars in scoring and rebounding averaging 12.7 ppg and 6.7 rpg.
• In Summit League play, Nelson upped her scoring average to 13.7 ppg and shot 55.3 percent from the floor, ranking second in league-only games.
• Oral Roberts claimed 24 of the 27 first-place votes and tallied 411 points as it was tabbed the preseason favorite.
• Oakland, South Dakota State and IPFW were picked second, third, and fourth, respectively.
• North Dakota State and UMKC were picked to finish in the middle of the pack and South Dakota, the newest member of the Summit League, was projected to finish in seventh. Southern Utah and Western Illinois were projected to finish around IUPUI, which tallied 99 votes to finish ninth.

 BACK FOR MORE

• Head coach Austin Parkinson welcomes back seven returners from last season’s squad, which includes two seniors, two juniors, and three sophomores.
• The seniors that are back are Janna Eichelberger and Shakeeta Cotton.
• Eichelberger ranked second on the squad in scoring averaging 7.7 ppg in 23.8 minutes per contest, while also ranking second on the team in rebounding with 6.5 rpg.
• Cotton averaged 2.5 ppg in 23 games and also averaged 1.1 apg and 1.0 spg.
• The juniors consist of Kerah Nelson and Clara Mitchell.
• Nelson was an honorable-mention all-conference performer a year ago averaging 12.7 ppg and 6.7 ppg to lead the team in both categories. Nelson also had a fine season shooting the ball hitting 49.6 percent of her shots.
• Mitchell was a consistent force in the paint for the Jags averaging 5.7 ppg and 4.2 rpg, while leading the team with 21 blocks.
• The sophomores consist of Demetria Nunley-Lash, #Del’Niqua Bellamy#, and Dawn Luster.
• Nunley-Lash averaged 2.4 ppg and 2.0 rpg and was one of the more versatile players on the IUPUI roster with her length.
• Bellamy earned a reputation as one of the toughest defenders in the Summit League and hounded the opposing team’s point guard. The Detroit native is the leading returner in steals from a season ago with 33.
• Luster emerged as the team’s starting point guard towards the end of the season and led the squad in assists with 60 in 24 games. She averaged 4.5 ppg and 1.9 rpg in addition to her 2.5 apg.

 NEW FACES

• In addition to the seven returners, eight players will don the IUPUI jersey for the first time this season.
• Two of the eight sat out due to NCAA transfer rules last year, while three true freshmen and redshirt freshman also will be eligible for playing time. Two players transferred into the program but will have to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules.
• Emily Phillips and Katie Comello both missed last season due to transfer rules and will add depth at the guard position. Phillips transferred into the program from Penn State University, while Comello came to IUPUI from Cincinnati Christian.
• The two players who have to sit out the season because of NCAA transfer rules are DeAirra Goss and Jordan Barton. Goss transferred in from Western Michigan, while Barton comes to Indianapolis from St. Mary of Woods.

 NEW FACES - FRESHMEN

• The three true freshmen are Claire Holba, Nevena Markovic, and Alex Thompson.
• Holba had a breakout season for the Trojans as a junior averaging 17.8 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.5 percent from the floor.
• Holba was a Northwest Times First-Team All-Area selection, an Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) First-Team Under Class All-State honoree, and earned AP Honorable-Mention All-State distinction. As a senior, she was the Northwest Times Girls Basketball Player of the Year and averaged 20.4 ppg and 7.4 rpg this past season while finishing her career as Chesterton High School’s second all-time leading scorer.
• Thompson did a little bit of everything for Frankfort High School as a senior leading the squad in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks. Standing 5’ 9”, Thompson collected 10 double-doubles this season with her most impressive performance coming on Jan. 4, 2011, at Clinton Prairie, when she poured in 23 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Thompson averaged 20.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg, and 4.9 apg, while concluding her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
• A four-year all-conference, all-Clinton County, and all-area performer, Thompson was a Hoosier Basketball Magazine Top 60 Senior and picked up IGCSA Honorable-Mention All-State plaudits for her work as a senior.
• Markovic, who moved to Illinois from Serbia seven years ago, comes to Indianapolis from Glenbard South High School where she finished her career ranking third in school history in scoring. Due to her international background, Markovic is a versatile player who was asked to score, rebound, and distribute the ball evidenced by her 19.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg, and 3.5 apg as a 6’ 4” post.
• Markovic broke Glenbard South’s single-game scoring record with 38 points against Riverside Brookfield earlier in her senior campaign, and racked up a long list of accolades including being named the conference MVP and Glen Ellyn News Player of the Year, in addition to earning all-conference, Daily Herald All-Area, and IBCA Honorable-Mention All-State honors.
• Alyssa Holder comes into the program as a redshirt program and played her prep ball at Pike High School in Indianapolis.