Box Score Box Score (.pdf) | Highlights | Austin Parkinson Postgame Interview | Katie Comello Postgame Interview

INDIANAPOLIS – Kerah Nelson and Katie Comello carried the IUPUI women’s basketball team throughout the first half outscoring St. Francis (NY), 31-29, on their own, before sinking the Terriers late with key buckets leading the Jaguars past St. Francis, 75-56, Saturday afternoon in The Jungle.

Comello scored a career-high 25 points, which included hitting 6-of-9 attempts from behind the arc, while Nelson added 23 points and eight boards in the convincing win. The 23-point performance from Nelson marked her 12th 20-plus point effort of her career.

“We needed some big time individual performances because we are little bit down as far as numbers at the guard position with injuries, so for Katie to step up the way she did and then Kerah to play multiple and have the game she did was huge for us today,” said head coach Austin Parkinson.

In addition to the big games from Comello and Nelson, #Del’Niqua Bellamy# made life difficult for the Terriers and was a force in every aspect of the game finishing with five points, a game-high nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

“We had some other contributions today as [Del’Niqua] Bellamy had some big-time rebounds that maybe go unnoticed. We told her to get 10 rebounds and she got nine so I’m proud of her effort today,” Parkinson said.

IUPUI’s frontcourt of Clara Mitchell and Nevena Markovic continued to produce on the offensive end with Mitchell scoring 11 points and Markovic adding 10 points, giving them both back-to-back double figure scoring performances.

Four different players chipped in during an early 10-0 run that put the Jags in front, 10-3, with 15:49 to play in the first half. Nelson scored four of the points during the early run before going on a tear in which she netted 16 of IUPUI’s first 27 points as IUPUI remained on top, 27-22.

With under eight minutes to play and the Jags holding on to that 27-22 lead, Nelson picked up her second foul sending her to the bench, but that’s when Comello picked up her production.

Comello hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 of the Jaguars final 16 points over the final 5:47 of the first half sending the Jags into the half leading 44-29.

Shooting woes showed up early in the second half with IUPUI hitting two of its first 10 looks from the floor in the first 6:07 of the second half, and St. Francis (NY) capitalized with a 10-4 run closing the IUPUI lead to 48-39 with 13:53 to play.

The Terriers cut their deficit to eight points, 51-43, with 10:54 remaining, but a Mitchell jumper preceded Comello’s fourth triple of the night putting the Jags back in front by 13 points, 56-43. From that point, IUPUI was never truly threatened and it cruised to a 75-56 win.

Emily Phillips didn’t score, but she led all players with six assists, while Comello wasn’t far behind with five. As a team, the Jaguars picked up 21 assists on 28 made buckets.

In addition to her 10 points, Markovic added a game-high four blocks.

The Jaguars are back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 22, when they travel to Terre Haute, Ind., to take on Indiana State. Tip is set for 7 p.m.