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INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s basketball team held an eight-point lead with less than two minutes to play, but a furious 13-0 surge in the final 1:46 gave Western Illinois a 65-60 victory in Summit League action Saturday afternoon at The Jungle.

Clara Mitchell and Nevena Markovic each scored 12 points to pace the Jaguars and combined to score six points during a 12-2 run that put the Jags in front 60-52 with 2:27 to play, but seven points in the final 1:16 by Michele Salvatori highlighted WIU’s end-of-game run.

IUPUI took a 14-point lead into the half thanks in part to 7-of-13 shooting from behind-the arc, but the Jags made just 1-of-4 attempts from deep in the second half coupled with the Leathernecks connecting on 6-of-8 attempts from three.

Seven lead changes and one tie occurred in the opening 10:38 leading to a 13-12 IUPUI advantage, until a 9-0 spurt featuring four points from Mitchell, a triple from Katie Comello and a fast break lay-up from #Del’Niqua Bellamy# pushed the Jaguars lead to double-digits, 22-12, with 6:16 to play.

Valencia Kelly did her best to keep WIU in the game scoring seven of their 10 points during a 2:49 stretch helping it close within five points, 27-22, but an 11-2 IUPUI run to close the half, including a Markovic three and a Dawn Luster trey right before the final buzzer sounded, sent IUPUI into the locker room in front 38-24.

Poor shooting and turnovers plagued both teams early in the second half, but despite the sloppy play the Jaguars were able to increase their halftime lead to 16 points, 41-25, with just over 17 minutes remaining.

However, over the next 11 minutes, the Leathernecks went on a 24-6 run behind the hot shooting of Kelly and Saule Kontautaite to take a 49-47 lead with just under six minutes left, its first lead since leading 10-8.

Facing its first deficit in nearly 30 minutes, a pair of Markovic free throws and a Nelson triple from the right wing on back-to-back possessions kick started a 13-3 run that gave IUPUI its eight-point lead, 60-52.

From that point, WIU turned up its defensive intensity and made some easy buckets off IUPUI turnovers in the backcourt as it went on its furious late-game rally to seize the five-point victory.

Salvatori and Kelly each scored 17 points in the win to pace the Leathernecks offense. Each team’s leading scorer, Kerah Nelson and Sadie Webb, added 11 points for their respective teams.

IUPUI closes out its three-game homestand on Wednesday, Jan. 4, when it hosts Trine University at 7 p.m.