INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s basketball team used a 3-pointer from Gretchen Gaskin less than a minute into the ball game to take an early lead and never looked back as the Jaguars defeated UMKC 75-61 in Summit League play on Saturday afternoon to snap a 15-game losing skid.

Gaskin paced the Jaguars scoring 16 of her career-high 18 points in the first half to carry the Jaguars to a four-point halftime lead, before Nelson took over and scored 16 of her game-high 21 points in the second half to close out the win.

“Our team got off to a great start and it was led by Gretchen Gaskin who showed great senior leadership and made shots and I couldn’t be prouder of her,” said head coach Austin Parkinson. “Kerah Nelson was tremendous playing at an all-league level and we just had great efforts from everybody.”

After UMKC had reduced an early 16-point lead down to two points in the beginning stages of the second-half, a 15-2 IUPUI run during a seven-minute Kangaroos scoring drought proved to be the difference.

“The real key was they shot 52 percent in the first half and typically when we have gone into the second half it has been a struggle because we lose communication,” Parkinson added. “Tonight, we held them to 28 percent shooting in the second half and got stops so it shows that as a team we are growing and learning.”

IUPUI was on fire from three to start the game as all four of the Jags field goals came from behind the arc, two of which coming from Gaskin, as IUPUI sprinted out to a 12-0 lead over the opening 4:11.

A UMKC free throw with 15:33 on the clock got the Kangaroos on the board, but a floater by Jasmine Horne and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Gaskin capped off a 17-1 run for IUPUI over the first 5:35.

UMKC snapped out of their slow start and responded with a 15-5 run, cutting the Jags lead to six points, 22-16, but a lay-up off an inbounds play by Janna Eichelberger followed by a fast break lay-up from Kerah Nelson in which the ball did not touch the floor, pushed the Jags lead back into double figures, 26-16, with 7:54 remaining.

Gaskin’s third trey of the half came with 6:03 on the clock widening IUPUI’s lead to 13 points, 31-18, but the Jags went scoreless for the remainder of the half and a 9-0 finish to the first 20 minutes from the Kangaroos slimmed IUPUI’s lead to four points ,31-27, entering the half.

With 15 minutes to play, UMKC had trimmed the Jags lead to two points, 39-37, and the Kangaroos were still within striking range with the score in IUPUI’s favor, 45-41, with 12 minutes left.

Over the next 7:30, Nelson took over and scored eight of the Jaguars 15 points during a 15-2 spurt that widened the lead back to double digits, 60-43, with 4:30 on the clock. The dagger during the run came from Dawn Luster, who buried a 3-pointer with the shot clock running down to keep the momentum going.

Down the stretch, UMKC was able to strike quickly and the Jags missed some free throws trimming IUPUI’s lead to seven points, 68-61, with 34 seconds to play.

However, IUPUI scored seven points in the final 30 seconds to close out the 75-61 triumph.

Horne and Eichelberger both added 11 points, marking the second time this season that IUPUI has had four players score in double figures. Luster almost made it five double-digit scorers with nine points, but her career-high seven assists proved to be more valuable.

The win moved IUPUI to 4-21 on the season and 2-13 in conference play. The four wins surpasses last year’s win total of three and snaps a five-game losing skid against UMKC.

IUPUI returns to the floor on Monday, Feb. 21, when it hosts Southern Utah. Monday’s game will be Senior Night as Gretchen Gaskin and Laura Blaydes will be honored prior to playing their final home game in The Jungle. Monday’s game will also be IUPUI’s Pink Zone game supporting breast cancer awareness.