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INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s basketball team got off to a hot start, but a combined 48 points from Southern Utah’s trio of Challis Pascucci, Caitlyn Sears, and Desiree Jackson led the Thunderbirds past IUPUI, 62-45, on Senior Night in The Jungle.
Southern Utah (14-12; 9-7 Summit) overcame an early eight-point deficit by shooting 60 percent over the final 16 minutes of the first half to take a lead that it would not relinquish.
“In the first half we missed a lot of lay-ups and had some turnovers in key spots,” said head coach
Austin Parkinson. “On the other end of the floor we didn’t get stops. Our margin for error isn’t as great as some other teams and when we give them extra opportunities off turnovers it’s hard to get a win.”
In her final game in The Jungle,
Gretchen Gaskin scored seven points, had two rebounds, four assists, and four steals. IUPUI’s other senior,
Laura Blaydes, played in the final minute of her final home appearance.
“I liked that Gretchen had an aggressive mindset offensively and Laura came in late and got a charge,” Parkinson added. “One of the characteristics of this team is that they always continue to fight and we did that. I just wish we could have gotten a win for the seniors tonight.”
Kerah Nelson led the Jags in scoring with 12 points, her eighth double-figure scoring effort in the last 11 games, but IUPUI (4-22; 2-14 Summit) just didn’t have enough scoring power to hang with the Thunderbirds.
For the second consecutive game, IUPUI got out to an early lead behind some balanced scoring. All five players contributed a basket in the first four minutes leading the Jaguars to a 10-2 lead.
Southern Utah started the game shooting 1-of-4 from the floor with three turnovers during the Jags run, but Challis Pascucci scored 11 of the Thunderbirds next 18 points during an 18-6 surge that catapulted SUU back on top, 20-16, with 9:01 remaining.
A Nelson lay-up with 3:07 left in the half brought the Jags back within three points, 26-23, but a 5-0 solo run by Jackson over the final 2:05 sent the Thunderbirds into the half with a 31-23 lead.
Out of the half, IUPUI struggled from the floor hitting just three of its first 16 shots while committing nine turnovers during the first 11 minutes of the second half. During that span, Sears and Jackson combined to score 14 of the Thunderbirds 22 points as their lead grew to 24 points, 53-29.
After the lead grew to 25 points, 56-31, the Jaguars had one final spurt left in which Nelson scored eight of IUPUI’s 14 points during a 14-2 run closing the gap to 13 points, 58-45, with 2:30 to play, but that would be as close as the Jags would get as Southern Utah closed out a 62-45 win.
Clara Mitchell continued her solid play scoring eight points and pulling down a team-high eight boards.
Jackson led Southern Utah with 19 points, while Pascucci registered a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
IUPUI hits the road for its final road trip of the season beginning with a Feb. 26 match-up at Centenary. Following the game in Shreveport, La., IUPUI will head to Tulsa, Okla., to close out the season against Oral Roberts on Monday, Feb. 28. Oral Roberts currently sits in first place in the Summit League standings at 14-2.
