TULSA, Okla. – The IUPUI women’s basketball team turned the ball over 34 times resulting in 39 points off turnovers for Oral Roberts leading the Golden Eagles to a 96-66 victory over the Jaguars Monday evening in IUPUI’s regular-season finale.

“We got off to a nice start defensively and forced some turnovers, but turned the ball over too many times and when you go against that press you can’t turn it over,” said head coach Austin Parkinson. “The one thing I think you can say about this team, and I said it from the beginning, is that they played hard on every possession. Even though it is not the result we wanted, I am definitely proud of the way they represented IUPUI.”

Turnovers and fouls were the story of the first half with both teams combining for 34 turnovers and 30 fouls.

Three free throws in the opening three minutes from Clara Mitchell helped the Jaguars take an early one-point lead, 7-6, at the 17:21 mark, but that lead was short lived with the Golden Eagles responding with a 13-0 run over the next 6:49 to take a 19-6 lead.

IUPUI held the Golden Eagles without a field goal from the 13:36 mark to the 8:42 mark, but despite not making a field goal, ORU went a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe to maintain a double-figure lead, 25-15.

Oral Roberts slowly built their lead up to 20 points, 51-31, with just under a minute to play, but a quick 4-0 IUPUI surge in the final 30 seconds brought the Jaguars halftime deficit to 16 points, 52-36, entering halftime.

Oral Roberts came out of the half and pushed its lead to 25 points, 65-40, courtesy of a 13-2 run in the opening three minutes.

Janna Eichelberger and #Del’Niqua Bellamy# were able to get to the basket and get some easy buckets, but the Jaguars did not have much success containing the Golden Eagles offensive attack.

Down the stretch, Laura Blaydes hit a three-pointer, her first of the season, marking the final points of the game as Oral Roberts downed the Jags, 96-66.

Eichelberger led IUPUI in scoring with 17 points and fell one rebound shy of her fourth double-double of the season.

In their final games in an IUPUI uniform, Gretchen Gaskin finished with nine points, three rebounds, and three steals, while Blaydes added a season-high five points, one rebound, and one assist.

Mitchell also finished with nine points and five rebounds, while IUPUI’s leading scorer and rebounder, Kerah Nelson, closed out the 2010-11 campaign with seven points and five boards.

“I told the ladies in the locker room that everything special has to have a start and this was our start. We didn’t have a lot of time to get to know each other and prepare, but Gretchen [Gaskin] and Laura [Blaydes] will be as responsible as anyone when we turn this around, start to win championships, and have lots of success.