INDIANAPOLIS – Trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, the IUPUI women’s basketball team rallied all the way back to tie the score in the final seconds, but Oakland University’s Sharise Calhoun was fouled with 2.3 seconds and hit one of two free throws allowing the Golden Grizzlies to escape Conseco Fieldhouse with a 62-61 Summit League victory Saturday afternoon.

The game marked the second time in school history and the first time since the 2008-09 season that the IUPUI women’s basketball team played a regular-season game in Conseco Fieldhouse, the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

Kerah Nelson led all players in scoring with 20 points, her fourth 20-point effort of the season, and 13 of those 20 points came in a second half in which the Jaguars shot 52.0 percent from the floor. IUPUI additionally equaled a season-high with eight made 3-pointers, but the difference again came at the free throw line where the Golden Grizzlies outscored the Jaguars, 17-7.

“It was an absolutely great effort by our ladies to get down like we did early, come back, and be in position to win the game,” said head coach Austin Parkinson. “Late in the game, I think we took what we have learned in our previous close games and did a better job in that situation today, but unfortunately we fouled at the end.”

Both teams shot 60 percent or better from the field in the opening four minutes that saw the Golden Grizzlies take a 10-7 lead.

After Oakland’s Bethany Watterworth and Nelson exchanged buckets, keeping the IUPUI deficit at three points with 15:13 remaining, the Jags went scoreless from the field for nearly six minutes. During that cold spell, OU proceeded to go on a 13-0 surge to open a 25-9 lead with 9:34 on the clock.

A free throw by Anna Patritto with 3:33 to play in the first half doubled up the Jags, 30-15, but IUPUI hit a flurry of three pointers in a one-minute span, one each from Dawn Luster, Shea Collins, and Nelson, to dwindle its deficit below double figures, 32-24, with just over a minute to play.

A lay-up by Zakiya Minifee with 45 seconds left was the only scoring in the final minute pushing Oakland’s lead to 10 points, 34-24, entering halftime.

Out of the break, both teams struggled to score, but both Clara Mitchell and Gretchen Gaskin connected on lay-ups over the first 5:12 matching the scoring output of the Golden Grizzles.

IUPUI put the pressure on and slowly chipped away at its deficit until a pair of Nelson treys at the 9:18 mark and the 7:25 mark knotted the score at 48.

Oakland quickly pushed its lead back to six points, 55-49, but IUPUI trimmed its deficit within one possession on three more occasions, with the last at 61-59 with 1:49 left.

The Jaguars had three opportunities to tie the game up in the final 1:30 with the first two chances spoiled on turnovers. Regardless, the Jags tightened up on defense and had one final opportunity to tie the score or take their first lead of the game.

IUPUI got the hands in the ball of Nelson and she slashed to the rim, avoided the charge, and scored with 6.3 seconds to play, tying the score at 61.

However, in a last ditched effort to get up a final shot, Calhoun was fouled on her way down the floor. With the Golden Grizzlies in the 1-and-1 bonus, Calhoun hit the first free throw before missing the second one. The rebound off the missed free throw was batted around and the clock expired before the Jags could get one last shot attempt giving Oakland the narrow 62-61 win.

Outside of Nelson, four other Jags players scored seven or more points. Mitchell scored 10 points, her first double-figure scoring effort since scoring 11 points in the season-opener against Wright State on Nov. 12. Luster chipped in eight points, while Jasmine Horne and Gaskin each added seven points.

“We had a lot of balance on offense tonight and we got some key stops on the defensive end. “Kerah struggled offensively in the first half, but came back and played like an All-League player in the second half and made some big plays,” Parkinson added.

The Jags are back in action on Monday, Feb. 7, when they return to The Jungle to take on IPFW. Tip is set for 7 p.m.