Box Score | Parkinson Postgame Interview | Highlights

INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time since Dec. 30, 2001, the IUPUI women’s basketball team topped 100 points as the Jaguars sprinted past the Grace College Lancers, 107-48, Saturday afternoon in their season opener at The Jungle.

“I’m very pleased with how we played. Grace was 4-0 coming into the game and they have a really good guard in [Juaneice] Jackson,” head coach Austin Parkinson said. “I thought we got off to a good start offensively and set the tone by making a lot of shots today. Any time you make a lot of shots and play pretty good defense, it’s a good combination.”

In her IUPUI debut, DeAirra Goss led the Jags with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Nicole Rogers came off the bench to score 14 points thanks to four three-pointers. Dee-Dee Bellamy was the other double-figure scorer putting in a career-high tying 13 points, while adding five rebounds, four assists and four steals.

“DeAirra’s three three’s were a high for her career. She didn’t get a chance to shoot that many three’s at [Western Michigan] and has worked hard on that,” Parkinson said. “Nicole came in and made some shots. If she can defend and take care of the basketball, she’ll have an opportunity to get more minutes and can be a real threat for us.”

The Jaguars hit on 49.4 percent of their field goals, including 56.5 percent (13-of-23) from behind-the-arc. The 13 made triples are the most since the team hit 10 back on Nov. 20, 2005 against Iowa State.

It took the Jags 2:26 to score their first bucket of the season, but once Nevena Markovic’s lay-up dropped at the 17:34 mark, that spurred a 14-2 run over the next 3:42 that pushed IUPUI in front, 15-4.

Trailing by 20 points with 9:05 to play in the opening half, Grace mounted a 10-0 response to close within 11 points, 31-20, at the six-minute mark.

With the IUPUI lead still at 11, 33-22, Goss buried a triple at the 4:33 mark and 15 seconds later, a lay-up from Bellamy quickly pushed the lead back to 16 points. A three-point play by Goss followed by consecutive buckets in the paint from Shawnece Teague widened the gap to 21 points, 45-24, with just over two minutes to play in the opening half.

In the final minute, Goss hit one-of-two free throws and Rogers buried the first three-pointer of her career to send the Jags into the locker room on top 49-24.

Out of the break, IUPUI pushed the tempo and took a 72-35 lead at the 12-minute mark following a Goss triple from the right wing.

From that point on, the Jags cruised to a 107-48 victory.

14 players saw action for IUPUI in the game with 12 of those players scoring. Akilah Sims made her first career start and scored four points, while grabbing two rebounds. Markovic put forth another solid effort with eight points and a game-high seven rebounds, while preseason first-team All-Summit League selection Kerah Nelson scored eight points, grabbed six boards, dished out four assists and had two steals.

“We talk about being unselfish and playing so hard that you need to come out of the game,” Parkinson said when talking about playing 14 players. “Hopefully we’ll be able to grow and continue to play at that pace, and today was a good step.”

The Jaguars head out on their first road trip on Wednesday, Nov. 14, when they travel to Fairborn, Ohio, to take on Wright State. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. and Greg Rakestraw will have the call on www.IUPUIJags.com.

“It’s a tough game to play on the road. They are a very good basketball team, they are very well coached, and they have a lot of athleticism similar to us,” Parkinson said. “I know they’re coming off a tough loss, so I know they’re going to be really hungry and ready to go, but our kids are up for the challenge and I know we’re looking forward to growing each and every time we step on the floor.”