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INDIANAPOLIS – Three players scored in double figures for the IUPUI women’s basketball team leading the Jaguars to a 75-69 win over Valparaiso Saturday evening at The Jungle.

The win upped the Jags record to 2-1 overall, while the Crusaders suffered their first defeat of the season and fell to 2-1.

“We’re really excited about the way we played and I think Valparaiso is a quality opponent. They have a lot of returners back and a lot of physical play inside,” head coach Austin Parkinson said following the win. “I thought our kids matched [the physicality] in the second half and we’re very excited about the win.”

For the third straight game, DeAirra Goss led the Jaguars in scoring with 14 points, while Kerah Nelson chipped in 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Nevena Markovic was the other player reaching double-digits in scoring with 10.

“Nev really proved herself today as she’s had a tough couple of games,” Parkinson said. “I’m proud about the way she bounced back. Kerah and DeAirra led us tonight and that needs to happen on a regular basis. DeAirra’s been solid and Kerah really stepped up tonight and attacked from the inside and also rebounded really well.”

Shawnece Teague got the Jags off to a nice start scoring four points in the opening five minutes helping IUPUI take a 7-3 lead. After Valparaiso took a one-point lead, 12-11, at the 11:20 mark, a Markovic bucket in the paint and an old-fashioned three-point play from Goss placed the Jags back in front by four, 16-12, with 10:26 to go.

For the next seven minutes, neither team could push their lead past four until a Nicole Rogers three off an offensive rebound gave the Jaguars a 29-24 advantage with 3:22 to play. However, two triples and a three-point play from Valparaiso in the final 2:36 allowed the Crusaders to close the half on a 9-5 run evening the score at 34 entering halftime.

For the first 12 minutes of the second half, the trend continued as neither team could take a lead larger than four until the Crusaders opened up a 57-32 lead with 7:27 to go. Just as the Valpo lead reached five, IUPUI’s freshmen duo of Teague and Akilah Sims scored IUPUI’s next five points to even the score at 57-57 with 5:49 remaining.

Three ties ensued before a bucket and two free throws by Markovic gave the Jags a 66-62 advantage with 3:21 on the clock. With less than two minutes to play, a pair of Goss free throws and a fast-break lay-up from Dee-Dee Bellamy off a Markovic steal gave the Jags a 70-63 lead with 1:07 to go, their largest of the game.

Down the stretch, the Jags made enough free throws to maintain the two-possession cushion and eventually picked up the 75-69 win.

Valparaiso entered the game averaging 49.5 rebounds per game, but the Jags won the rebounding battle, 38-34.

IUPUI has a quick turnaround as it hosts another in-state foe in Indiana State on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. at The Jungle. The game can be heard on IUPUIJags.com beginning at 6:55 p.m.