Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s basketball team was looking for its third straight win against an in-state opponent, but the Jaguars struggled from the floor shooting 31.7 percent (19-of-60), compared to 47.6 percent (25-of-53) for Indiana, resulting in a 60-49 defeat Friday evening at Assembly Hall.

The loss dropped the Jags to 3-2 overall, while the Hoosiers improved to 4-1.

“I thought DeAirra [Goss] and Clara [Mitchell] came out and were excited for the challenge to play a Big Ten team and put forward the type of effort we needed,” said head coach Austin Parkinson. “Some of our other veterans didn’t play with that same type of effort and I need to do a better job as the head coach of getting everybody to play at that level.”

DeAirra Goss was the lone Jag in double figures scoring 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting, while Aulani Sinclair led three double-figure Hoosiers’ scorers with 20 points.

After committing 30 turnovers in its win over Indiana State on Tuesday, IUPUI committed just 14 turnovers and outrebounded Indiana, 38-35, but the Jags poor shooting proved to be the difference.

“You have to give Indiana credit as Curt [Miller] does a great job of putting his players in positions to make easy baskets,” Parkinson said. “However, we need to be better on the defensive end of the floor if we want to win games on the road.”

The Jaguars got off to a slow start hitting just one of their first six shots while committing three turnovers as Indiana took a 13-4 lead five minutes in.

With Shawnece Teague and Katie Comello each hitting a pair of free throws in a 39 second span, IUPUI was able to close within seven, 17-10, with 12:03 to play, but a 7-0 Hoosiers run over the next four minutes widened the IU advantage to 24-12 at the 7:56 mark.

A Kerah Nelson jumper brought the Jaguars deficit back into single digits at nine, 27-18, with 4:38 to go in the opening half, but an 11-3 Indiana run to close the opening 20 minutes put the Jags in a 17-point hole, 38-21, heading into halftime.

Out of the break, Goss scored the Jags first four points of the second half bringing the deficit to 13 just three and half minutes into the second half, but a 10-0 IU run over the next 4:47 pushed the Hoosiers cushion to 48-25.

The Jaguars never were able to make a run until the final four minutes when an 11-0 spurt courtesy of three Nicole Rogers triples and a Clara Mitchell lay-up brought the Jags within 11, 60-49, but the run was too late as Indiana won by that 11-point margin.

In addition to Goss, Rogers scored all nine of her points in the final three minutes and Teague chipped in seven points and four rebounds off the bench.

IUPUI continues its three-game road trip on Tuesday, Nov. 27, when the Jags travel to Belmont to take on the Bruins at 6 p.m. ET.