Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a game that featured 49 personal fouls, the IUPUI women’s basketball team managed to put together an impressive defensive stand when it counted most leading the Jaguars to a 61-53 road win at Belmont Tuesday evening at the Curb Event Center.

With the score tied with less than four minutes to play, IUPUI (4-2) turned up their defensive intensity and relinquished just two points down the stretch to break their six-game road losing streak and earn their first road win of the season.

“That group of girls on the floor late really clamped down defensively down the stretch, but it really started with Clara Mitchell’s post defensive as she showed some great senior leadership out there,” head coach Austin Parkinson said. “Clara’s ability to play great post defense really sparked us and allowed us to get stops.”

Katie Comello led all scorers with a season-high 19 points, and she was joined in double figures by DeAirra Goss and Akilah Sims, who scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. That trio combined to score 21 of the team’s 27 second-half points.

“Katie and DeAirra got us going there in the first half and Katie carried that throughout the game,” Parkinson said. “I was really proud of Akilah and it was great to see her make some big baskets down the stretch including that three-point play. That play kind of put us over the top and got us going in the right direction.”

The game got off to a slow start as Belmont held a 13-12 lead midway through the opening half, but the Jags were balanced with seven different players combining to score those points.

Still trailing by two, 24-22 with 3:51 to play, Goss and Comello picked up the scoring pace combining to score 10 of the Jags next 12 points over a 2:45 stretch to give IUPUI a 34-29 lead with 1:06 on the clock.  During that scoring spurt, Goss scored three of her five points on an old-fashioned three-point play, while Comello buried a triple from the top of the key to give the Jaguars the five-point cushion.

However, two missed shots in the final minute from IUPUI combined with the Bruins connecting on 3-of-4 at the line trimmed the Jags lead to two, 34-32, entering halftime.

Out of the break, the Jags committed two turnovers, missed four shots and were called for three fouls as Belmont sprinted in front, 37-34, forcing Parkinson to take a timeout just 2:22 into the half.

The scoring drought continued until Comello scored on a fast-break opportunity with 15:29 on the clock, and a Kerah Nelson fast-break bucket followed on the next possession to get the Jags back in a rhythm.

Nevena Markovic later connected on back-to-back buckets to put the Jags back in front, 42-41, at the under-12-minute media timeout.

With the Jags still holding on to a one-point lead, 44-43, consecutive buckets from Belmont’s leading scorer, Jordan Coleman, moved the Bruins lead to three with 8:40 to go forcing Parkinson to burn another timeout. After the Jags missed a shot out of the timeout, Comello drew an offensive foul on Coleman on the other end of the floor, her third foul. Coinciding with Coleman’s third foul was a technical foul immediately following the charge that placed her on the bench with four fouls.

With Coleman on the bench, IUPUI was able to slowly chip away at its deficit and a three-point play from Sims off an offensive rebound tied things up at 51-51 with 3:58 to go.

From that point, the Jags used four points from Goss, and a pair of free throws each from Comello and Sims to open up a 59-53 lead with under a minute to play. In the final minute, Comello hit two more free throws to finish off the 61-53 win.

The Jags dominated the offensive glass grabbing 17 offensive boards that ultimately led to a 15-6 edge in second-chance points.

IUPUI also turned 26 Belmont turnovers into 27 points, while the Bruins netted just five points off 15 Jaguars turnovers proving to be a decisive factor in the outcome.

The Jags close out their three-game road trip on Thursday, Nov. 29, when they head to Charleston, Ill., to face Eastern Illinois. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m. ET and Greg Rakestraw will have the call on IUPUIJags.com.