Box Score | Highlights | Austin Parkinson Postgame Interview

INDIANAPOLIS – Behind a combined 55 points from its top three scorers, including a season-high 25 points from Kerah Nelson, the IUPUI women’s basketball team held off Western Michigan, 75-67, Wednesday evening at The Jungle.

The win put the Jaguars a game above .500 at 5-4, while Western Michigan lost its fourth straight game to drop to 2-6.

“I thought our kids got off to a fast start and were ready to go from the outset, and that’s tough to do with only one day to prepare,” head coach Austin Parkinson said. “I thought Kerah Nelson really carried us on the offensive end, and at the end we were able to make enough plays to win the game.”

Nelson’s 25 points marked the third straight game she’s topped 20 points, and she was joined in double figures by DeAirra Goss and Katie Comello, who put in 16 and 14 points, respectively. Goss, who transferred to IUPUI from Western Michigan following the 2009-10 season, scored half of her points from the free throw line and added four boards, two assists and a steal.

The Jags hit five of their first six shots from the floor to sprint in front, 10-1, less than three minutes into the game, but IUPUI suddenly went cold from the field scoring just four more points over a 6:00 stretch allowing Western Michigan to take a 16-14 lead with 11:14 to play.

The IUPUI deficit remained at two, 26-24, until a brief 6-1 spurt featuring a lay-up from Akilah Sims, a three from Nicole Rogers and a free throw by Nelson placed the Jaguars back in front, 30-27, with 3:48 remaining.

In the final 1:09, Katie Comello buried two triples in a 36-second span and DeAirra Goss hit one-of-two at the line with 2.7 seconds on the clock to open up a nine-point lead, 39-30, heading into the half.

Out of the break, IUPUI’s nine-point lead was trimmed to six just 1:30 in, but two Nelson lay-ups followed by a Comello triple quickly pushed the Jags lead to 11, 48-47, with the under-16 media timeout approaching.

The Jags maintained a double-digit lead for most of the half until one last Western Michigan spurt cut the IUPUI deficit to seven with 2:49 to play.

Down the stretch, Goss connected on a driving lay-up and then teamed up with Nelson and Dee-Dee Bellamy to go 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final 41 seconds to preserve the 75-67 win.

The Jaguars bench came into the game averaging just less than 30.0 points per game, but they were held to a season-low 14 points. Despite its low scoring output, the Jags bench grabbed 19 rebounds, including a team-high seven from Akilah Sims and six from Clara Mitchell.

“Akilah played the way she’s capable of playing – she had energy, she had enthusiasm, she played hard and she rebounded like I know she’s capable of,” Parkinson said. “That’s what we need. We need her to defend and rebound, and Clara Mitchell is one of the best post defenders that I think I’ve seen. When [the opponent] has a good post like they did inside, I think she does a good job of stopping them.”

The Jags continue their four-game homestand on Sunday, Dec. 9, when they host Goshen College at 2 p.m. inside The Jungle.