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INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women’s basketball team leaned on their all-conference performer Kerah Nelson and she scored 25 points and added 14 rebounds leading the Jaguars past Oakland University, 64-61, Monday evening at The Jungle.

The win snapped Oakland’s eight-game winning streak in the series between the two league foes and evened IUPUI’s Summit League record at 6-6.

“I think Coach Francis does as good as any coach in the league and they just kind of hung around and hung around, but our ladies found a way,” said head coach Austin Parkinson. “Of all those close games we lost early in the year, now that’s coming back and we’re figuring out how to play in those situations.”

Nelson and Oakland’s Bethany Watterworth went toe-to-toe down the stretch as each tried to will their team to victory, but Nelson scored 10 of her game-high 25 points in the final 7:23 which was enough to give her team the victory. Nelson’s 14 rebounds tied a career high, while her four assists tied a season best.

“Both of them were unbelievable. Watterworth played really well, but Kerah just had the heart of a champion tonight. She was aggressive and she ought to be Player of the Week this week because the way she’s carried us in back-to-back games,” Parkinson added. “The thing I’m proud about is her 14 rebounds and we needed every one of them.”

For the second straight game, Emily Phillips stepped up and provided the Jaguars much-needed perimeter scoring going for 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Katie Comello also reached double figures with 12 points and hit the only two three’s in the game.

Shooting just 2-of-7 from the floor and trailing early, the Jags two leading scorers in Nelson and Comello combined to score IUPUI’s next seven points pushing the Jaguars on top, 13-7, nearly eight minutes in.

Oakland slowly chipped away at its deficit climbing within two points at 22-20 with 9:42 to play, before IUPUI took control.
Over the next 6:51, the Jaguars went on an 11-2 run highlighted by an old-fashioned three-point play from Comello that opened up a 33-22 lead.

In the final minutes, Oakland scored all four of its points from the charity stripe, while IUPUI received a fast break lay-up from Nelson sending the Jags into the break leading 35-26.

Despite hitting just one field goal in the final minutes, the Jaguars shot 50.0 percent (15-of-30) from the floor in the first half compared to 32.1 percent (9-of-28) shooting for the Golden Grizzlies.

For the first 13 minutes of the second half, the Jaguars lead fluctuated between six and 10 points until Nelson and Bethany Watterworth, both All-Summit League performers from a season ago, started to take over for their respective teams.

For a seven minute stretch, Watterworth scored 13 of Oakland’s 15 points, while Nelson scored all 10 of IUPUI’s points keeping the Jags in front by two points, 62-60 with a half minute to go.

With 27 seconds left, Sharise Calhoun missed the front end of two free throws closing Oakland’s deficit to one point, 62-61. With the shot clock turned off and Oakland needing to foul to extend the game, the Golden Grizzlies fouled twice before forcing a jump ball that gave them the ball on the alternating possession.

On their final possession, IUPUI double teamed Watterworth in the post forcing the ball to Victoria Lipscomb, and her three from the top of the key missed wide allowing Phillips to corral the rebound and she was quickly fouled.

Phillips went to the line for the one-and one and made both to move IUPUI’s lead to three points, 64-61. A desperation heave by Calhoun at the buzzer went wide right giving IUPUI its third-straight win with the 64-61 triumph.

With the win, the Jaguars not only claimed their second weekend conference sweep in three seasons, but they also won their third straight game marking their longest winning streak since 2008-09.

IUPUI will play four of their final six games on the road beginning with a trip to Cedar City, Utah, on Feb. 11, to take on Southern Utah. Tip is set for 7 p.m. ET.

“I know our ladies are looking forward to [the road trip]. For a while there it was like let’s make the conference tournament and now we’re in a position to see how far we can go,” Parkinson said. “We talked today about playing your best basketball at the end of the season. We’re starting to play better and better and we are learning how to play in certain situations and hopefully that continues when we head on the road.”