Box Score | Photo Gallery | Highlights | Dawn Luster Postgame Interview | Austin Parkinson Postgame Interview

INDIANAPOLIS – Trailing by four with just more than a minute to play, the IUPUI women’s basketball team scored five unanswered points in the final 1:01 to escape with a 47-46 victory over Kansas City Thursday evening at The Jungle.

The win upped the Jags to 11-8 on the season and 5-2 in the Summit League, while Kansas City fell to 6-14 overall and 2-5 in the conference.

The low-scoring affair featured more combined turnovers (46) than field goals (34), but the Jags were able to prevail thanks to Dawn Luster’s game-winning lay-up with seven seconds to go.

“We’re very fortunate to get out of here with a win – probably didn’t deserve a win. I thought UMKC did a nice job and Eilise O’Connor showed a lot of toughness tonight to keep her team in the game and make a nice run in the second half,” head coach Austin Parkinson said. “But I have to give our kids credit. Down the stretch we made enough plays, picked the defense up, got a couple turnovers and we were fortunate Dawn was able to make that play at the end.”

Coming off back-to-back 30-plus point performances, O’Connor scored 24 of Kansas City’s 46 points on 8-of-15 shooting to lead all scorers.

Sloppy play characterized the first 20 minutes as both teams combined for one more field goal (17) than turnovers (16).
Early on, the Jags used buckets from Katie Comello, Kerah Nelson, DeAirra Goss and Dee-Dee Bellamy to jump in front, 10-4, a little more than five minutes in.

The Kangaroos managed to close with two, 10-8, with 11:25 to go, but an 8-2 Jags response over the next 3:19 widened their advantage to eight, 18-10.

The IUPUI lead fluctuated from four to seven points for the next six minutes until a fade-away jumper from Nelson and a three from the left baseline from Nevena Markovic quickly pushed the lead to nine, 26-17, with 1:56 on the clock.

However, four points in the final 1:45 from O’Connor brought the Kangaroos within five, 26-21, entering halftime.

Out of the half, the Jags were only able to increase their halftime lead to six before Kansas City made a run and took a 35-32 with 12:41 to play.

IUPUI clamped down defensively and managed to hold UMKC to just six points over the next 8:56, but the Kangaroos still held a one-point lead, 42-41, with 3:45 remaining.

After a Clara Mitchell free throw tied the game at 42, Hailey Houser made a pair of shots in the lane on consecutive possessions to place UMKC back in front, 46-42, with 2:08 on the clock.

IUPUI finally cut the lead in half with 1:01 to play on a Nelson floater in the lane, before forcing a turnover and getting fouled with 43 seconds to go. Already in the double bonus, Bellamy went to the line and missed the first of two free throws, but buried the second to cut the deficit in half again, 47-46.

The Jags’ pressure defense forced another turnover with 25 seconds to go, and that’s when Luster came through.

“We drew up a play for Kerah Nelson but she was double-teamed, so I figured I would slide into the open space to get the ball and score,” Luster said following the game. “I usually don’t do that – I usually stay on the perimeter and fade away - but it was last minute and we needed a quick score so I just went to the ball.”

Following the Luster lay-up, Emile Blakesley got off a three from the corner just before the buzzer went off, but her shot fell short giving the Jags the one-point win.

The Jags failed to have a player score in double figures, but Nelson and Markovic both chipped in nine to lead the team.

The Jags continue their homestand on Saturday, Jan. 26, when they welcome South Dakota to The Jungle for a 3 p.m. tip.