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JAGS WELCOME LEATHERNECKS TO THE JUNGLE ON SATURDAY

IUPUI and Western Illinois tip at 3 p.m.

1/4/2013 12:19:00 PM

By: John Berry, IUPUI Sports Information
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INDIANAPOLIS - IUPUI plays its first game in 2013 at home on Saturday, Jan. 5, when it welcomes Western Illinois to The Jungle for a 3 p.m. tip.
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
  • Saturday’s tip between Western Illinois and IUPUI is set for 3 p.m.
  • Jon Schade will have the call on IUPUIJags.com beginning just prior to tip.
  • Fans can follow live stats or watch live through IUPUIJags.com. A $4.95 charge occurs for watching the game via IUPUI Live! on IUPUIJags.com.
 
ABOUT WESTERN ILLINOIS
  • The Leathernecks come into Saturday’s game with a 7-6 overall record and a 1-1 Summit League mark after splitting game at Oakland and Fort Wayne.
  • Saule Kontautaite is one of two players scoring in double figures for Western Illinois averaging 15.4 ppg, while Michelle Maher is the other averaging 11.5 ppg.
  • The Leathernecks have made 103 3-pointers in 13 games this season which leads the Summit League. Three players have made 18 or more with Kontautaite leading the way with 30.
  • Defensively, Western Illinois ranks atop the Summit League in blocked shots averaging 3.9 blocks per contest. Rachel Evans leads the way with 11 blocks, while Ashley Luke owns 10 on the season.
 
THE SERIES WITH THE LEATHERNECKS
  • Saturday’s game will be the 31st meeting all time between the two institutions with Western Illinois leading 23-7.
  • IUPUI is 4-10 when playing the Leathernecks in Indianapolis.
  • The series has been filled with tightly-contested games over the past two seasons with each of the last four games being decided by five points or less.
  • During the last meeting on Jan. 28, 2012, the Jags went to Macomb, Ill., and defeated WIU, 68-64, snapping the Leathernecks five-game winning streak in the series.
  • The Jaguars last home win against Western Illinois occurred on Dec. 6, 2008 (67-38).
 
LAST TIME OUT ...
  • IUPUI was looking to open Summit League play with a pair of road wins following its five-point win over Fort Wayne on Friday (Dec. 28), but Oakland shot 60.5 percent from the field (26-of-43) leading the Golden Grizzlies past the Jaguars, 68-59, Sunday (Dec. 30) at the O’Rena.
  • The loss dropped the Jags to 7-7 overall and 1-1 in the Summit League, while Oakland improved to 7-7 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
  • Kerah Nelson made her return to the floor following a four-game absence and scored a team-high tying 10 points along with fellow forward Akilah Sims, but Elena Popkey scored 20 points for the Golden Grizzlies and as a team, Oakland shot 75.0 percent (15-of-20) from the floor in the second half to earn the victory.
  • IUPUI hit just four of its first 11 shots from the field, but six offensive rebounds led to six second chance points in the opening four minutes allowing the Jags to jump out to a 9-2 lead.
  • Popkey then started to heat up for Oakland leading the Grizzlies on a 19-5 response to take a seven-point lead, 21-14, with 10:14 to play.
  • Needing a lift off the bench, IUPUI received that boost from Nelson. The senior forward came in with 10:10 on the clock and scored seven points in the following three minutes to help the Jags close within two, 25-23.
  • Facing a three-point deficit with less than a minute to play, IUPUI was able to make a push going into the half. Dee-Dee Bellamy got the spurt started converting an old-fashioned three-point play off a fast break opportunity with 24 seconds to go, before DeAirra Goss buried a jumper from the right elbow just prior to the end of the first half to give the Jaguars a 33-31 lead going into the intermission.
  • Out of the half both teams executed their offenses well with the Jags hitting three of their first five shots, while Oakland hit its first five attempts to take a 42-39 lead.
  • A Nelson bucket at 13:45 tied the score at 44-44, but over the next 8:23 the Golden Grizzlies outscored the Jags 18-7 to open up a 62-51 advantage with 5:22 to play.
  • Down the stretch, IUPUI couldn’t string together a rally as its deficit never dipped below 10, until a Jordan Barton three with 30 seconds to go brought IUPUI within nine, 68-59. However, it was too late and Oakland went on to pick up the 68-59 victory.
 
NELSON MAKES HER RETURN
  • After getting off to a slow start this season averaging just 9.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg through six games, Kerah Nelson showed why she was a Preseason First-Team All-Summit League performer during IUPUI’s next three games.
  • In games against Eastern Illinois (11/29), Youngstown State (12/3) and Western Michigan (12/5), Nelson led the Jags in scoring putting in over 20 points in each of those three games, while shooting a combined 50.9 percent from the floor.
  • The senior from St. Petersburg, Fla., scored 24 points against the Panthers on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds.
  • She followed that performance with 22 points and four rebounds in a one-point loss to Youngstown State on Dec. 3.
  • Finally against Western Michigan, Nelson scored a season-high 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the floor and 8-of-10 shooting from the line.
  • However, following the game against the Broncos, Nelson missed the Jags next four games due to injury before making her return against Oakland on Dec. 30.
  • In just 14 minutes of action in her return against the Golden Grizzlies, Nelson scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and added three assists and two steals.
  • In her last four games, she is averaging 20.3 ppg and shooting 51.6 percent (32-of-62) from the field.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
  • This season, the Jags are 5-2 at home and are outscoring their opponents by an average of 17.6 ppg on their home floor.
  • At home, IUPUI is shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from three, which is up from 41.3 percent shooting and 28.1 percent shooting from three in all games.
  • Kerah Nelson leads the team in scoring at home averaging 16.8 ppg, while DeAirra Goss and Katie Comello are averaging 12.0 ppg and 9.9 ppg, respectively.
  • From behind-the-arc, Katie Comello (12-of-34) and Nicole Rogers (13-of-26) are collectively shooting 41.7 percent from three.
  • While the Jags are forcing their opponents into 25.0 turnovers per game for the year, opponents are averaging 28.1 turnovers per game inside The Jungle this season.
 
CHART WATCH
  • Senior Kerah Nelson is closing in on the Top 5 on several of IUPUI’s career record charts.
  • Nelson has played in 96 games in her career and scored 1,365 points. She needs to just three points to move into sixth and 18 points to move into fifth on IUPUI’s career scoring chart.
  • Additionally, Nelson is 33 field goals away, 35 free throws away and five free throw attempts away from moving into the Top 5 on those respective charts.
  • Nelson is also just 45 rebounds away from moving into the school’s Top 10 in career rebounds.
 
  
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