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INDIANAPOLIS - IUPUI returns home on Tuesday, Feb. 5, to host its final non-conference game of the season when it welcomes Chicago State to The Jungle for a 7 p.m. start.
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION

• Tuesday’s tip between Chicago State and IUPUI is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
• Fans can listen to Jon Schade on the call via IUPUIJags.com.
• Fans can also follow live stats and watch live through IUPUIJags.com.

 
ABOUT CHICAGO STATE

• The Cougars enter Tuesday’s match-up with a 4-18 overall record, but they have won three of their last four, including a 56-54 win over Western Illinois in their last game.
• CSU is averaging just 48.3 ppg on the season, but they are led by Paris Williams’ 8.6 ppg.
• As a unit, the Cougars are shooting 31.0 percent from the floor, including 24.0 percent from three, while their opponents are connecting on 43.0 percent of their tries and 30.0 percent of their three’s.
• Chicago State is led on the glass by Layne Murphy’s 5.7 rpg, while Jackie Jones runs the offense and averages a team-best 3.9 apg.

 
THE SERIES WITH THE COUGARS

• Chicago State and IUPUI were once conference foes back when the Summit League was known as the Mid-Continent League and the teams have met 18 times.
• The series is tied at 9-9 overall, but IUPUI has won the last two in the series.
• The last time the two teams played was on Feb. 5, 2007, which resulted in an IUPUI win, but the win was later vacated.
• IUPUI is 6-2 when playing Chicago State in Indianapolis.

 
LAST TIME OUT ...

• For the first time since the 2008-09 season, IUPUI picked up its second straight road win after the Jaguars defeated Western Illinois, 61-55, at Waste Management Court at Western Hall Saturday afternoon in Summit League action.
• The win moved the Jags to 12-9 overall and 6-3 in the conference, while the Leathernecks fell to 10-12 overall and 3-6 in the league.
• Kerah Nelson led IUPUI with 15 points, 13 of which coming in the second half, while Nevena Markovic chipped in a season-high 12 points off the bench. Despite Nelson’s and Markovic leading the way in scoring, Dee-Dee Bellamy was the X-Factor for the Jags posting four points, a season-high 11 rebounds, four assists and a block.
• In the first half, IUPUI’s top three scorers in DeAirra Goss, Nelson and Katie Comello struggled from the floor, but the Jags bench picked up the slack in the opening 20 minutes.
• The Jaguars missed on their first seven shot attempts before Bellamy and Shawnece Teague hit baskets on consecutive possessions to bring IUPUI within two, 6-4, a little less than five minutes in. After Saule Kontautaite hit Western Illinois’ third triple in a little over six minutes to go in front 9-4, a 10-2 run from the 13:13 mark to the 6:31 mark placed IUPUI on top, 14-11.
• A pair of Akilah Sims free throws with 1:27 to go in the half kept the Jaguars in front by two, 22-20, but Rebecca Henricson buried three-of-four free throws in the final 1:14 to send the Leathernecks into the half with a 23-22 advantage.
• The trio of Comello, Goss and Nelson scored just four points in the first half on 2-of-13 shooting, but Markovic went 3-of-3 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three, en route to 10 points to keep the Jaguars within striking distance.
• Out of the half, the Jags went on a 7-0 surge to jump in front, 29-23, a little less than four minutes in. The IUPUI lead grew to as many as eight on a Nelson jumper with 10:25 on the clock, but the Leathernecks were able to claw back within two, 39-37, with 6:06 remaining.
• Just when WIU closed within a basket, IUPUI responded with an 8-2 run of its own fueled by four points from Nelson which pushed the lead to 47-39 at the 2:51 mark.
• After its lead reached eight, IUPUI hit 10-of-12 free throws down the stretch to hold off Western Illinois and earn the 61-55 win.
• Not only were the Jags able to dominate the glass by outrebounding the Leathernecks, 50-32, but IUPUI outscored WIU 25-9 at the charity stripe.

 
DEFENSE WINS GAMES

• Since head coach Austin Parkinson took over the IUPUI women’s basketball team, the team has prided itself on its effort on the defensive end of the floor.
• Defense has been part of the reason the Jags improved from four wins in 2010-11, to 13 wins last year.
• So far this season, defense has been the key to the Jags success in the first half of Summit League play.
• In its six conference wins, the Jags are giving up an average of 52.7 ppg, while holding their opponents to 36.2 percent shooting and 20.4 percent shooting from three.
• During the six wins, IUPUI has also dominated the glass outrebounding its opponents, 41.5 - 31.0.
• In five of those six wins, the Jags have kept their opponents to 56 points or less.
• In its three conference losses, however, IUPUI’s opponents have shot 54.7 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three, and average 71.7 ppg.
• Additionally, opponents are scoring 39.0 ppg in the paint in the Jags three losses and 9.3 ppg on fast breaks compared to 22.0 ppg in the paint and 1.7 ppg on fast breaks in IUPUI’s five league wins.

 
ON THE MARK

• Last season, Nevena Markovic was named CollegeSportsMadness.com’s Summit League Freshman of the Year after averaging nearly 9.0 ppg, but this season, she was hampered early by an injury.
• However, over the last three games, Markovic has been a spark off the bench in limited minutes.
• Against Kansas City on Jan. 24, Markovic hit 4-of-5 shots in 14 minutes of action resulting in nine points. IUPUI defeated the Kangaroos 47-46.
• On Jan. 26 against South Dakota, Markovic scored seven points and added six boards in just 12 minutes.
• In IUPUI’s last game against Western Illinois, Markovic scored 12 points, 10 of which coming in the first half.
• The 6-4 sophomore hit all three of her shots, including both from three, and went a perfect 4-of-4 from the line in the win over the Leathernecks.
• Over the last three games, she is averaging 9.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg, while shooting 69.3 percent from the floor in just 12.0 minutes per game.

 
IN THE CLUTCH

• Throughout the entire season, the Jags have struggled from the free throw line hitting just 65.2 percent of their attempts from the charity stripe.
• That percentage ranks eighth in the Summit League and 264th nationally.
• Despite the low percentage, IUPUI has been much better at the line when the game is on the line.
• In its last game at Western Illinois, the Jags hit 12-of-14 free throws (85.7 %) in the final three minutes to preserve a 61-55 win.
• On the season, in the final three minutes of games decided by 10 points or less, the Jaguars are hitting 78.6 percent of their free throw attempts.
• Seven players are shooting above 75.0 percent during that time of the game, including three shooting a percent 1.000.

 
CHART WATCH

• In IUPUI’s win over Omaha on Jan. 10, senior Kerah Nelson moved into the Top 5 on IUPUI’s career scoring chart, and she is also closing in on the Top 5 of several other IUPUI career charts while continuing to move up the school’s scoring chart.
• Nelson has played in 103 games in her career and scored 1,453 points (14.1 ppg). She needs just 17 points to move into fourth on IUPUI’s career scoring chart.
• Additionally, Nelson is 15 free throws away from moving into the Top 5 on that respective chart.
• Nelson is also just three rebounds away from moving into the school’s Top 10 in career rebounds.
• After hitting 6-of-12 field goals in a win at Western Illinois on Feb. 2, Nelson moved into the Top 5 in IUPUI history in career field goals made. Nelson has made 543 field goals in her career, which ranks fifth in the school record books, and she needs just seven more field goals to move into third.