Box Score | Austin Parkinson Postgame

NORMAL, Ill. – DeAirra Goss scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, but a 22-6 run to start the second half for Illinois State proved to be the difference as the Redbirds defeated the IUPUI women’s basketball team, 63-47, Thursday evening in the opening round of the WNIT at Redbird Arena.

Illinois State improved to 24-10 on the season with the win and advanced to play Kansas State in the second round of the WNIT, while the Jags dropped to 20-12 to finish the season. Thursday’s game against the Redbirds marked the Jaguars first appearance in the postseason since joining Division-I during the 1998-99 campaign.

Goss’ 17 points marked her highest point total since scoring 22 points back on Jan. 19 at South Dakota State, and the 75.0 percent shooting from the floor was a career-best.

IUPUI’s defense kept it in the game for most of the first half, but it was its offensive execution that helped it take an early lead. One minute and forty seconds into the game, the Jags hit three of their first four shots from the floor to take a 6-0 lead, which forced a Redbirds timeout.

However, the Jags scored just four points over the next eight minutes allowing Illinois State to go on an 11-4 run to take its first lead of the game, 11-10, with 10:54 to play.

From that point, several ties and lead changes ensued until Candace Sykes third three of the opening half pushed Illinois State in front, 23-20.

The Jags retaliated with a free throw from Dawn Luster and two baseline jumpers from Goss and Akilah Sims to catapult IUPUI back in front, 25-23, with 2:02 remaining.

An Octavia Crump lay-up with 43 seconds on the clock knotted the score at 25 and marked the final scoring of the half sending both teams into the locker room with the score tied at 25.

Out of the break, the Redbirds continued their hot shooting from the first half and the Jags turned the ball over several times allowing Illinois State to go on a run. Over the first 10 minutes of the second half, ISU went on a 22-6 spurt to open a 14-point advantage, 47-31.

From that point, the Jaguars continued to battle, but they were unable to trim their deficit below double figures.

Down the stretch, the Redbirds made clutch basket after clutch basket and eventually earned the 63-47 win.

In the final game of her career, Kerah Nelson scored 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and added two boards. She finished her career as IUPUI’s all-time scoring leader in the Division-I era with 1,614 career points.