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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - IUPUI will play its final game of 2014 on Tuesday, Dec. 30, when it heads to Highland Heights, Ky., to take on Northern Kentucky.
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION

• Tuesday's tip is set for 7 p.m. in Highland Heights, Ky.
• The game will be streamed on ESPN3, and Morgan Adcock will have the free audio of the game on IUPUIJags.com.

 
ABOUT NORTHERN KENTUCKY

• The Norse come into the game winners of three straight, including a five-point win over Delaware last time out.
• NKU is 7-5 on the season and it has a pair of double-figure scorers in Melody Doss (12.9 ppg) and Christine Roush (12.4 ppg).
• Northern Kentucky is averaging just 58.9 ppg on the season, and it is shooting 35.6 percent from the floor and 25.3 percent from three.
• While the shooting percentages don't blow anybody away, the Norse have scored 28.1 percent of their points this season from the free throw line and they are hitting 75.1 percent of their free throws.

 

• THE SERIES WITH THE NORSE
• Northern Kentucky won the first 17 meetings in the series, but IUPUI snapped that streak last season with a 23-point win in Indianapolis.
• DeAirra Goss scored 24 points in last year's win, while Nicole Rogers added 12.
• IUPUI shot a school-record 64.2 percent from the field in last season's win over NKU.

 
LAST TIME OUT ...

• Akilah Sims scored 13 of her career-high 20 points in the second half leading IUPUI to a 62-50 victory over the visiting Purple Aces of Evansville Sunday afternoon (Dec. 21) at The Jungle.
• Joining Sims in double figures were Nevena Markovic and Kelsi Byrd, who added 14 points and 12 points, respectively, and the trio of Sims, Markovic and Byrd shot 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the floor helping IUPUI finish the game at a 52.3 percent clip. All 12 of Byrd's points came from behind-the-arc, where she finished 4-of-6.
• The win for the Jags was their second in a row as they improved to 5-7, while snapping Evansville's four-game winning streak and sending the Purple Aces record to .500 at 5-5. The IUPUI win also evened the all-time series at 6-6 and improved the Jaguars to 6-1 all-time against Evansville in Indianapolis.
• As has been the case for most of the season, the Jaguars dominated the glass outrebounding Evansville 40-19 thanks in part to Jenna Gunn's game-high eight boards.
• Five different players scored in the first five minutes helping the Jags sprint out to a 14-5 lead, but it was Byrd's second three of the half with 8:42 to play that pushed the IUPUI margin to double figures at 21-9.
• However, the Jaguars went scoreless for nearly six minutes allowing Evansville to close within four at 21-17, but four points from Markovic and a three from Sims in the final three minutes sent the Jaguars into the break with a 28-21 cushion.
• Both teams hit six fields during the opening 6:30 of the second half resulting in the Purple Aces reducing their seven-point halftime deficit to six, but the IUPUI defense put its stamp on the game holding Evansville to just one point over the next seven minutes.
• During that stretch, Sims and Markovic each scored four points and Kelsi Byrd kicked in a three to open a 53-37 lead with just under seven minutes to go.
• Down the stretch, Evansville closed within eight twice, but that would be as close as it would get as every time the Purple Aces looked to make it a two-possession game the Jags had a response. The last seven points for IUPUI came from Shaquira Scott and Sims helping preserve the 62-50 win.

 
RETURNING TO FORM

• In Parkinson's first four years as head coach of the IUPUI women's basketball program, the Jaguars were known for their defensive play.
• The Jags were among the Summit League leaders in defensive field goal percentage over the last few years, but IUPUI struggled with its defense over the first eight games allowing opponents to shoot 42.6 percent from the floor, including 33.3 percent from three.
• However, over the last four games the Jags have regained their defensive identity.
• During that stretch, they are forcing their opponents into a 33.3 shooting percentage, including a 25.0 percent clip from three.
• During the first eight games, IUPUI was forcing 15 turnovers per game, and that has increased to nearly 18 turnovers to per game since Dec. 18.

 
SIMS SCORES CAREER-HIGH

• Beginning with IUPUI's win against IU-Southeast, head coach Austin Parkinson made a shift in his lineup and moved Akilah Sims back to the power forward position and the move has paid off for the Jaguars.
• In her first game back at the 4-position, Sims scored 10 points in 18 minutes against the Grenadiers, before putting together her finest scoring performance as a Jag against Evansville.
• On Dec. 21 against the Purple Aces, Sims scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
• Over the last two games, Sims is averaging 15.0 ppg, while shooting 70.6 percent from the floor (12-of-17).