HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – With Summit League play beginning on Sunday, the IUPUI women's basketball team looked to enter conference action on a three-game winning streak but 27 percent shooting from the floor and 20 turnovers resulted in a 57-43 loss to Northern Kentucky Tuesday evening at the Bank of Kentucky Center.
 
IUPUI (5-8) did their part on defense holding NKU (8-5) to just 33 percent shooting, but the Jags 20 turnovers helped Northern Kentucky outscore the Jaguars 19-4 in points off turnovers. Additionally, the Jags had just one assist on 15 made field goals compared to eight for the Norse on 18 made shots.

"Give NKU credit. They came ready to compete at a high level. We still haven't figured out the formula for success on the road when we have one assist and 20 turnovers," head coach Austin Parkinson said. "We now start 0-0 as we will regroup and get ready for conference."
 
Shaquira Scott led the Jaguars with 10 points, and Akilah Sims and Mikale Rogers both added eight. Melody Doss paced NKU with 15 points.
 
Things didn't begin the way IUPUI would have liked as it hit just one of its first 12 shots in the opening eight minutes in addition to committing five turnovers.  That helped Northern Kentucky sprint out to a 12-2 lead.
 
The Jags overcame their early struggles thanks to Sims as she got into an offensive rhythm scoring all eight of her points in a 3:45 span that inched IUPUI within a point, 15-14, with just under eight minutes to play.
 
Trailing 19-16, the Jaguars again went cold from the floor going scoreless from the 5:31 mark to the 1:31 mark aiding a Norse surge that pushed their lead back to nine, 25-16.
 
Rogers broke the run with a jumper over her left shoulder with 1:31 to play, and that would be the final points of the half sending IUPUI into the break down 25-18.
 
Scott and Rogers picked up the scoring pace in the first four minutes of the second half combining for all of IUPUI's nine points, but the Jags couldn't get the stops on the defensive end as their halftime deficit was trimmed to only six, 33-27.
 
Two Jenna Gunn baskets brought IUPUI within four at 35-31, but her second field goal at the 12:32 mark would be the last before another four-plus minute scoreless drought ensued. During that stretch, NKU widened their lead to 44-31, with just more than eight minutes to play.
 
IUPUI again was able to close within single digits at 44-37, but a three with the shot clock winding down by Christine Roush halted all the Jags momentum and moved the NKU margin back to double figures, 47-37, with 4:57 remaining.
 
Down the stretch, the Jags could not get their deficit below 10 and Northern Kentucky walked away with the 57-43 win.
 
With the non-conference portion of their schedule now complete, IUPUI will shift its focus to Summit League play, which begins on Sunday, Jan. 4, when it welcomes in-state rival Fort Wayne to The Jungle for a 3 p.m. start.