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INDIANAPOLIS – For the fourth time in Summit League play, DeAirra Goss scored at least 20 points and paced three double-digit scorers leading the IUPUI women's basketball team to a 77-53 win over North Dakota State Thursday evening at The Jungle.

The Jags shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second half thanks in part to hitting 12 of their first 13 shots helping their seven-point half-time lead grow to as many as 24 points. From that point, IUPUI's seventh straight win was never in doubt as it ultimately improved to 17-6 overall and 7-1 in The Summit League. North Dakota State dropped to 6-17 overall and 2-6 in the conference.

"We blacked out to start the game – I don't know what was going on – but we went to the bench and Shanika Maddox and Mikale Rogers really gave us a lift. After that, we kind of found our identity which is defense and rebounding," head coach Austin Parkinson said. "I was really proud of how we guarded [Brooke] LeMar off a 30-point performance, and our guards did a good job keeping her out of the middle and contained penetration"

Goss hit 9-of-15 shots to lead the Jaguars with 20 points, but it was IUPUI's ability to score inside that proved to be the difference. Nevena Markovic scored 15 points and added eight rebounds, Rogers added 12 points and eight boards, and Maddox chipped in nine points and six boards helping IUPUI outscore the Bison in the paint, 52-20.

"We felt like coming into the year that we had a pretty strong post core and we have had [Mikale, Shanika and Markovic] step up at times. It was nice tonight that they played really well – and obviously [Nevena] had a big second half," Parkinson said.

Holly Johnson scored seven of her 14 first-half points in the first 4:26, and on the other end of the floor the Jags hit just one of their first seven shots allowing the Bison to sprint out to a 14-2 lead nearly five minutes in.

Another Johnson three kept the NDSU lead at nine, 21-12, with 11:06 on the clock, but a 12-1 IUPUI run featuring four points each from Goss and Maddox gave the Jags their first lead of the game at 24-22 with a little more than seven minutes to go.

In the final minutes of the opening half, a three from Markovic and an easy bucket from Rogers helped the Jags take a 36-29 advantage into the half.

Despite the slow start offensively, the Jags were able to get back into the flow in the first half thanks to its defense. The Jags forced the Bison into 12 first-half turnovers resulting in 16 IUPUI points, while NDSU failed to score on eight Jaguars turnovers.

The second half couldn't have started any better for the Jags offensively as they hit 12 of their first 13 shots from the floor in the first 11 minutes, while committing just one turnover, allowing them to extend their lead to 23 points, 61-38.

From that point, the Jaguars lead never dipped below 18 points and they cruised to a 77-53 victory.

The Jaguars return to the floor on Saturday, Feb. 8, when they take on Summit League leader South Dakota State in a battle for first place in the league. Saturday will be IUPUI's Breast Cancer Awareness Game and all fans are encouraged to wear pink to support the Jags and the American Cancer Society. Saturday's game will be televised on HomeTown Sports Network and ESPN3 with Greg Rakestraw and Bob Lovell on the call.