Box Score I Box Score (.html) I Box Score (.pdf) I Photo Gallery I Postgame Press Conference I Press Conference (continued)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In the opening game of the Summit League Tournament, the Jaguars took care of business defeating the North Dakota State Bison 72-64. The win pushed IUPUI's record total to 22 on the year and earned the Jaguars a spot in the Summit League semifinals for the third straight season.
 
DeAirra Goss led the way for the Jaguars scoring a game-high 25 points. Nevena Markovic added 11 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Dee-Dee Bellamy and Shanika Maddox where the other double-figure scorers with 11 and 10 points respectively.
 
Brooke LeMar and Kahla Becken both scored 16 points for the Bison and LeMar added seven assists. Becken made four of her six three-point attempts as the Bison combined to shoot 8-15 from behind the arc.
 
The Jaguars won the last two meetings with North Dakota State convincingly and they got off to a hot start Saturday. They opened up a 17-7 lead with a 13-3 run in the first eight minutes. Goss, just named to Summit League First Team, asserted herself early and got to the basket repeatedly. She made two layups and was fouled a third time, converting both free throws, during the run.
 
After a Marena Whittle 3-pointer, the Jaguars pushed the lead to 25-10 with an 8-0 surge. Goss, Dawn Luster and Kelsi Byrd all got to the basket for layups. Mikale Rogers spun to the baseline from the right block for a five footer to cap off the run.
 
Aided by the 8-0 run, with all eight points coming in or near the paint, the Jaguars dominated down low in the half. They scored 28 of their 44 points in the paint, grabbed six offensive rebounds and seven second-chance points. By comparison, the Bison scored only eight points in the paint and zero second-chance points. 
 
After a dominating first-half performance in which IUPUI outshot the Bison 54 percent to 39 percent, the Jaguars came out sluggish in the second. Their 18-point halftime lead was reduced to eight points at 46-38 after IUPUI went scoreless for a 7:07 stretch.

"Sometimes it's tough like that," said head coach Austin Parkinson. "You get up on a big lead, then we did some uncharacteristic things that second half... We had some uncharacteristic shots and some some turnovers."
 
Bellamy got the Jaguars back on track with a layup and-one, which she converted, but the game remained close and NDSU eventually closed the gap to just five points at 54-49 with 9:03 left in the game.
 
Every time IUPUI tried to open the lead back up, NDSU cut it back to five points, but they couldn't get it any closer. Goss hit a layup to push the lead to seven with under two minutes to go and after a few missed shots on each end, the Bison started fouling. IUPUI put the game away at that point knocking down six of eight from the line.

"We're happy to get the win," said Parkinson. "Anytime you advance in tournament play, it's important."
 
The Jaguars shot only 32 percent in the second half and made just eight field goals, but all of them were in the paint, continuing the trend from the first half when they dominated the paint.  They also made it to the line 16 times converting 75 percent.  On the game the Jaguars outscored the Bison 44-24 in the paint and 17-6 from the line.

"It was a rough, rocky second half, but a win is a win." said Markovic.
 
The Jaguars will now move on to semi-finals where they'll play the winner of tomorrow's IPFW-Denver game. Monday's game will begin at 3:30pm ET.