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JAGS CLOSE FIRST HALF OF LEAGUE SLATE THURSDAY AT LEATHERNECKS

IUPUI and Western Illinois tip at 8 p.m. at Western Hall

1/28/2015 9:45:00 AM

By: John Berry (@JMBerry13), IUPUI Sports Information

Listen Live | Live Stats | Watch Live ($) | Game Notes (.pdf)

MACOMB, Ill. - IUPUI is coming off a pair of impressive home wins last week, and it looks to carry that momentum into a road game at Western Illinois on Thursday, Jan. 29.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
  • Thursday's tip is slated for 8 p.m. ET at Western Hall.
  • Free live audio and live stats will be provided through IUPUIJags.com, and Morgan Adcock will have the call beginning just prior to tip.
  • Fans can watch the game for $5.95 through GoLeathernecks.com.

ABOUT WESTERN ILLINOIS
  • The Leathernecks enter Thursday's match-up with a 12-8 overall record, including a 4-3 Summit League record.
  • Their three conference losses put WIU in a six-team logjam - along with IUPUI - behind South Dakota, who leads the way with a 5-2 league mark.
  • Western Illinois is led by Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, Ashley Luke, who averages 18.6 ppg and 10.5 rpg. Luke is one of two players in the league averaging a double-double joining Oral Roberts' Vicky McIntyre.
  • Tori Niemann and Sophie Reichelt also are scoring in double figures at 11.5 ppg and 10.5 ppg, respectively.
  • WIU is averaging 8.6 made three's per game this season thanks in part to Michelle Farrow's team leading 37, but four Leathernecks players have made 28 or more this season.
  • Additionally, Western Illinois does a great job taking care of the ball committing only 13.4 turnovers per game.
  • Similar to the Jags, first halves have been key for the Leathernecks. They outscore their opponents by six ppg in the first half.

THE SERIES WITH THE LEATHERNECKS
  • WIU leads the all-time series, 23-11, but IUPUI has controlled the series of late winning five straight against Western Illinois.
  • The Jaguars are 5-12 all-time in Macomb, but they have won three straight on WIU's home floor.

LAST TIME OUT ...
  • A 14-0 run midway through the second half took a three-point game and put it out of reach as IUPUI defeated Summit League leader South Dakota, 68-43, Saturday evening (Jan. 24) at The Jungle.
  • IUPUI took control late in the first half only to have the Coyotes claw back within three in the second half before a double-digit run sealed the deal. The win improved the Jaguars to 9-11 overall and 4-3 in the league, while USD fell to 15-5 overall and 5-2 in the conference.
  • Akilah Sims came off the bench to score 17 points, marking her second straight double-figure scoring effort after missing the three previous games. Kelsi Byrd added a career-high 16 points thanks in part to 4-of-6 shooting from three and Nevena Markovic tacked on 11 points.
  • While the Jags performed well offensively, it was their work on the defensive end that determined the outcome. USD entered the game shooting 36.4 percent from three and IUPUI held them to 15.4 percent (2-of-13), and the Jags converted 21 Coyotes turnovers into 30 points. The 43 points for South Dakota were a season low.
  • Four ties and four lead changes occurred in the first eight minutes as South Dakota took a 12-10 lead, but a 14-4 spurt featuring four points each from Byrd and Sims catapulted the Jags in front, 24-16, with 7:20 to go.
  • The Jags cushion fluctuated between six and nine points for the next six minutes until Sims buried a three from the right wing, her second of the opening half, to push the lead to double digits at 32-22.
  • Both teams had scoring opportunities in the final minute but failed to capitalize resulting in IUPUI carrying that 32-22 margin into the half.
  • Mikale Rogers scored the first four points of the second half to widen the Jaguars halftime lead to 14 points, but an 11-0 response from the Coyotes inched them within three with 14:45 to go.
  • Coming out of the under-12 media timeout, the Jags pounded the ball inside and proceeded to go on a 14-0 run to take a 55-38 lead with just over eight minutes to play. During the run, Markovic scored seven points and Sims added five.
  • A three from Byrd with 5:42 on the clock extended the lead to 22 points, 62-40, and down the stretch the lead never dipped below 20 as the Jags finished off a 68-43 win.

SIMS WINS SUMMIT LEAGUE WEEKLY HONOR
  • After helping the Jaguars post a 2-0 record last week, junior forward Akilah Sims claimed her first career Summit League Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced on Monday, Jan. 26.
  • Sims led the Jags in scoring for the week helping IUPUI post a pair of double-digit victories over Denver and Summit League leader South Dakota.
  • The Fort Wayne, Ind.- native appeared in her first game following a three-game absence against Denver on Jan. 22, and she scored 12 points in 12 minutes while dishing out a career-high tying four assists. She followed that effort with a season-high 17-point performance in a 68-43 win over USD.
  • The 43 points scored by the Coyotes marked their lowest scoring output of the season and was almost half of their scoring average (80.4 ppg).
  • For the week, Sims averaged 14.5 ppg on 63 percent (10-of-16) shooting from the floor, including 56 percent (5-of-9) shooting from three. She also averaged 3.5 rpg and 3.0 apg.
  • Megan Waytashek was also named a Summit League Player of the Week after scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a win over Western Illinois.

RETURN OF THE D
  • Since Austin Parkinson became the head coach of the IUPUI women's basketball program, one of the team's mottos has been "Defense Lives Here"
  • Over the past four seasons, the Jags have ranked in the Top-3 in the Summit League in scoring defense including ranking first last year surrendering 62.4 ppg.
  • During Parkinson's tenure, his best defensive group surrendered 57.5 ppg in 2012-13.
  • This year, the Jags remain the top team in the league in scoring defense at 63.4 ppg, but that is partially due to IUPUI's defensive effort over the past two games.
  • In wins over Denver and South Dakota on Jan. 22 and Jan. 24, respectively, IUPUI forced the opposition into 36.6 percent (37-of-101) shooting, including 26.9 percent (7-of-26) shooting from three, resulting in Denver and USD averaging 48.5 ppg.
  • South Dakota came into its game with the Jaguars averaging 80.4 ppg, before scoring just 43 points against the IUPUI defense, marking its lowest scoring output of the season.
  • In the last two games, IUPUI has forced 41 turnovers and turned those miscues into 49 points off turnovers.
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