Live Stats | Watch Live ($) | Game Notes (.pdf)
 
FARGO, N.D. - The first Summit League road test of the season for IUPUI takes place on Thursday, Jan. 8, when the Jaguars travel to Fargo, N.D., to take on North Dakota State.
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION

• Thursday's tip is set for 8 p.m. ET at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
• The game will be streamed live on IUPUIJags.com via GoBison.com for $6.95 for a 24-hour pass.
• Live stats will also be available through IUPUIJags.com.

 
ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA STATE

• The Bison are riding high following an 83-78 win over Summit League preseason favorite South Dakota State Sunday afternoon improving them to 2-0 in league action.
• Overall, NDSU is 6-8 and it is led offensively by senior Brooke LeMar and her 19.4 ppg. LeMar was recently named one of the Summit League Players of the Week after averaging 26.0 ppg and 6.0 apg in two wins last week.
• Joining LeMar in double figures is Holly Johnson, who is scoring 12.9 ppg.
• In total, the Bison are shooting 40.0 percent from the floor, including 32.6 percent from three, while opponents are shooting 43.7 percent and 30.4 percent from behind-the-arc.
• Marena Whittle is the team's leading rebounder at 7.5 rpg, while LeMar also leads the team in assists at 4.5 per game.

 
THE SERIES WITH THE BISON

• The all-time series between IUPUI and North Dakota State is tied at 8-8 thanks in part to the current four-game winning streak the Jaguars have over NDSU.
• Last year, IUPUI took all three games from the Bison, including one in the Summit League Tournament quarterfinals, 72-64.
• The Jaguars are 1-6 when playing in Fargo, with their lone road win coming last year.

 
LAST TIME OUT ...

• Akilah Sims recorded the third double-double of her career and her first of the season leading IUPUI past Fort Wayne, 78-68, at The Jungle Sunday afternoon in the Summit League opener for the Jags.
• Sims posted 11 of her team-high 14 points in the second half and also added 10 rebounds to pace IUPUI. She was joined in double-figures by three other players as Nevena Markovic and Caitlyn Tolen each added 12 points and Shaquira Scott chipped in 10 points. Haley Seibert led the Mastodons with 20 points.
• IUPUI hit four of its first five shots from the field in the first three and a half minutes, including two from Markovic, to take an 8-5 lead, but a 7-0 Jaguars run pushed them out to a double-digit lead, 15-5, with just under 12 minutes to go.
• As fouls began to pile up for both teams, the Mastodons were able to close within one, 26-25, with five minutes to play before the Jags went on a mini-run to expand their lead.
• IUPUI went on a 8-1 run capped by a Tolen three to seize a 34-26 lead with 1:22 to go, but Seibert responded with a three of her own on the other end 12 seconds later to trim the Jags cushion to five, 34-29. That would be the final points of the half and the Jaguars went into the break with that five-point lead.
• IUPUI's halftime lead grew to eight just a few minutes into the second half, but Fort Wayne was able to close within three on a Seibert three with 14:36 to play.
• However, a Sims basket with 13:10 to go ignited a 15-2 run that gave IUPUI its biggest lead of the game, 58-42, with 9:23 remaining.
• The Mastodons made a push and closed within four with 3:48 on the clock, but Shaquira Scott made two highly contested lay-ups on consecutive possessions to up the margin back to eight, 68-60, with 2:53 to go.
• Down the stretch, the IUPUI lead never dipped below seven as it won its conference opener, 78-68.

 
SCORING FROM THE STRIPE

• Through non-conference play, the Jaguars were getting to the free throw line 17.8 times per game while converting on 11.8 attempts per game.
• However, in the Summit League opener for the Jaguars they managed to make it to the line a season-high 34 times while converting a season-high 27 tries.
• Four players got to the line at least five times, with Danielle Lawrence leading the way going 5-of-6.
• Four players went a perfect 2-of-2 from the line and the 79.4 percent shooting from the free throw line was its highest of the season (min. 10 FT attempts).

 
SIMS PICKING UP THE PACE

• 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.
• Following an 8-point effort against Northern Kentucky, Sims posted her first double-double of the season on Jan. 4 against IPFW with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
• Over the last four games, Sims is averaging 13.0 ppg, while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor (19-of-42).

 
TALE OF TWO HALVES

• While IUPUI is scoring almost six points less in the first half than it is in the second half, getting out to a lead in the first half has been key for the Jaguars this season.
• All six of IUPUI's wins this season have come when the Jags have taken a lead into the half.
• IUPUI is averaging 31.2 points in the first half this season compared to 29.0 for its opponents, but in the second half of games the opposition is averaging 34.2 points.