INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women's basketball team edged out VCU 70-69 at home with a late three-point play on Saturday night (Nov. 21) to move to 2-1 on the season. The Jags led by as many as 19 in the second half before their lead evaporated, but junior Mikale Rogers' and-one finish with 6.9 seconds gave the Jags a victory in The Jungle.  

Freshman Sydney Hall knocked down five three-pointers for 19 points while junior center Mikale Rogers was huge down the stretch, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter to go along with seven rebounds. Hall and Rogers scored a combined 38 points while shooting at a 66.7 percent clip (12-18) from the floor and 90 percent from the free-throw line.

Junior Kelsi Byrd added six points on two deep shots. Sophomore Danielle Lawrence contributed nine points while senior Akilah Sims played a well-rounded game with five points, five boards and three steals. 

The Jags outrebounded VCU 31-23 and shot 56.8 percent from the floor, but committed 27 turnovers that allowed VCU to make a comeback attempt.

"Really proud of our kids to give up the lead and really rally in the last two minutes of the game," Head Coach Austin Parkinson said. "Anytime you play a team that presses like that there's going to be big runs. We got hot in the first half and got up. I knew they were going to make a run in the second half but we weren't able to answer and kept turning the basketball over. 

"We talked about transition defense and not turning the ball over would be huge. In the first half, we did that and got a big lead. Second half, they started being aggressive, we got careless with the ball and they got back in the game." 

IUPUI (2-1) opened the game with high pressure defense, showing VCU (1-2) a full-court press from the start. The Jags jumped out to a 7-2 lead early before VCU clawed back to an 11-11 score at end of the first.

IUPUI went on a monster run to open the second quarter, scoring 13 unanswered in just 1:40 of game time. A pair of triples by Hall and junior Kelsi Byrd and a slew of fast break buckets pushed the lead to 24-11, IUPUI. 

After conceding a bucket to break the run, Hall buried two more threes to push the Jags' lead up to 16 before Byrd nailed her second of the night. The Jags cruised to a 42-25 advantage at the half. 

IUPUI took the court in the second half with more of the same as their lead grew to 19 at 46-27. It was VCU's third quarter though as the Rams busted out an 18-6 run to end the quarter.

Hall buried her fifth trifecta of the contest late in the third, however. Her five threes were the most by a Jaguar since Nicole Rogers knocked down a handful of triples in in December of last season. 

"We were driving and kicking and they were getting me open," Hall said. "Mikale and Sara made some good plays toward the end of the game and we just pulled it out."

Hall was 0-12 from beyond the arc in the Jags' first two contests, but seeing one go down calmed the nerves for the young point guard. She went 5-8 on triples in the contest. 

"Syd's a phenomenal player," Parkinson said. "As a freshman, she's been great so far. She makes them everyday in practice. We knew it was going to come, but we weren't sure when."

Even with Hall's hot shooting, the Rams eliminated that remaining IUPUI lead early in the fourth quarter. VCU knotted it up at 52 apiece with just over seven minutes to play. IUPUI's 19-point second-half edge had been deleted, but Rogers (Mikale) carried the Jags offensively down the stretch, scoring 13 in in the final stanza. Ross and Rogers scored six points on two of IUPUI's final three possessions to seal the win. Parkinson also credited sophomore guard Martha Burse for her defensive help and her ability to break the press down the stretch.

Trailing 67-64, Ross drove down the right wing and got fouled. She converted the layup and the free throw with 1:30 to play, tying things up at 67 apiece. The Rams scored on an inbounds play with just under 30 seconds to take a two-point edge, causing Parkinson to call his final timeout.

Down 67-69 out of the timeout, the Jags worked their last possession for the perfect look. Hall fed Rogers on the left block for a drop step finish and foul with just 6.9 seconds left. Rogers made the game-winning free throw as the Jags went up, 70-69. VCU's final shot attempt was a good one from about eight feet, but just missed right off the iron.

"Unfortunately, it's not rocket science," Parkinson added. "I think everyone in the building knew we should throw the ball to Mikale (Rogers). When we started doing that with a little patience, she's hard to stop. When we do that, we're a good basketball team and I'm really proud of how she played."

IUPUI will be at home on Tuesday (Nov. 24) as they host Oakland City in The Jungle at 7 p.m.