EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The IUPUI women's basketball team continued strong play with a win at SIU Edwardsville 85-67 on Friday night (Dec. 11). The Jags cruised to 7-2 on the season with their seventh win in the last eight games.

"Tonight was a lot of fun watching our team play," Head Coach Austin Parkinson said. "We came out with intensity on defense and shared the ball with 21 assists."

IUPUI's ball-sharing and balanced attack led to four scorers in double figures for the first time this season. Senior Akilah Sims led the way for IUPUI with 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting. She added eight rebounds and three assists as well. Fellow classmate Shaquira Scott added a season-high 17 (6-of-9) to go along with five boards. Freshman guard Sydney Hall added 13 points, six assists and three boards. Hall and Sims combined for 5-of-9 from beyond the arc in the contest as the Jags shot 53.3 percent (8-of15) as a team from the three-point line. 

Sophomore Jenna Gunn added 11 points and five rebounds with eight of her 11 in the first half. Junior Mikale Rogers contributed nine points and five boards while sophomore Martha Burse added five points and four dimes.  

SIUE had four players score in double figures as well. Shronda Butts led the way with 16, six rebounds and five assists. 

The Jags saw two big leads slip away in their last two contests but they jumped out to a comfortable cushion in this one and didn't look back. IUPUI outrebounded SIUE 25-13 in the first half of play. They shot at a 52 percent clip on their way to a 45-21 halftime lead. The Jags' defense was on point again in the first half as they held SIUE to just 29 percent from the floor and their leading scorer, Shronda Butts, to just four first half points. 

Hall opened the second half scoring with three three-point buckets on 3-of-3 from deep to keep the Jags rolling. IUPUI was outscored in the third stanza but maintained a comfortable lead due to Hall scoring nine of her 13 points in the period.

IUPUI continued their hot shooting night into the fourth quarter as seniors Sims and Scott scored a combined 15 of the Jags' 23 fourth quarter points. IUPUI's four scorers in double digits each shot 50 percent or better from the floor as individuals. They shot 49.2 percent from the field as a team.   

"I really liked how Akilah (Sims) played tonight," Parkinson said. "She was aggressive to the offensive glass and ran hard in transition. We had a lot of people contribute on both ends of the floor."

IUPUI will travel to Louisville, Ky. to take on the Louisville Cardinals at the KFC Yum! Center for a 2 p.m. tip on Sunday (Dec. 13). The Jags will look to beat the Cards for the first time in program history.