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INDIANAPOLIS - Winners of three straight, IUPUI returns to The Jungle for a key match-up against Western Illinois at 3 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 14.
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION

• Saturday's game is set to begin at 3 p.m. ET at The Jungle.
• Live streaming and live stats for the game will be available on IUPUIJags.com. Morgan Adcock will have the call beginning just prior to tip.
• Saturday's game is a part of Homecoming Week at IUPUI and #IMAJAGUAR t-shirts will be available to students while supplies last.
• IUPUI Homecoming King and Queen will be announced at halftime of the game.

 
ABOUT WESTERN ILLINOIS

• The Leathernecks are 15-9 overall and 7-4 in The Summit League entering Saturday's contest.
• The Leathernecks are scoring 74.4 ppg this season, which ranks second in the conference, and they are led by Ashley Luke's 19.0 ppg.
• Luke also is pacing the Leathernecks on the glass averaging 10.9 rpg, and she is one of two players in the league averaging a double-double. Luke is the top offensive rebounder in the conference as 4.8 of her 10.9 rpg come on the offensive glass.
• In league-only games, Luke has upped her production to 22.4 ppg and 13.0 rpg.
• WIU is active on the defensive end of the floor leading the conference in steals at 8.5 spg. It also sits atop the league in three's made at 8.0.
• While Luke is the team's leading scorer, Tori Niemann is the most effective shooter hitting at a 55.2 percent clip.

 
THE SERIES WITH THE LEATHERNECKS

• Western Illinois owns a 24-11 lead in the all-time series between the two teams following a win in Macomb earlier this season.
• IUPUI is 7-9 all-time in Indianapolis against Western Illinois, and it has won two straight at home against the Leathernecks.

 
LAST TIME OUT ...

• Five players scored in double figures and the IUPUI women's basketball team used a 43-point second half to defeat in-state foe Fort Wayne, 78-68, Wednesday evening at the Gates Sports Center.
• Nevena Markovic scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead IUPUI in both categories. She was joined in double figures by Akilah Sims, who scored 14, Caitlyn Tolen, Jenna Gunn and Kelsi Byrd who added 13, 12 and 10 points, respectively.
• A game after Markovic became the 21st player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, she put her name in the record books again on Wednesday as her nine rebounds pushed her into the school's Top 10 list in career rebounding.
• The Jaguars trailed by one at the break before going on a 13-4 run in the first 5:08 of the second half to take a lead that it would not relinquish. Fort Wayne would close within four with 13:47 to go, but by the 10-minute mark the lead would reach double digits and the Mastodons never truly threatened down the stretch.
• The Mastodons entered the game hitting an average of eight three's at a 36.0 percent clip, but IUPUI held Fort Wayne to five and matched them with five of their own at a 38.5 percent clip. Byrd and Tolen combined to go 4-of-7 from deep keeping things clear inside for Markovic and Gunn, who combined to go 13-of-20 from the floor.
• The Jags also were able to keep the game at a comfortable margin late by hitting their free throws, while the Mastodons were uncharacteristically poor from the line. IUPUI converted 17-of-20 from the stripe compared to the Mastodons hitting just 9-of-17.
• The win evened the Jags record at 12-12, while upping their conference mark to 7-4, setting up a big Homecoming match-up at home against Western Illinois at The Jungle on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 3 p.m.

 
MARKOVIC MOVES INTO TOP 10

• In each of IUPUI's last two games, senior forward Nevena Markovic has eclipsed two career milestones.
• First against Denver on Feb. 4, Markovic put up her third double-double of the season and the 12th of her career leading the Jags to their first road win of the season at Denver on Feb. 4. Going into the game, Markovic needed just 10 points to reach 1,000 for her career, and a three-pointer a minute and a half into the second half gave her 1,000 career points.
• Markovic became the 21st player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, and she currently in 20th place with 1,023 career points. She needs 80 points to move into 15th all-time.
• Then against IPFW on Feb. 11, Markovic needed three rebounds to break into the IUPUI Top 10 for rebounding.
• The Wheaton, Ill.-native pulled down nine boards and now has 639 for her career, which is ninth in school history.
• Markovic needs 66 more rebounds to tie Kerah Nelson for fifth all-time in that category.

 
BYRD'S SOARING SCORING

• Kelsi Byrd is fifth on the Jaguars in scoring this season at 7.5 ppg, but she has upped her scoring over the last five games giving the Jags a third scorer.
• During that stretch, Nevena Markovic and Akilah Sims lead the way with 15.0 ppg and 13.4 ppg, respectively, but Byrd is averaging 10.8 ppg and it has helped IUPUI win four of its last five games.
• Byrd has scored in double figures in four of the last five games, including scoring a career-high 16 points in a win over South Dakota on Jan. 24.
• In addition to her 10.8 ppg over the last five contests, she has hit a team-high 11 three's and has distributed a team-best 13 assists.