CHICAGO, Ill. – Playing in their first road contest of the 2016-17 season, the IUPUI women's basketball team (2-1) received a big performance from First-Team All-Summit Leaguer Mikale Rogers and utilized a late team surge to top Illinois-Chicago (2-2) 67-57 Saturday afternoon (Nov. 19).  With the win, Head Coach Austin Parkinson is now the all-time winningest coach in IUPUI history, tallying his 98th win and passes Kris Simpson in the process.
 
"More than anything, the record signifies the hard work of a lot of young ladies and the different coaches who have worked for me over the years," Coach Parkinson said of the accomplishment.  "It's been a lot of fun seeing our program grow on the court and in the classroom."
 
Rogers finished with a game-high 23 points, adding seven rebounds and a block.  The senior center shot 10-for-17 from the field, part of a team .438 field goal percentage. 
 
"Mikale went to work in the second half and managed to play with four fouls the whole fourth quarter," Coach Parkinson said of Rogers.
 
Caitlyn Tolen, Sydney Hall, and Jenna Gunn were also substantial contributors to the team's outcome, as each Jag finished with double-digit points.  Tolen had 17 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists while shooting 4-for-5 from the floor.  Jenna Gunn picked up a double-double in the win, tallying 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.  She also dished out four assists.  Hall finished with 12 points and three boards.
 
"Caitlyn had an outstanding game as well and Jenna Gunn's rebounding was huge for us," Coach Parkinson said of the contributions.
 
A game that featured eight lead changes and five ties, the game was ultimately decided by what the Jags were able to do at the free-throw line.  Despite the foul troubles of Rogers and Danielle Lawrence, who was limited in her floor time, the Jags kept the Flames to just 13 free-throw attempts.  IUPUI, however, converted a wildly efficient 21-of-24 shots from the charity stripe, including 11-of-13 in the fourth quarter alone. 
 
"Any time you walk away with a road win, it has been a good day," Coach Parkinson said of the win.  "Our team defense improved and we continue to share the ball."
 
After trailing by three at the end of the first quarter, the Jags shot .400 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in the second frame, erasing the deficit and taking a three-point edge into the break, 32-29.
 
The third quarter was the worst shooting performance by the Jags on the day, as the team fell to a .231 clip and were outscored 10-14 to trail by one heading into the last frame.  That was when Rogers went to work, picking up 13 points and four boards in the late going.  The team forced four turnovers and outrebounded the Flames nine to six to fuel a staggering 25-14 quarter.  The Jags coasted to the win, 67-57. 
 
When considering the magnitude of the accomplishments set by Coach Parkinson and his program, one would have to consider the timeframe on which he accomplished the new mark.  Coach Simpson accomplished her 97 wins in nine season at IUPUI, while Coach Parkinson took just six seasons and three games to surpass it.  He is the all-time winningest coach at home for the Jags, and has taken IUPUI to the Women's National Invitation Tournament three times over the past four seasons.  The WNIT selections are the only such times IUPUI has advanced to the tournament.  Last season, the Jags hosted their first-ever Division I postseason game, a second-round contest against San Diego.  He also produced the first pair of underclassmen All-Summit League selections to be recognized in the same season (Rogers and Lawrence). 
 
The seventh-year head coach has already produced three 20-win seasons, and since being able to get his first recruiting class, has posted no less than 13 wins and has maintained a winning record at home. 
 
With the victory, the Jags will now look to continue their winning ways as they visit Virginia Commonwealth Tuesday (Nov. 22) in Richmond, Virginia.  The Jags will next play at home Nov. 26 when the team hosts Georgia Southern at 2 p.m. EST in the Jungle.
 
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