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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite an otherwise solid team effort and clean performance by the Jags, the IUPUI women's basketball team (8-3) were tripped up in Nashville, as the team rallied late to force overtime before falling in the extra period 72-78 to Belmont (7-5). Despite a strong shooting effort, the Jags ultimately lost due to a large disparity in rebounds.
On the night, IUPUI shot .448 (26-for-58) from the field and .467 (7-for-15) from three-point range. The Jags committed a season-low nine turnovers and forced 15 the other way. IUPUI limited Belmont to just .235 (4-for-17) from three-point range, which had been the foundation upon which the Bruins' offense was predicated this season. However, the Jags saw the Bruins own the glass, outrebounding IUPUI 45-25 in the game. The Jags could grab just two offensive boards to 13 for Belmont. Additionally, the Jags put the Bruins at the free-throw line 26 times, as Belmont converted 20 of their chances.
"Proud of our kids for showing a ton of resiliency on the road fighting back against a good team to force overtime," Head Coach
Austin Parkinson said. "Belmont has a nice team and will likely win the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)."
Four players for IUPUI finished with double-digit points, as
Mikale Rogers led her team with 18 points and four rebounds.
Danielle Lawrence had 17 points and three assists,
Kelsi Byrd added 13 points and
Sydney Hall contributed 10.
Jenna Gunn,
Caitlyn Tolen,
Holly Hoopingarner, and
Allex Brown also tallied for IUPUI.
"I thought Mikale's inside play got us back in it, and Kelsi stepped up to knock down some big shots," Coach Parkinson added. "Throughout the year, we have prided ourselves as a team on not putting people at the foul line, but tonight, the home team was able to shoot 26 freebies."
Rolling with the same starting five for the 11th consecutive game, IUPUI began the game on a Rogers' jumper roughly a minute and a half into the action. After an exchange of baskets, Hall ripped the game's first three-pointer, granting the Jags a one-point edge. A 6-0 run and three minutes of scoreless ball by IUPUI came to an end as Rogers connected on a jumper, making it 9-14 for Belmont. Lawrence and Hoopingarner both hit with under two minutes to play, as the Bruins held a 14-18 lead at the break. Both teams shot .500 for the quarter, with the Jags going 6-for-12 from the field and 1-for-3 from long range. There were just three combined turnovers in the frame, with two coming from IUPUI.
Lawrence began the second quarter with a layup just 14 seconds in, followed by a Byrd triple a couple possessions later to bring the deficit to within a point. A Rogers' layup again pulled the team to within a point, but more than five minute of scoreless ball plagued the Jags, as the team went 0-for-6 during the stretch. Belmont shot just 2-for-10. Lawrence ended the streak on a jumper with under two minutes to play to make it 23-28, and Gunn hit on a layup with 26 seconds to play. They'd take a two possession deficit into the locker room for the half, trailing 25-29. The Jags went just 5-for-14 (.357) in the second quarter, committing four turnovers to double up their first quarter performance. They forced five the other way. The Bruins were held to a .231 clip (3-for-13) second quarter.
Establishing herself as a force in the paint and emerging as the Jags' shining light, Rogers went to work down low and from the charity stripe. Through the first three and a half minutes of play, the All-Summit League selection put up three free-throws and a pair of jumpers. She'd hit two more at the 6:26 mark, then tally a jumper with 5:30 to play. Hall broke up the solo scoring party with a jumper just under five minutes to play to tie the game at 38-38. Tolen broke up a two-minute scoreless stretch with her first basket of the game, a triple, as the Jags trailed with two minutes to play. At 41-46, Brown converted her first bucket, Tolen added a free-throw, Byrd hit a jumper, and the Jags went even with the Bruins, finishing a 21-21 quarter. IUPUI shot 7-for-11 (.636) and gave up just two turnovers in the quarter, as Rogers led all players with 11 points in the frame.
Hall answered back-to-back Belmont buckets with a three-pointer to begin the final quarter and Lawrence added a layup and a free-throw as part of an and-one play to make it 52-54. Gunn tallied a jumper just over two minutes in to tie the game, but the stalemate was short-lived as the Bruins scored on the next possession, despite a block from Rogers. Tolen picked up a bucket, and Byrd took a steal and dished it to Lawrence who tossed up a three-pointer, pulling the Jags to within four points. Lawrence got a chance at the charity stripe with 3:59 to play, hitting both tosses before watching the Bruins rip a three-pointer on the other side. Coming down to the clutch moments of the game, Byrd became a hero for the Jags, hitting two three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, followed by a Lawrence free-throw that tied the game at 68-68. Belmont couldn't score at the end of regulation, as the teams headed to overtime. The Jags outscored the Bruins 22-18 in the quarter.
Hall answered a Belmont jumper with a layup, keeping the tie intact. Byrd ended nearly three minutes of scoreless ball for the Jags, hitting two free-throws to pull her team within a bucket, 72-74. However, there simply wasn't enough time in the abbreviated five-minute overtime quarter, as the Jags could muster just four points in the extra period. Belmont hit at clutch moments to eventually prevail, 72-78.
With the loss, the Jags have now dropped two of their last three, the worst stretch so far this season. The Jags will have an opportunity to rebound from the hiccup, as IUPUI will venture north to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face Purdue Wednesday (Dec. 21) at 12 p.m. EST.
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