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INDIANAPOLIS – A titan of a matchup to kick off conference-play, the IUPUI women's basketball team (10-3) will host Western Illinois (11-3, 1-0) in the Jags opening Summit League contest Saturday (Dec. 31) at 3:30 p.m. EST during the second leg of a men's-women's doubleheader at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The Leathernecks are currently second behind South Dakota in the Summit League standings, while the Jags are the 19th-ranked mid-major according to CollegeInsider.
The Jags are fresh off a thunderous 89-36 victory over the 13th-ranked NAIA program IU-Northwest, in which the Jags netted more than 20 points in every quarter while never allowing more than 10. Four Jags finished in double-digit points while
Caitlyn Tolen led the way with 19.
Taylor Drake and
Daesjah Ely had their best showings during their freshman seasons, as they netted 17 and nine points, respectively. Drake added six rebounds and three blocks, while Ely ripped three corner three-pointers. The team tied a season-low with just nine turnovers for the game.
This season, the Jags are averaging 71.6 points per game while shooting .448 from the field. IUPUI has limited its opposition to a .389 clip and just 57.7 points per contest. The Jags average a +1.8 turnover margin, as the team forces 17.0 turnovers per outing.
Danielle Lawrence is one of three Jags averaging double-digit points for the season, as she leads the charge with 15.2 per game.
Mikale Rogers averages 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds, while
Sydney Hall has netted 10.5 points per game.
Kelsi Byrd leads the team with 38 assists, coming off a game-high and season-high seven in the win over IU-Northwest.
Western Illinois started Summit League play with a commanding victory over Fort Wayne, topping the Mastodons 75-53. The Leathernecks are averaging 82.0 points per game while shooting .438 from the floor. A group of bandits, the Leathernecks average 12.9 steals per game, and average forcing 21.4 turnovers per contest. Western Illinois has faced one common opponent with the Jags this season, as the Leathernecks lost to Missouri 68-71 on Nov. 29. The Jags defeated the Tigers 73-45 on Dec. 4. In their long history against one another, the Jags have gone 16-25 against the Leathernecks, last facing them on Feb. 6 of last season. In that game, the Jags were victorious 96-87, as Lawrence posted a career-high 34 points on a 13-for-17 shooting night.
Since the 2011-12 season, Head Coach
Austin Parkinson has gone 8-3 against the Leathernecks, which includes a sweep of Western Illinois last season and a Summit League Tournament victory two seasons ago.
The Leathernecks have a handful of standout performers in the Summit League this season, as Emily Clemens is second in the League with 19.4 points per game. Clemens also leads the League in steals with 44, while her teammates Mallory Boyle and Morgan Blumer place second and third with 35 and 32 steals, respectively. Olivia Braun has tied Rogers of IUPUI for the top spot in blocks in the League with 30.
IUPUI students can continue to get into IUPUI games for free with their Jag Tags, and fans can enjoy two basketball games with a single ticket purchase by attending Saturday's doubleheader.
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