Photo Gallery Box Score (pdf) Box Score (html)

INDIANAPOLIS – It had all the makings of a classic David and Goliath tale: the Division I powerhouse versus the low-profile mid-major; the elite, powerhouse conference versus the newly rising league; the big, physical, towering opponents versus the hard-working, blue-collar program.  It was all aligning perfectly.  Except, in this tale, David didn't cast a small stone.  This time, he took Goliath's head off with a boulder.
 
In an epic performance littered with program history, the IUPUI women's basketball team (6-1) defeated Missouri (6-3) 73-45 Sunday afternoon (Dec. 4), marking the first time in program history that the Jags had defeated an SEC opponent. 
 
"I thought our team did a good job in taking the challenge," Head Coach Austin Parkinson said of his team's performance against the tall task.  "Danielle Lawrence came out, I think, the right way on both ends of the floor.  She was aggressive, she got to the rim, got to the free-throw line, and I think she really set the tone for the rest of the team."
 
Another prolific shooting effort for the team, IUPUI went 26-for-50 (.520) from the field, in addition to 7-for-14 (.500) from three-point range.  The team forced 20 Missouri turnovers, committing 17 themselves.  Danielle Lawrence was crucial for the Jags, picking up 24 points and three steals, while shooting 8-for-9 from the free-throw line.  Mikale Rogers went for 15 points and six boards, picking up two steals and a block.  Holly Hoopingarner finished with double-digit points (11), while Jenna Gunn, Caitlyn Tolen, Sydney Hall, and Kelsi Byrd all added to the scoring barrage.
 
"I couldn't be more proud," Coach Parkinson added.  "I thought we had a lot of hustle plays, got to a lot of loose balls, and forced turnovers.  The kids never really let up.  After halftime, they made a quick run, and we made a quick run right back.  It was a fun night."
 
The Jags were a clutch 14-for-16 from the charity stripe for the game.  The team outrebounded Missouri 33-25, dishing 13 assists to just nine for the Tigers.  45 points marked a season-low for Missouri.
 
Just over a pair of minutes into the action, Lawrence got the Jags onto the scoreboard with a hoop-and-the-harm, connecting for a layup but not able to convert the three-point play at the charity stripe.  Rogers would later connect on a pair of free-throws with 6:50 to play, tying the game at 4-4.  Next trip down, Lawrence would hit from the paint on a jumper, granting the Jags their first lead of the contest.  A crucial moment, Hall found Tolen beyond the arc, as the senior guard was able to drop in a triple to give the Jags a 9-6 lead.  Next trip, Hoopingarner utilized a good screen to move to the basket, dropping in a short-range jumper to extend the lead.  She'd add to that with a big and-one play, connecting on a left-side jumper from 15-feet, while also tacking on the free-throw to make it 14-6.  She'd make it three-in-a-row for IUPUI, as she'd hit a mid-range jumper falling to her right side.  At 16-11, Lawrence added a pair of free-throws with 40 seconds left to play.  Mere moments later, Byrd forced a crucial steal, working out a trip to the charity stripe on the breakaway.  She'd convert both chances, as IUPUI led by nine with under 20 seconds to play.  They'd end the quarter up 20-11. 
 
The Jags shot 6-for-11 (.545) from the field, forcing seven Missouri turnovers and only coughing up the ball once themselves.
 
Lawrence began the second quarter with a bucket on the first possession, followed by a triple two possession later.  After back-to-back buckets by the Tigers, IUPUI was forced to burn a timeout two and a half minutes into the action.  At 25-17, Gunn hit a jumper on an assist from Hall, giving IUPUI a double-digit lead.  Rogers would hit a layup on some excellent post-work, followed by a Hall three-pointer on a kick-out assist by Rogers, forcing Missouri into a timeout with the score at 32-17.  Allex Brown picked up a clutch offensive board and kicked it out to Hall, who again connected from long-range.  Lawrence continued the distance trend, hitting a triple on the next time down.  Gunn added to the team's frequent-flyer miles with another long-shot triple, making it 41-19.  Missouri added a bucket before the halftime break, as the team went into the break up 20 points at 41-21. 
 
The team shot 8-for-14 (.571) in the second quarter, including 5-for-6 (.833) from three-point range.  Defensively, the Jags forced another six Missouri turnovers, while committing four of their own.  The Jags were nearly spotless from the free-throw line in the first half, hitting 7-for-8 (.875) and picking up four offensive boards.  The Jags had 11 total to 12 for Missouri.
 
After five points to start the action by Missouri, the Jags cracked the lid of the basket on a jumper by Rogers with just over two minutes gone.  She'd hit again, picking up a hard-earned bucket while getting fouled on the play.  She'd convert the free-throw.  Once again at a 20-point lead with the score 46-26, Lawrence converted a pair of free-throws and the Jags led big heading into the third-quarter media timeout.  One of the most exciting moments of the game, Byrd forced a turnover while diving to the floor to pick up the ball.  She'd toss it down-court to a streaking Tolen who beat the defense and put it up for an and-one layup.  Despite missing the free-throw, the Jags were able to pick up the offensive board.  Lawrence would drop in a pair of free-throws following a takeaway, and would get a second-chance on a technical foul called against the Tigers.  She'd convert both as well, making it a 4-for-4 showing at the line.  Another exciting moment, the Jags showed hustle defense in stopping a fast-break opportunity for the Tigers with under a minute to play, which resulted in Hoopingarner taking it the opposite direction and nailing up a buzzer-beating jumper.  The Jags ended the quarter with a 56-34 lead.
 
The Jags shot just 4-for-13 (.308) in the third quarter, and 0-for-4 from three-point range, but still managed to win the quarter 15-13.  The team forced six more Missouri turnovers. 
 
Byrd came up firing with a three-point shot just over a minute into the final quarter, dropping it in on an assist from Gunn.  They'd exchange roles on the next possession, as Byrd set up Gunn for a jumper that connected.  Following a Missouri timeout, Rogers spun right, then back left, to drop in a short-range jumper in the paint.  She'd hit again on a layup, receiving a pass from Byrd on the play.  Up 67-41 with 5:25 to play, Lawrence hit a nice step-back jumper from the left-side to extend the lead.  After bringing down the tempo of the game and allowing the team to work the clock, Rogers hit a layup on a second-chance bucket, putting the Jags over 70 points.  For good measure, Hoopingarner added a bucket with under a minute to play, and the Jags walked away with a 73-45 victory.
 
The Jags finished 8-for-12 (.667) in the final quarter, and 1-for-2 from three-point range.  Since the 1989-1990 season, the Jags have started a season 6-1 just three times.  Of those three times, two of them have come under the leadership of Coach Parkinson, as he's now accomplished the hot-start in back-to-back seasons.
 
With the victory, IUPUI will now take to the road, as the team prepares to face Miami (Ohio) Wednesday (Dec. 7) in Oxford, Ohio.
 
For all the latest in news, scores, highlights, stories, and more, follow IUPUIJags.com.