IUPUI (18-7, 9-3) at Omaha (12-13, 5-8)
February 18 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Baxter Arena – Omaha, Neb.
Live Stats
Video
Audio

INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI women's basketball team goes for their sixth straight win in their final road game of the season at Omaha on Thursday night (Feb. 18). The Jags reeled off a six-game spree back in November as they won six in a row after losing the season-opener. 

Thursday's game is the eighth meeting between IUPUI and Omaha. The Jags have won six of the previous seven matchups in Omaha's short tenure in the Summit League.  

The Jags have become one of the most balanced programs in the Summit League on both sides of the ball. They rank second in the conference on the defensive side giving up just 59.8 points per game while their offense, not always high scoring, is the second-most efficient offense in the conference. The Jags are shooting at a 43.6 percent mark that ranks second to only South Dakota.

The Jags' high scorers are not always high volume shooters. All three of the IUPUI's leading scorers shoot above 45 percent from the field, including senior forward Akilah Sims who ranks fourth in the conference at 51.8 percent. Sims hit a milestone in IUPUI's last contest as she reached the 1,000-point mark on a free throw in the final minute. She's averaging 11.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in her final season. 

The Jags' two main offensive weapons have won games with their efficient shot selection and free-throw shooting. During the last month, sophomore Danielle Lawrence has shot 38-for-41 (92.6 percent) from the free-throw line while junior Mikale Rogers is 37-for-42 (88.1 percent). Their late-game free-throw shooting has aided the Jags all season as Lawrence (24-for-29) and Rogers (9-for-11) are shooting 82.7 and 81.8 percent from the stripe, respectively, in fourth quarter crunch time and overtime situations this season.

While Lawrence has been the leading scorer–after she poured in four straight 20-plus games in recent memory–Rogers has been just as efficient shooting above 45 percent in eight of her last 10 games while recording five double-doubles in that frame. Lawrence leads the squad with 13.5 points per game while Rogers is pouring in 13.3 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game.

The Jags turn their attention to an Omaha squad at a near .500 season. The Mavericks enter Thursday after losing four of their last five, including their most-recent defeat at the hands of North Dakota State, 74-67. Despite the recent skid, the Mavs bring the conference's top-scorer in Mikaela Shaw (18.6 per game); an effective scorer shooting at a 52.3 percent clip. Omaha also boasts two of the top-five most efficient 3-point shooters in the league with guards Ellie Brecht and Remy Davenport shooting 40.4 and 39.3 percent from outside the arc, respectively. 

Thursday's game is the final road matchup of the women's basketball regular season. The Jags will return home for three straight to wrap up February before heading to Sioux Falls, S.D. for the Summit League Tournament in early March. 

Thursday's game will tip at 8 p.m. ET and will be Senior Night for Omaha. IUPUI's Scott Agness will have the call for IUPUIJags.com just prior to tip.