INDIANAPOLIS – With just two games left on the calendar and a daunting rematch against the second-ranked team in the Summit League, the women's basketball team (20-8, 11-4) came through in the clutch, defeating South Dakota State (22-6, 12-3) 63-60, making things extremely interesting at the top of the Summit League standings heading into the last game of the regular season. 
 
Danielle Lawrence was clutch late in the game and led the way for IUPUI, scoring a team-high 16 points while adding three rebounds and a pair of assists.  Mikale Rogers added 11 points and five rebounds, Jenna Gunn secured a team-high nine boards and IUPUI redeemed themselves after a heart-breaking double-overtime loss to the Jackrabbits on Jan. 21.    
 
Shaquira Scott was the first Jaguar to get on the board, nailing a jumper on the second IUPUI possession to tie up the game, 2-2.  After briefly falling behind following a South Dakota State three-pointer, Lawrence found Akilah Sims knifing through the middle, connecting for an assist on the right-side layup.  Sims would make good on another layup at the 5:34 mark, setting the score at 6-7.  Following a media timeout, Lawrence hit her first basket on an 8-foot jumper from the right side to put the Jags' on top, 8-7.  Two possessions later, Martha Burse made good on a field goal from the free throw line on a strong screen play to put IUPUI back on top.  Burse added a long jumper with her foot on the three-point arc to briefly give IUPUI a lead, 12-11.  Scott would add a pair of free throws to close out the scoring in the first quarter, as IUPUI trailed, 14-16.
 
Roughly 20 seconds into the second frame, Lawrence stole the ball and converted a layup to quickly tie up the contest.  After five-straight point by SDSU following a Jaguar free throw, Gunn converted on a left-side jumper out of a timeout, cutting the deficit to 19-21.  On a setup from Kelsi Byrd, Sydney Hall hit a three-pointer to briefly tie up the game at 22.  On the lesser side of an 8-4 Jackrabbit run, Lawrence recaptured some of the momentum on a converted steal-to-layup with 43 seconds left in the half to end the scoring for both teams.  At the break, the Jags' trailed by a pair, 28-30. 
 
Rogers made good on the first possession following the break, tying the game up at 30 on a well-contested layup.  Moments later, Rogers converted an and-one play, giving the Jaguars a lead for the first time since the 6:29 mark in the second quarter.  After a Jackrabbit basket, Rogers went back to the iron on a layup to retain the lead, 37-36.  After a five-point run by SDSU, Gunn and Sims converted back-to-back layups to once again tie the game, 41-41.  A Burse three-pointer followed by a Sims steal-to-layup put IUPUI up by a trio, 46-43.  Byrd added a near triple with under a minute to play, as the Jaguars headed to the fourth quarter with their biggest lead, 48-43. 
 
Byrd connected on another long deuce at the start of the period, giving the Jags a seven-point edge.  Gunn responded to a Jackrabbit three-pointer by hitting a layup to maintain a fair advantage on the scoreboard.  After seeing their lead trimmed down to just a point, a three-pointer by Lawrence and a layup by Rogers would set the score at 57-54.  Under a minute to play and leading by one, Burse pulled in an offensive rebound and connected on a crucial crunch time layup to go up by three points.  After a pair of Jackrabbit free throws, Lawrence answered right back with two baskets from the charity stripe with 22.4 seconds left to regain the three-point lead.  After a well-defended layup by SDSU and the Jags' holding just a single point advantage, Lawrence was fouled on an inbound play to return to the line.  Clutch once again, the Louisville, Ky.-native converted both, setting up the score at 63-60.  Desperate for an answer, South Dakota State utilized a timeout with 6.3 second left on the clock.  Head coach Austin Parkinson dialed up the right defense at the right time, as the Jackrabbits missed a desperation three-pointer as time expired.
 
IUPUI will return to the court for the final game of the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 27) at the Jungle.  The Jaguars will honor their seniors before tipoff as they take on the top-ranked South Dakota Coyotes at 7p.m..