MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – Back in the postseason for the third time in the past four seasons, the women's basketball team (21-10, 11-5) once again found a way to best Central Michigan (22-11, 14-4) in the first round of the Women's National Invite Tournament (WNIT) Thursday, downing the Chippewas 63-55 and advancing to the second round for just the second time in program history.
The Jaguars were led on the evening by
Akilah Sims with 24 points, adding three rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists. Mikale Rogers added eight points and eight rebounds, as the Jaguars improved to 2-1 all-time against Central Michigan. As a team, the Jags' shot 20-for-25 from the free throw line (80.0%) and limited CMU defensively to just a 30.5% field goal percentage.
It was far from the ideal start that IUPUI had hoped for, as it took 3:17 in the first period before Rogers connected on a short jump-shot from the right side of the basket to put the Jags' on the board, 2-4. At the first media timeout with 4:32 left on the clock, both teams had combined to commit six turnovers in what was a chaotic beginning to the game. Out of the break,
Sydney Hall would knock down a free throw to cut into the short deficit, 3-6. The ensuing possession, Sims hit her first basket of the night, a transition layup from the right side to put IUPUI within one.
Caitlyn Tolen would add another bucket on a jumper following a defensive stop to give the Jags' their first lead of the night. A Chippewas free throw, a layup, and a three-pointer would give Central Michigan a fair cushion, 7-12, but
Jenna Gunn would stop the five-point streak with a layup for IUPUI, the final basket of the first quarter, to bring the Jags' within three.
After an extended break between quarters to address a medical issue,
Nicole Rogers would add her first three of the contest to put the Jags' within a basket, 12-14. The Chippewas would convert an and-one play but Rogers would respond with a great move in the paint for her second basket followed by a fast break layup by Sims on a great pass from
Danielle Lawrence. Moments later, Rogers connected again on a mid-range jumper from the left side followed by another Sims layup to give IUPUI a lead, 20-19. Sims would add two more baskets on the next pair of possessions for a three-point edge on the Chippewas, her third and fourth of the quarter.
Martha Burse hit a pair of free throws following a foul on a well dialed up play by head coach
Austin Parkinson to grow the lead to five, 26-21. After a Central Michigan layup,
Allex Brown put on a strong post move to get to the basket and score.
Shaquira Scott would throw in a pair of free throws the next trip down to make it a seven point lead, the final points of the quarter, to send the teams into the locker room with the score 30-23.
Scott would start the third quarter as she ended the second, hitting a pair of free throws for IUPUI. After a Chippewas three-pointer, First-Team All-Summit League selections Rogers and Lawrence would go back-to-back on a pair of layups to make it a 10-point spread, 36-26. Central Michigan would hit a layup and free throw to bring the game within seven points. Tolen would drop in 1-of-2 free throws out of a media timeout, followed by Sims earning two from the charity stripe and three beyond the arc to make it 42-31. Burse would then put on a hard shake near the free throw line and pull up with a jumper to make it 44-35 after two CMU free throws. On a fast break opportunity with 2:23 left in the quarter, Sims converted an and-one play to put the Jags' up by 12. The senior forward would then pull in back-to-back steals to deny the Chippewas on a pair of offensive possessions, prompting Parkinson to call a timeout. With 22.7 seconds on the clock, the Jaguars dialed up a play for Rogers in the left-side corner, who knocked down a three-pointer in the final seconds to make it 50-38 in favor of IUPUI.
It took until the 5:40 mark in the final period for IUPUI to get onto the board, as Brown hit a jumper on an assist by Sims. Sims would hit a long jumper from the top of the key to make it 54-43. Despite the audible support from the hundreds on hand at the McGuirk Arena, IUPUI had plenty of momentum with the 11-point lead, finding a way to manage the clock and eat up valuable time that the Chippewas so desired. With 3:26 left in the game, Gunn hit a free throw to make it a 12-point spread, while the stingy Jaguar defense went to work. Lawrence hit a pair of free throws with 51 seconds remaining, forcing CMU to start fouling with less than a minute to go. Lawrence dropped in another pair from the charity stripe, Sims would add four, and the Jaguars walked away from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan winners.
The Jaguars will next face the winner of the San Diego-Northwestern game. Should San Diego win, IUPUI will host round two at the Jungle Saturday night at 7 p.m., the first home postseason game in Jaguars Division I history. If Northwestern wins, the game will be played in Chicago at 1 p.m. Sunday.
