INDIANAPOLIS – The women's basketball team (21-10, 11-5) will make history Saturday (March 19) as their second-round matchup in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) marks the first time in program history that the Jags' will host a home postseason game.  IUPUI will welcome San Diego (24-7, 13-5) to the Jungle at 7 p.m., capitalizing on the opportunity to host by defeating Central Michigan 63-55 Thursday (March 17). 
 
Senior forward Akilah Sims led the Jags' in a strong performance against the Chippewas, netting 24 points, four rebounds and three steals while shooting a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.  The Fort Wayne, Ind.-natives effort helped IUPUI outscore CMU 41-26 in the second and third quarters, while First-Team All-Summit League selections Mikale Rogers and Danielle Lawrence keyed a strong defensive showing by the Jaguars.  Rogers had eight points and eight rebounds, while Lawrence led IUPUI with four steals.  As a team, the Jaguars shot 20-for-25 from the free throw line and limited the Chippewas to a .305 shooting percentage. 
 
Since becoming a Division I program, the Jaguars have made the WNIT three times, all of those berths coming under head coach Austin Parkinson.  Parkinson saw his team defeat Central Michigan in first-round action during the 2013-14 season.  With the victory Thursday, the Jaguars improved to 2-1 all-time against CMU.  Additionally, Parkinson moved within one game of tying the all-time wins mark at IUPUI, earning his 96th victory in just his sixth season.  Former head coach Kris Simpson currently holds the record of 97.  With a win Saturday, the Jaguars would advance further in the postseason than ever before. 
 
San Diego saw a big lead against Northwestern nearly diminish in the fourth quarter of their first round WNIT matchup.  Playing in Evanston, Ill., the Toreros led the game 48-30 following the completion of three periods.  They'd see their lead grow to 20 points, but it wouldn't take long for the Wildcats offense to ignite.  Riding a lopsided final period in which Northwestern netted 35 points, five more than they scored in the three previous periods combined, the Wildcats simply ran out of time to continue their ferocious comeback, eventually falling with the final score 69-65.  The Toreros finished the regular season in third place in the West Coast Conference (WCC), falling to San Francisco in overtime in the first round of the WCC Tournament, 84-80.  The Toreros have scored at least 70 points in 17 games this season, while outscoring their opponents by an average of 9.4 points per game.  Their leading scorers, Malina and Maya Hood, average 18.7 and 14.5 points per game, respectively.      

The winner of this game will move on to the sweet sixteen and play the winner of the Michigan-Bucknell matchup, scheduled for 2 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  
 
Saturday's game will remain free to IUPUI students.  Adult tickets will be $10, while children's tickets (ages 3-12 years) can be purchased for $5 each.  Tickets will be available at the door starting at 6 p.m. Saturday night.