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MACOMB, Ill. – An absolute nail-biter that came down to the wire, the IUPUI women's basketball team (15-6, 5-3) tight roped their way to a victory on the road, topping Western Illinois (15-6, 5-3) 76-72.  The win pushes the Jags into third place in the Summit League standings and stretches their win streak to four games in a row.


 
The Jags shot .439 from the field, including an impressive 16-for-29 (.552) clip in the second half.  The night included an 11-for-13 showing from the free-throw line in the second half, as the Jags picked up clutch points when it was needed.  The Jags outrebounded the Leathernecks 40-27 in the bout.

Mikale Rogers was masterful, netting 27 points and 15 rebounds in the contest.  Jenna Gunn had arguably her best game of the season with a season-high 16 points and nine rebounds, coming through in the clutch for the Jags.  Danielle Lawrence added 16 points, all of which came during the second half.  Sydney Hall, Holly Hoopingarner and Caitlyn Tolen also scored for IUPUI. 
 
It took just half a minute for Rogers to pull down a rebound, then toss it in on the other end to start the game.  After a nearly three minute stretch in which the Leathernecks went off four seven-straight points, Rogers connected on her second jumper of the game to  make it 4-7.  She'd convert a free-throw after the shot to complete the and-one play.  Next trip down, she'd make her third bucket, as the Jags drew even.  Hall put up her first triple of the game on a setup from Tolen to give the Jags a lead, their eighth-consecutive point.  After a basket from WIU, Tolen stole the ball then set up Gunn for her first field goal.  The Dogs took over on a pair of baskets in a 16-second stretch, going up 12-14.  They'd make it six-straight after another steal that turned into a basket.  Rogers answered with her fourth bucket, making it nine early points in the first quarter.  She'd make it 11 on a setup from Hoopingarner with two and a half minutes left, but the Jags went empty for the remainder of the quarter.  The Leathernecks added four more points to take a 16-22 lead at the end of the first.  The Jags shot 7-for-16 (.438) from the field and 1-for-3 from three-point range.  IUPUI coughed up five turnovers as the teams went even at eight rebounds apiece.
 
A minute into the second quarter, Hoopingarner tossed up a triple on a setup from Gunn to pull within one possession.  A jumper from Gunn ended a three-minute dry spell and broke up four-straight from WIU, setting the score at 21-26.  Gunn and Rogers went back-to-back to make it a one possession game, but four free-throws stretched the Western Illinois lead.  Another jumper by the Leathernecks made it six points in less than a minute, as the Jags were pitted to their biggest deficit to that point.  Gunn cut into the gap on a setup from Rogers, but the Leathernecks fired a three-pointer the other way to make it a 10-point game.  With just over a minute left in the half, Hoopingarner deposited her second three-pointer, but couldn't nail a jumper on the final possession.  The Leathernecks beat the buzzer in dramatic fashion, launching a ball that went the length of the floor and ended up in the net, setting the score at 30-40.  At halftime, Rogers had already earned a double-double, logging 13 points and 10 rebounds.  The Jags shot 13-for-37 for the half, committing four more turnovers in the second quarter.
 
Gunn kicked off the third quarter with a jumper 15 seconds in to ignite the second half.  Rogers tacked on a jumper a minute later, then added another on a put-back following an offensive board to answer a Leathernecks basket.  Lawrence put in her first points of the game on a layup three minutes into the frame, as the Jags clawed to within four points.  Hall ripped a triple to pull within a point, receiving a pass from Lawrence to drop in the shot.  Lawrence tallied a pair of free-throws to answer a WIU jumper, but the Leathernecks quickly responded with another shot.  Rogers would hit before a media timeout, setting the score at 43-48.  Lawrence added two free-throws, two jumpers and a Rogers' free-throw followed as the Jags trailed by one.  Rogers nailed a jumper on an assist from Tolen as the Jags pulled in their first lead since the first quarter, 52-51.  The moment was spoiled by a Leathernecks' jumper just before the quarter ended however, as the frame ended with the score 52-53.
 
Hoopingarner netted a jumper at the start of the final quarter, but the lead dwindled away just 14 seconds later.  Rogers hit on an assist from Hall for her 22nd point, followed by another jumper from Gunn.  Lawrence drained a three-pointer to interrupt four-straight from WIU, followed by a setup to Gunn who tied the game at 63 on a layup.  Rogers completed a crucial and-one play late in the frame, as IUPUI clung to a one-point lead.  A kick-out pass to Lawrence resulted in three-points for the Jags, as they claimed their biggest lead of the game to that point.  A soured moment, Lawrence recorded her fifth foul of the game, fouling out with just minutes remaining.  Gunn hit a jumper in a moment of heroism, followed by a steal from Hall to give the Jags the ball back.  The possession went empty however, as the Leathernecks headed to the charity stripe on a foul from IUPUI.  They'd tack on two free-throws, as the game moved to 71-70.  Tolen added a free-throw with less than a half minute to go, as the Leathernecks burned a timeout with 21 seconds remaining.  Rogers then came through with a crucial steal in the waning moments, getting fouled in the process and heading to the line.  She'd hit two of the biggest free-throws of the night, making it a four-point game.  With seven seconds left, the Leathernecks hit a jumper, closing the gap to just two points.  After an official's review and a timeout from IUPUI, Tolen drew contact on the inbounds pass and drained two free-throws, which ultimately proved to the final nails in the coffin.  The Jags won the game 76-72.         
 
With the win, the Jags will now face Fort Wayne for the first time this season Saturday (Jan. 28) on the road at 2:30 p.m. EST. 
 
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