STATESBORO, Ga. – Guided by Macee Williams' 18 points and one of the best defensive efforts of the year, IUPUI cruised past Georgia Southern 72-52 on Monday night (Dec. 18).
 
IUPUI's (8-2) defense held Georgia Southern (3-7) to 34.5 percent shooting, the second-lowest shooting percentage of the year for a Jaguar opponent. The 52 points given up by the Jags are also the second-lowest on the season. The Jags held Georgia Southern to just 32 points and 29 percent from the field in the first three quarters. IUPUI also forced 21 turnovers, leading the 24 points.
 
Williams finished one point shy of her career-high, notching her 18 points on a very efficient 7-for-9 shooting and 4-for-6 effort from the free throw line.  Williams has now scored in double-figures in four of her last five games .She also finished one rebound shy of a double-double.
 
"Macee [Williams] continues to get better every single game and tonight used a variety of post moves to score," said head coach Austin Parkinson.
 
Three other Jags finished in double-figures behind Williams as Jenna Gunn scored 13 and Tamya Sims and Holly Hoopingarner each scored 11. Sims has now posted double-figures in each of her last four games and Gunn hit double-digits for the second-straight. Sims also tied Williams for the team lead with nine rebounds.
 
IUPUI totally dominated in the paint, outscoring Georgia Southern 46-22 and finished with a 13-10 advantage in second chance points. The Jags took full control over the game using a 17-0 run that stretched from 2:50 in the second quarter to 7:40 left in the third. IUPUI took its largest lead of the night at 33 points with 18 seconds left in the third after a layup from Brittany Welch.
 
"After a slow start, I thought our kids really got going with second efforts on the offensive glass," said Parkinson. "Tamya [Sims] and Jenna [Gunn] were outstanding on both ends of the floor."
 
Danielle Lawrence saw her streak of seven-straight games in double-figures come to an end but did lead the team with three assists.
 
The game started very slowly with the teams combining to shoot 1-for17 for the first six minutes. IUPUI hit their first field goal, a layup by Williams with 3:54 left to play in the quarter. From then, the Jags took control with Williams scoring seven of the games next nine points and IUPUI was up 10-4 less than two minutes later. The Jags continued the run to end the quarter with free throws from Lawrence, a layup by Hall and a jumper from Lawrence.
 
When the buzzer sounded to end the quarter, IUPUI had a 16-7 lead on the heels of an 11-0 run.
 
IUPUI extended its lead to 15 about halfway through the second quarter after Hoopingarner and Gunn each scored buckets. Georgia Southern scored its last bucket of the quarter with 2:50 left on a jumper by Sierra Butler. The Jags then used another end of quarter run with 10-straight points coming on five layups, three by Sims and two from Williams, to take a commanding 41-17 lead at the half.
 
The Jags have a quick turnaround as their six-game road swing continues with a game in Chicago at DePaul on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m.