FARGO, N.D. – Heading into their final road game of the regular season, the IUPUI women's basketball team (19-7, 9-4) will battle North Dakota State (6-20, 4-9) in a matinee Saturday (Feb. 18) at 2 p.m. EST.  The Jags are coming off a strong 64-59 comeback victory over South Dakota State this past weekend, pushing them to 61 in the ratings percentage index (RPI).
 
Looking to improve on a 12-9 lifetime record against the Bison, the Jags are averaging roughly 67 points per game this season on a team .437 shooting percentage.  Danielle Lawrence, who picked up her first Summit League Player of the Week award this season after scoring nine points in the fourth quarter against the Jackrabbits, leads the team with 16.1 points per game.  The junior guard is just 24 points shy of hitting 1,000 for her career.  Mikale Rogers is averaging 13.4 points and 7.5 rebounds while clubbing a League second-best 60 blocks this season.  Holly Hoopingarner remains the most efficient three-point shooter in the Summit League, going .500 from beyond the arc.
 
The Jags topped the Bison 71-58 on Jan. 21 at home, the third win during a six-game winning streak for IUPUI.  In that contest, Lawrence collected 27 points, as a 24-11 first quarter helped the Jags pounce on the Bison.  After NDSU returned fire with a 10-21 second quarter, the Jags responded with a 37-26 second half, securing the win.  The Jags were able to secure 27 points off of turnovers in that game, as North Dakota State was guilty of 20 turnovers. 
 
The Bison recently snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 67-58 victory over Denver Wednesday (Feb. 15).  After starting the conference schedule 3-1 against Summit League opponents, NDSU has dropped into the bottom three in the Summit rankings as a result of the skid.  Brianna Jones is currently third in the Summit League in rebounds (197) and rebounds per game (7.6), while teammate Taylor Thunstedt has made the most three-pointers (87-for-221). 
 
Following the conclusion of the matchup, the Jags will play their final two regular season games at home, as IUPUI will host reigning WNIT Champion South Dakota (Feb. 22) followed by Fort Wayne (Feb. 25) for senior day.
 
The Jags are currently just a game and a half out of first place in the standings, with Western Illinois holding the top spot at 11-3 in Summit League competition.  IUPUI has defeated Western Illinois twice this season.
 
Live audio play-by-play coverage will be available for free via IUPUI Live!, with a link to the action here.
 
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