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DENVER, Colo. – What began as a tightly-contested battle ended nowhere near the sort, as the IUPUI women's basketball team (18-7, 8-4) picked up an important win Wednesday night (Feb. 8), dropping Denver with the final score 67-45.  The win completes the Jags' sweep of the Pioneers this season.

"I'm really proud of our seniors stepping up in the first half," Head Coach Austin Parkinson said.  "It was great to see Caitlyn and Kelsi shoot the ball so well."
 
Defense was the name of the game for IUPUI, as the offense started slow but picked up a heavy head of steam as the game moved on.  The Jags limited the Pioneers to just four field goals combined in the second half, including a streak that lasted more than 13 minutes without one.  The Jags forced 21 turnovers by the Pioneers, and outscored Denver 40-20 in the second half.  The 22-point victory comes after the Jags led by just two at halftime.
 
Danielle Lawrence, who had just two in the first half, ended with a game-high 18 points, along with three rebounds and three assists.  Caitlyn Tolen had arguably her best game against Summit League opponents this season, dropping in 15 points, all of which came on three-point shooting.  Holly Hoopingarner had 10 points while Kelsi Byrd added nine in the game.  Three-time Summit League Player of the Week Mikale Rogers was held to just four points, as the senior was in foul trouble for a fair portion of the game. 

"Danielle regrouped at halftime and played a tremendous second half," Coach Parkinson added.  "I thought after the first five minutes, our defense was really strong."
 
Through the first two and a half minutes of action, the Jags were only able to interrupt three Denver field goals with a pair of free-throws from Rogers.  The Pioneers would strike again from the floor, setting the score at 2-8.  With four minutes already ticked away, Tolen would nail the Jags first field goal, a triple, to cut into the deficit.  The response was short-lived, however, as the Pioneers struck for an immediate three-pointer on the next possession, followed by a jumper.  Allex Brown would add a free-throw, which would serve as the final tally for nearly four minutes.  Taking the initiative to break the Jags out of their 1-for-10 shooting slump to begin the game, Byrd entered the contest and promptly knocked down a pair of three-pointers, pulling IUPUI to within a point.  Just before the end of the quarter, Jenna Gunn hit a jumper at the buzzer, putting IUPUI ahead.  Mercifully, the first quarter came to an end, as the Jags shot just 4-for-13.  Three of those field goals came in the final two minutes of play.  The Jags were outrebounded 9-10. 
 
It took all the way until the 5:54 mark in the second quarter before the Jags could strike on the scoreboard, as Tolen broke up a 0-for-5 stretch with a three-pointer on a setup from Byrd.  The shot broke up a six-point run by Denver.  Byrd would rip her third triple of the game, putting the Jags up 20-19.  After six-straight from Denver again, Hoopingarner tossed up a three-pointer, followed by a Lawrence strip that led to a layup.  Hoopingarner added a layup with a minute to play, breaking the tie and putting the Jags up 27-25.  They'd keep the same score heading into the locker room.  At the half, the Jags were shooting just 9-for-25 (.360) from the field, while going 6-for-14 (.429) from three-point range.  The team coughed up seven rebounds, but forced eight the other way.  Denver owned the glass with an 18-14 rebounding advantage, while Byrd led the Jags with nine points.  11 of the Jags 27 points came off of Denver turnovers.
 
Just 20 seconds into the new half, Hoopingarner looked to change the Jags fortune, dropping a layup to double up the team's advantage.  She'd later set up Tolen on another three-point shot, her third of the game.  Two minutes later, Rogers kicked the ball out to Lawrence who dropped in a three-pointer for IUPUI.  Sydney Hall would then pick up a steal, sending it to Lawrence who converted it on the other side for a layup, moving to seven points for the game.  She was fouled on the play, and would complete the and-one with a free-throw.  She'd ring up a second and-one play on a layup, getting the three points and becoming the first Jag in double-digit points for the game.  With the addition of two free-throws, Lawrence began to emerge from the pack and catch fire in the game.  Brown would add a free-throw, Hoopingarner would net a three-pointer on an assist from Lawrence, and the Jags' defense would hold Denver to 0-for-10 shooting from the field in the third quarter to build a 47-35 lead.
 
Lawrence began the fourth quarter with a bang, dropping in a three-pointer to build the Jags' lead to 15 points.  Lawrence would then find Tolen on a setup, as the senior knocked her fourth triple of the game.  It took until the 7:15 mark in the quarter for Denver to convert their first field goal of the second half.  The glory was short-lived as Tolen landed another three-point shot on an assist from Lawrence.  Rogers hit a jumper to extend the Jags lead, just her fourth point of the game.  Brown quickly followed with a three-point shot, as IUPUI leaped over the 60-point plateau.  Lawrence would add a layup with 2:37 to play, as the Jags had more than wrapped up the game with the win.  IUPUI would cruise to a final score of 67-45. 
 
With the win, the Jags will now return to the Jungle in Indianapolis, as the team is set to host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Saturday (Feb. 11) at 3 p.m. EST.
 
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