SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Going into a hornet's nest and knowing the tall challenge that awaited, the IUPUI women's basketball team (24-7, 12-4) came up with a huge overtime victory over No. 3 South Dakota State (23-8, 12-4) 65-61 Monday (March 6) to advance to their first Summit League Tournament championship game since 2008, signaling an end to the reign of dominance the Jackrabbits have had in the Summit League.  The Jacks had won seven of the last eight tournaments, with only the already-eliminated South Dakota Coyotes winning one during that stretch.  IUPUI picked up its 24th victory, the most ever in a single season for the Jags.
 
"I think both teams were pretty equal," Head Coach Austin Parkinson said following the victory.  "We just made a few more plays.  I'm proud of our kids, I haven't been to the finale, and we're just really looking forward to the opportunity."
 
A gutsy defensive effort that showed the true grit of IUPUI, the Jags were aided by the strong play of Mikale Rogers down low, who finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds plus three blocks in her fifth double-double of the season.  The 18 rebounds is tied for the ninth-most in a single game in program history, and the most ever in a Summit League Tournament game for IUPUI.  Sydney Hall terrorized the Jackrabbits from three-point range, going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and finishing with 18 points.  Lawrence made several key shots in the fourth quarter and ended with 11 points, while Jenna Gunn kept the team afloat in the early portion of the game with season-high 17 points and six rebounds.
 
The Jags shot 23-for-60 (.383) from the floor and 7-for-17 (.412) from three-point range.  For just the third time this season, IUPUI ended with single-digit turnovers, committing just nine while forcing 14 the other way.  Both teams combined for nine blocks.
 
The first quarter signaled a rough start for IUPUI, as the Jags shot a cold 3-for-12 to open the game.  Rogers fired the opening salvo just 16 seconds into the game with a layup, but the Jacks returned fired quickly with a bucket of their own.  It'd take over two and a half minutes before the Jags struck again, as Hall connected from long range.  It took another three minutes before Hall found an opening from beyond the arc once again, dropping in her second three-pointer of the game to give the Jags a brief lead.  A 7-0 run by the Jacks before the end of the quarter put IUPUI in a hole early, 8-12. 
 
Another flash basket spelled a scoring drought, as Lawrence dropped in a layup to begin the second quarter just seconds into the action.  With three and a half minutes gone by and two buckets from SDSU, Gunn helped the Jags regain some momentum by going back-to-back with a layup and a jumper less than a minute apart.  Rogers came through with a layup to tie the game at 16-16, but SDSU quickly responded with a dagger three-pointer to put the Jags back down.  They'd add a layup, but Gunn would come through once again with a jumper, followed by the third triple from Hall to tie it.  Rogers hit a layup with under a minute left, but the Jacks would hit a jumper with just seconds left to tie the game at 23-23 heading into the locker room at the half.  Hall led the way with nine points on 3-for-5 shooting from three-point range in the first half, as Gunn added six points and six rebounds.  Rogers also added six points and six boards with a block.
 
Lawrence hit a solo free-throw to start the quarter for the Jags, as Gunn hit a jumper stepping to her right two minutes into the action to give IUPUI a one-point edge.  Kelsi Byrd answered a triple by SDSU with a three-pointer of her own, as Hall freed her up on a pass to the left.  Rogers halted back-to-back Jackrabbit baskets with a jumper spinning to her left and fighting through a double-team.  After a media timeout, Gunn netted a pair of free-throws to make it a one-point game once again, becoming the first Jag to reach double-digit points.  Rogers, who came up with a ferocious block on the defensive end, came up with an up-and-under layup with 2:35 left to play, answering a bucket from the Jacks.  Lawrence picked off a pass and went coast-to-coast on a fast break bucket, followed by Hall's four three-pointer to claim a lead for IUPUI.  Gunn dropped in a layup on one end, then swatted away a shot with a block on the defensive side.  The Jacks managed to earn a foul on the possession however, dropping in two free-throws before the end of the quarter.  At the end of three, IUPUI led 42-40.  The Jags shot 7-for-13 (.538) in the quarter and 2-for-3 from three-point range.  The teams were even with eight rebounds and four turnovers each.
 
Just a three-pointer by South Dakota State made up the entire scoring line through four minutes of basketball.  The Jacks would add a layup to end the drought, forcing IUPUI into a timeout.  Out of the break, Gunn would come through with a huge three-pointer that tied the game at 45-45.  Rogers then went to work down low, hitting an up-and-over shot over the Defensive Player of the Year, Clarissa Ober, to give the Jags a lead.  The Jacks hit a layup under the three-minute mark, as the teams pulled even.  IUPUI went scoreless for three minutes heading into the final minute and a half to play, but Gunn ended that with a pair of free-throws.  Another layup from the Jacks tied it once again, as the game came down to the wire with time ticking away.  A heart-stopping moment, SDSU couldn't hit a three-point shot at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.  IUPUI was just 2-for-12 (.167) from the field in the fourth quarter.
 
The overtime period started with a strike from the Jacks, but Lawrence answered back with an and-one play, hitting the free-throw to put IUPUI on top.  Lawrence hit again to answer another basket from SDSU, but a pair of free-throws put the Jags back in a deficit.  Hall came flying through with her fifth three-pointer of the game to hand IUPUI a 57-55 lead, as the game went possession to possession.  The most critical basket of the game, Rogers hit a right hook shot with under a minute to play on a possession she extended with an offensive rebound, as IUPUI went up by two scores.  With the Jacks beginning to play the foul game, Lawrence hit a free-throw, Hall added three, Rogers hit a pair, and the Jags advanced with a 65-61 win.  The Jags victory came despite playing in a packed Denny Sanford Premier Center that was loaded with a raucous South Dakota State fanbase.
 
With the win, the Jags advance to the championship game against No. 1 Western Illinois, set for Tuesday (March 7) at 2 p.m. EST.  IUPUI will host a watch party in the Campus Center in room 450C.  More details to follow.
 
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