INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI women's basketball fought but fell just short of handing Ohio its first loss of the season as the Jags fell 73-66 to the Bobcats on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 16). Sophomore Macee Williams led IUPUI with 27 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

"Ohio is really talented, and [head coach] Bob [Boldon] does a terrific job," said head coach Austin Parkinson. "I thought our kids stuck to the scouting report and executed in the second and third quarters. I the fourth quarter we got away from what we were doing defensively."

Williams posted her third double-double of the season and scored over 20 points for the fifth time this year. Sydney Hall scored 11 points, the most points for the senior since the second game of the year. Sydney Roule finished the game with nine points on three made threes and Tamya Sims added eight. Hall also led the Jags with five assists as IUPUI dished out 16 assists, the most since the season opener.

"Syd [Hall], she cares, she is such a good kid and a good player and it was nice to see them go through," said Parkinson. "She can really get hot and I think this will build her confidence going forward."

IUPUI (6-4) found itself down by 10 with 7:07 left in the third quarter before starting a run. The run started with a three from Hall and Roule's three cut the lead to four. Back-to-back layups by Williams tied the game and Hall's second three of the run put the Jags up by three. A free throw by Morgan Allen and two from Allex Brown capped the run at 16-0 and moved the score from 45-35 to 51-45 in favor of the Jags.

Ohio (9-0) responded with two points to end the quarter and IUPUI took a four-point lead in to the final frame, which the Bobcats quickly erased. Eight straight points for Ohio flipped the game back to a four-point lead for the visitors. IUPUI answered with another layup by Williams and Roule drilled another three to put IUPUI back in front. After a three from Ohio, Williams knotted the game at 58 with another layup.

A 6-0 run by Ohio was ended by a Williams three from the top of the key and a steal and layup by Sims made it a one-point deficit. Another three by the Bobcats made it a four-point game and after a Williams free throw cut it to three, Ohio would close out the game with four free throws.

The Jags struggled shooting in the first half, hitting just 9-of-30 shots but stayed in the game by going 13-for-13 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes. In the second half, IUPUI would go just 4-for-6 from the charity stripe, finishing the game 17-for-19. After only shooting five free throws in the first half, Ohio managed to get to the line 12 times in the second half, hitting nine.

Led by Williams' 16, IUPUI dominated Ohio on the glass finished with 43 rebounds, including 20 offensive rebounds that lead to 17 second chance points.

The Jags lost the turnover battle 16-14 finishing with double-digit giveaways for the fifth-straight game.  IUPUI also committed 21 fouls, the second highest mark this season.

"If we continue to foul and turn the ball over, this year we are never going to be able to beat the top, top teams and that is what [Ohio is]," said Parkinson. "They are a great team and a well-coached team.

IUPUI kept Ohio's leading scorer, Cece Hooks, in check in the first half, allowing Hooks just eight points but could not contain Erica Johnson who scored 10 points in the first quarter as Ohio jumped out to a 25-18 lead after the first. Johnson finished with the team lead at 22 points and Hooks added 19.

The Jaguars will finish their non-conference schedule on Friday (Dec. 21) at Southern Illinois with tipoff at 3 p.m. ET.