YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – IUPUI was done in by a third quarter outburst by Youngstown State as the Jags fell to the Penguins 70-52 on Saturday (Jan. 5). The loss moves the Jags to 2-2 in conference play.

For the first time this season IUPUI (8-7, 2-2 Horizon) did not have a player reach double figures as Holly Hoopingarner and Macee Williams both scored nine points. Williams, who was held scoreless in the first half after dealing with foul trouble, failed to hit the ten-point mark for the first time this season. While the Jags did have success at the free throw line hitting 73 percent (16-of-22), IUPUI shot a season-worst 29 percent (16-of-56) from the field and hit just 18 percent (4-of-24) from three.

"Disappointing performance by our team today," said head coach Austin Parkinson. "Youngstown State executed as we did not. This will be a good game to see if we can learn from and get better."
Despite the lackluster offensive performance, IUPUI was down just six going in to halftime. After the break, Youngstown State (12-3, 4-0 Horizon) scored the first nine points to increase their lead to 15 and take control of the game. For the game, the Penguins hit 48 percent from the field and were 11-of-24 from deep including a 6-for-8 day by Alison Smolinski, who led the Penguins with 22 points. Mary Dunn was second on the team with 17 points going 6-for-7 from the field.

IUPUI tried to battle back in the fourth quarter cutting the Penguin lead to 11 after back-to-back baskets by Williams but three-straight threes by YSU pushed the deficit back to 20.

The Jags jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after a three-point play by Sydney Roule and Allex Brown's layup with 1:30 left in the first quarter kept the lead at seven before Youngstown State closed on a 6-0 run to pull within one.

YSU continued the run in the second quarter with four-straight points before a layup by Tamya Sims cut the lead to two. The Penguins led by as much as eight in the second but a 7-0 run capped by a three from Sydney Hall cut the lead to one. Two free throws by Morgan Allen answered a YSU basket but the Jags were never able to get the tying score and trailed the rest of the game.

IUPUI finished the game with 10 offensive rebounds to just six for YSU but only had four second chance points. Brown led the Jags on the glass pulling down six.

After dishing out 24 assists against Cleveland State, IUPUI was held to just eight helpers, led by two each from Roule, Hall and Agatha Beier.

The Jags return home to begin a three-game home stand on Friday, Jan. 11 with a game against Detroit Mercy that will begin at 11 a.m. in the Jungle.