Photos | Box Score (.pdf) | Box Score (html) | Highlights

INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI women's basketball broke a two-game skid with a complete defensive performance in a 64-44 win over Youngstown State on Friday (Feb. 8).

IUPUI (14-9, 8-4 Horizon) shut down a Youngstown State (17-6, 9-3 Horizon) offense that had been averaging 80 points in its last five games. The Jags held the Penguins to single digit points in three of the four quarters including just 15 points in the second half. The 15 points are the fewest the Jaguars have allowed in a half this season.

"We made some adjustments that were a little bit unique to how we played and our ladies did a really good job," said head coach Austin Parkinson. "I thought [associate head] coach [Latrell] Flemming had a really good game plan and we went out and executed it."

After being held under 60 points in the last two losses, IUPUI scored 64 with Macee Williams leading the way with a game-high 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Three other Jaguars also scored in double-figures with Holly Hoopingarner scoring 15 and Sydney Hall and Katelyn O'Reilly adding 10.

The Jags led by seven at the half but Youngstown State cut the lead to 36-32 after three free throws. From there IUPUI responded with back-to-back threes from Hoopingarner and after a jumper by Hall, IUPUI had pushed the lead back to ten. IUPUI held the Penguins scoreless for over five minutes in the middle of the third quarter, using an 11-0 run to push the lead to 50-34 after two free throws from Williams.

The Penguins responded with two buckets but Hoopingarner hit a jumper to give the Jags a 14-point lead after three quarters.

After a Youngstown State bucket to open the quarter, IUPUI scored the next ten points, finishing the run with layups by Hoopingarner and Williams as the Jags pushed the lead to a game-high 22.
After spending the last four games on the road, the Jags used the home court energy to jump out to an early lead, taking a 6-0 lead out of the gate and a 9-2 lead after a three from Hall.

"I thought the crowd was great," said Parkinson. "We have been away for four-straight games and that can be taxing. That's tough. To be back home and beat a team that beat us pretty bad the last time, I was very pleased with our performance."

The three by Hall was her 200^th three of her career and is only the third Jaguar to hit that milestone.

The game was vastly different from the first meeting of the season when Youngstown State won 70-52 on Jan. 5. Youngstown State shot over 48 percent from the field in the first matchup but IUPUI held the Penguins to just 32 percent in this meeting. IUPUI also held Youngstown State's Alison Smolinksi scoreless tonight after Smolinksi went 6-for-8 from deep and scored 22 points in the first meeting.

One of the biggest differences came on the glass as IUPUI dominated the Penguins 45-20 in rebounds. The Jags finished with a 14-2 advantage on the offensive glass and had a 34-22 advantage in the paint. Youngstown State had a 35-31 rebound advantage earlier in the season.

"We had been a really good rebounding team in conference and the last two games we haven't been,"said Parkinson. "The ladies really took pride in keeping them off the glass.

IUPUI will remain home for its Roar Against Cancer game against Cleveland State on Sunday (Feb. 10) with tipoff at 2 p.m.

QUICK HITTERS

• IUPUI only trailed for 17 seconds of the game when Youngstown State took a 14-13 lead to begin the second quarter. IUPUI responded with a 12-3 run capped by threes by Hall and Williams
• The last four games IUPUI had played were decided by an average of just under four points before IUPUI broke that with the 20-point win.
• IUPUI's last five home wins have all been by at least 20 points.
• Youngstown State had only been held under 60 points three times this season before the Jags shutdown one of the most prolific offenses in the Horizon League.
• IUPUI hit just seven free throws, the fewest since going 4-for-4 from the line against UIC six games ago.
• The Jags 44 percent shooting was the highest-mark since hitting 45 percent from the floor against Oakland on Jan. 13.