INDIANAPOLIS – A balanced attack on offense and another strong defensive performance led IUPUI to its third-straight Horizon League win with an 82-45 victory over Detroit Mercy (1-13, 1-2 Horizon) on Saturday (Jan. 4). Five Jaguars scored in double figures and 10 Jags tallied a bucket.
IUPUI (9-6, 3-1 Horizon) was led by the trio of Macee Williams, Sydney Roule and Katelyn O'Reilly, who all finished with 12 points. Both Holly Hoopingarner and Rachel McLimore each added 10 as all five starters finished in double-figures. For the second-straight game, IUPUI shot at least 50 percent from the field, hitting 32-of-60 (53.3 percent) against the Titans.
The Jags did a good job moving the ball against a Detroit Mercy team that primarily played zone defense, matching their season-high with 24 team assists. Hoopingarner led the way for the Jags with six assists and both Williams and Morgan Allen added four as the Jags worked the ball inside out, getting open looks from the outside, leading to a season-high 30 three point attempts. The Jags connected on 11 attempts, hitting double-digit threes for the second-straight game.
"I really thought our ladies came out sharp and defensively we continue to build momentum," said head coach Austin Parkinson. "The ball moved well and we had a balanced offense, really everyone contributed. I really like how everyone remained focused after halftime."
Parkinson's squad shut down the Titans on the offensive end, holding Detroit Mercy to its lowest point output of the season. It is the second-straight game IUPUI has held their opponent to its season low after allowing just 41 points to Oakland. Detroit Mercy shot just 34.7 percent (17-49) from the field and went just 2-for-17 from three point range.
The Jaguars also forced 21 turnovers and turned those miscues in to 36 points.
IUPUI jumped out to an 18-8 lead after the first quarter but the Jags did most of their damage in the second and third as the offense started to heat up. The Jags outscored the Titans 25-13 in the second as IUPUI shot 67 percent (10-15) from the floor.
With the Jags up 10, IUPUI used a 12-2 run over a three-minute stretch to take control of the game. Hoopingarner started the run with a three and Rachel McLimore scored five points in the run. Roule hit a buzzer beating three to close out the half with IUPUI up 43-21.
In the third, IUPUI's offense got even better, scoring 29 points and hitting 11-of-14 shots (78.6 percent) to outscore the Titans by 19 in the quarter. Detroit Mercy was held scoreless for close to the first four minutes of the quarter as IUPUI went on a 12-0 run. The Jags were a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the run as Williams scored five and Roule hit another three.
With three minutes left in the quarter, O'Reilly hit a jumper that kickstarted another run for the Jags to close out the quarter. The Jags went on a 15-2 run, capped by a three and a jumper by Natalie Andersen and led 72-31 when the horn sounded.
IUPUI also used a team effort on the boards to outrebound Detroit Mercy 32-26 with six Jaguars tying for the team lead with four rebounds. For the first time in six games, Williams was held under 10 rebounds, ending her double-double streak at five.
UP NEXT
IUPUI will remain at home to take on Northern Kentucky on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.
