INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI women's basketball will take on the No. 6 seed Cleveland State Vikings in the semifinals of the 2020 Horizon League Women's Basketball Tournament on Monday (March 9). The game will be played at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum and is scheduled to tip at 12 p.m.
For fans who can't make it to the Coliseum, the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
2020 HORIZON LEAGUE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
FAN GUIDE
The Jaguars enter the game as the No. 1 seed after posting a 15-3 record during Horizon League play, the most conference wins in school history for IUPUI. After earning the bye to the semifinals, IUPUI will now focus on a Cleveland State team that has won their last two games, both in the tournament. Cleveland State took down Youngstown State in the first round before beating No. 3 Wright State on the road on Thursday.
IUPUI will be led by Macee Williams, who won her second-straight Horizon League Player of the Year award. Williams is leading the Jags with 17.8 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game and is the anchor to the best offense in the Horizon. The Jags lead the league in points per game (72.4) and are outscoring opponents on the season by 15.2 points.
AGAINST CLEVELAND STATE
IUPUI took both meetings against Cleveland State this season and have not lost to the Vikings since joining the Horizon League. The Jags have taken the last six games against CSU with every game being decided by at least 10 points.
IUPUI won the first meeting of the season in Cleveland by 25 points behind a career-high 33 points by Williams. Williams also tallied a double-double with 13 rebounds. Four Jags finished in double-figures and IUPUI went 20-for-27 from the free throw line.
The second meeting this year was a close battle, won by IUPUI 58-48. The 58 points were tied for the lowest scoring output for IUPUI during the conference schedule. McLimore poured in 17 points to lead the Jags as Williams battled foul trouble, but still managed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
ABOUT CLEVELAND STATE
Cleveland State is led by Mariah Miller, who scores 17 points per game and is pulling down 7.7 rebounds per contest. Mariah White is averaging 15.6 points per game and Savanna Crockett is averaging 11.9 points and 8.6 rebounds.
The Vikings boast the second best offense in the league behind IUPUI at 68.8 and are fourth in the league in defense at 61.1 points allowed.
IUPUI RAKES IN AWARDS
On the heels of one of the best seasons in school history, IUPUI was rewarded by the league's coaches in the post season awards. Williams was also named First Team All-League and to the All-Defensive Team. Head Coach Austin Parkinson was named Coach of the Year for the second time in three years and for the third time in his career. Senior guard Holly Hoopingarner was tabbed Second Team All-League after leading the league in assists (3.8) and finishing third on the team in scoring (9.5). Rachel McLimore was named Third Team All-League after scoring 11 points per game.
IUPUI IN THE TOURNAMENT
IUPUI will be looking to make their first Horizon League Tournament Championship after falling in the semifinals in each of the last two seasons. The Jags made the Summit League Championship game in their final year in the league (2017) but lost to Western Illinois. IUPUI will be looking to make their first NCAA Tournament in school history after reaching the WNIT in each of the last four seasons.
The Jags have won at least one game in each of the past two Horizon League Tournaments and in each of the last three tournaments.
1,000 POINT SCORERS
Both Williams and Hoopingarner eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark this season. Williams did so in the Jags game against St. John's over Thanksgiving and Hoopingarner reached the mark in IUPUI's season finale against UIC.
