INDIANAPOLIS - Thanks to a balanced attack and a smothering defense, the IUPUI Jaguars disposed of the visiting University of Illinois Chicago Flames 82-44 on Friday night at the Jungle. Junior guard Natalie Andersen led all players with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Rachel Kent and Rachel McLimore contributed 13 points apiece, while Macee Williams scored 12 to go with a game-high eight rebounds. The Jags (11-5, 8-3 HL) extend their win streak to six games, while the Flames (2-12, 1-8 HL) drop their sixth straight contest.
 
The Jaguars dominated for numerous reasons. They went 16-for-22 on their free throw shooting while the Flames earned just seven total foul shots (converting three of them). IUPUI destroyed UIC on both the offensive and defensive glass, snagging 47 total rebounds to a mere 17 from their opponents. Most importantly, the Jaguars scored at nearly 57 percent from the floor while holding the visitors to 33.3 percent.
 
Guard Keona Schenck and Indianapolis native Kristian Young led the Flames with 10 points each, while UIC's top gun Jaida McCloud went 2-of-6 for five points—well below her season scoring average of 15.2 points-per-game.
 
"I thought we defended really, really well," said head coach Austin Parkinson. "I thought Natalie Andersen was aggressive from the start, which is an encouraging thing for us because when she is, we're a really good basketball team."
 
The Flames initially kept pace with IUPUI, pressuring Jaguar ball-handlers into a few early turnovers. Yet it did not take long for the home team to begin imposing its will. Sophomore Anna Mortag punctuated the opening frame with a confident driving layup through traffic, and IUPUI ended the first quarter up 21-12.
 
Kent made her presence felt in the second period, erupting for eight points including a pair of three-pointers. UIC struggled to deal with the Jaguars' superior skill and depth and were outscored 21-10 in the quarter. Junior Ali Berg checked into the game with one minute to go until halftime and immediately made an impact, forcing a turnover that teed up McLimore for an easy fastbreak layup.
 
"I feel like we just got in a flow," Kent said. "We got the ball inside to Macee early, and then that created shots on the outside for other people."
 
The third period was the most competitive one, with IUPUI only outscoring UIC by a margin of 16-8. The Jaguars kept hustling, as exemplified by Berg who dove to break up a Flames transition opportunity midway through the third. UIC hustled as well—their aggressive full-court press caused Parkinson to burn a timeout at the start of the fourth quarter.
From that point on, it was all Jaguars, who rode their reserves to the finish line. Berg, Mortag and Jacquel Bronaugh all scored late in the game, and Mortag led the bench with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting.
 
Despite the lopsided result, IUPUI did commit 29 turnovers compared to 23 for UIC. It was one of the few statistical areas in which the visitors prevailed.
 
Parkinson knows that his squad can take better care of the basketball. "29 turnovers is ridiculous," he said. "Our players know that—we just have to have a little bit more discipline in what we're doing. And UIC does a good job with putting pressure on you, so we've got to be strong with the ball."
 
The Jaguars and Flames meet again on Sunday in Chicago for a 2 PM matinee. It, like all remaining IUPUI regular-season games, will be available on ESPN+.