INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI women's basketball team shot a blistering 59 percent from the floor and saw four-time Horizon League Player of the Year Macee Williams post 27 points and 15 boards in a resounding 86-63 semifinals round victory over Oakland University inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Monday (Mar. 7). Williams hit 13-of-14 from the floor to lead the IUPUI attack while Rachel McLimore and Rachel Kent both pumped in 13 points apiece in the victory. 

The win sent the Jaguars to a third straight #HLWBB Tournament title game. 

Kahlaijah Dean led Oakland (15-15) with 24 points off the bench. 

"First off credit to Oakland, I think you're going to see big things from them in the future," said head coach Austin Parkinson. "For our team, our offense was really good the entire game, we weren't great defensively in the first quarter but after that we locked in. Macee, Rachel Kent and Rachel McLimore all played very well."

IUPUI (23-4) got off to a slow start, particularly at the defensive end as Oakland led at the end of the first, 23-22. From there, the Jaguars put up the defensive clamps, starting the second quarter with a 7-0 run, punctuated by a Kent fast break layup. The Jaguars held Oakland without a field goal for the first six-plus minutes when Dean put home her own miss to cut IUPUI's lead back to seven. The Golden Grizzlies nudged within four at 37-33 before the Jags closed the half with an 8-2 run to built a 45-35 halftime lead. 

The Jags maintained the double-digit lead the remainder of the day and pushed it out to 19 late in the third quarter when Natalie Andersen got free for a layup after a Williams offensive rebounds. Andersen then opened the fourth quarter to push the lead beyond 20 and head coach Austin Parkinson was able to rest his starters down the stretch. 

IUPUI outrebounded Oakland by a 40-28 margin and outscored the Golden Grizzlies in the paint, 52-36. The Jags were similarly strong from deep though, hitting 7-of-16 (43.8 percent) from three-point range with six different players making at least one trey. Kent was 2-of-5 from deep and also had a team-high two steals. 

The Jaguars will next face Cleveland State (21-7) in the KEEPS Horizon League Championship game on Tuesday at noon.