INDIANAPOLIS – In its highest scoring output of the year, the IUPUI women's basketball team took down Northern Kentucky for its second Horizon League victory.
Katie Davidson led all scorers with 27 points, while
Jazmyn Turner recorded her second double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
"We took a step forward offensively today. We played as a team and did a terrific job sharing the basketball and limiting our turnovers," said head coach
Kate Bruce. "Defensively, we had great execution the first half and we just need to be more consistent and continue to play with that intensity for 40 minutes."
IUPUI (4-12, 2-5 HL) came out with a lot of pressure on the defensive end, forcing seven turnovers in five minutes. The hosts, however, were unable to capitalize on the stellar defense, scoring just four points on 2-of-7 shooting to open the game. Just before the media timeout, Davidson gave her team the lead with an elbow jumper. The junior scored all six IUPUI points top open the contest.
Out of the media timeout, the Jaguar offense heated up, scoring seven quick points while holding the Norse scoreless to force an early timeout from head coach Camryn Volz. Despite scoring the first points after the timeout, Davidson added four more points to reach double digits and extend the lead to 11.
Northern Kentucky (2-13, 0-6 HL) scored the first five points of the second quarter, including its first three pointer from Macey Blevins, but scored six of the next eight to restore its double-digit advantage, 25-15. After yet another NKU turnover—its ninth of the contest—and an IUPUI fastbreak layup, coach Volz called another timeout.
The Jags went on a 7-0 run after the timeout, including five points from Davidson. The Indy native added three assists, rebounds and steals in the first half.
Logan Lewis also stepped up in the second quarter, scoring six points after failing to find the basket in the opening 10 minutes, helping propel the Jags to a 16-point half time lead. On the other end, Carter McCray was outstanding, scoring eight of her team's 21 points while also leading all players with eight rebounds.
IUPUI pounded the rock inside to start the second half, with the team's first six baskets coming inside the paint. Davidson continued to be the catalyst, assisting three of those field goals while also adding another steal. The six assists broke her previous career high of five which she recorded twice. The hosts were almost perfect in the first five minutes of the third quarter, making 9-of-10 from the field.
Northern Kentucky looked like a different team to start the half, connecting on seven of its first 11 attempts from the field, including three shots from deep to keep up with the hosts. Blevins and McCray led the way for NKU, combining for 18 points in the quarter. Kailee Davis also provided a spark, tallying 10 points after failing to score in the first half. The three scored 28 of the team's 30 points but were still unable to keep up with IUPUI, who notched its highest scoring quarter of the season with 33 points.
Turner, Thalia Walton and
Abby Wolterman led the way for the Jags, scoring 25—most of which came from inside the paint. Davidson added seven to eclipse the 20-point mark for the seventh time this year.
The high-octane offense continued into the fourth quarter, with the squads keeping the same pace from the previous quarter, combing for 32 points in less than five minutes of play.
Despite giving up 30 points for the second straight quarter, the Jags tallied 26 of their own to claim a 15-point victory—their largest of the season. Apart from tallying 27 points, Davidson added seven assists—a new career high—and four steals both team highs. Wolterman matched her career high with 16 points while also adding six boards.
IUPUI now has the whole week to prepare for a trip to Cleveland State next Saturday (Jan. 20). Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.