IUPUI advances after defeating NDSU

The Summit League women’s basketball championship started off with a hard-fought IUPUI 72-64 win over NDSU after North Dakota closed the points’ margin in the second half.

“The first half, we were really aggressive. … The second half, we came out kind of relaxed.” IUPUI’s DeArirra Goss said.

Though the Jaguar’s win came down to the wire, they led for almost the entirety of the game, with the lead changing only once and the teams tying twice, both occurrences in the first half.

At the half, the Jaguars led by 18 with a score of 44-26. A strong contributor for IUPUI ‘s first half was DeAirra Goss who contributed five field goals, three free throws from three attempts and one defensive rebound.

NDSU had only eight points in the paint whereas IUPUI put in 28. This trend did not carry into the second half as NDSU upped their points in the paint to 16 to tie IUPUI’s 16. The game concluded with 44-24 (IUPUI) for points in the paint.

“Anytime you’re up 18 at the half, you go in with that kind of momentum and you come out in the second half a little flat.” IUPUI head coach Austin Parkinson said.

The Bison came out with a fire as they right away began to close in on IUPUI’s lead.

NDSU’s Kahla Becken who had averaged 4.3 points per game in conference play, caught fire, scoring 16 points, 10 of which came in the second half. Her four three-pointers were a game high and she also had a game high five steals.

“We have got to give Kahla Backen some credit,” Parkinson said. “She got in the passing lane, forcing turnovers and creating transitions.”

Another standout performance came from NDSU’s Brooke LeMar. Lemar added 16 points and seven assists.

The Bison came as near to the lead as within seven points within the remaining two minutes due to a series of free throws and two three-point field goals from Holly Johnson.

“I cannot be more proud of this group than in that second half,” NDSU head coach Carolyn DeHoff said. “If it is one thing that I will always, always remember, it’s the play in that second half by our young women.”

The Jaguars advance to play the winner of tomorrow’s game featuring the No. 3 seeded IPFW and No. 6 seeded Denver at 2:30 p.m.