Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Utah
`Dons Shoot Their Way to 69-67 Victory
12/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2008
Cedar City, UT – The IPFW Mastodons snapped a two-game losing skid with a 69-67 victory over the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah University, as the team drained 14 long-range baskets, as five players, Jordan Zuppe, Chelsey Jackson, Tina Moen, Courtney Reed, and Sarah Haluska reached double figures in the scoring column.
Zuppe led the way for IPFW with 15 points, hitting 5-of-13 three-point shots, with Jackson and Moen each scoring 13, as all of Jackson’s came in the second half. Reed and Haluska each hit a trio of three-point baskets en route to scoring 11 each. Zuppe led the team with seven rebounds as she and Haluska each dished out a team-best four assists.
IPFW reached the scoreboard first on a Haluska three-point basket, before the hosts rattled off eight straight points to push ahead to an 8-3 advantage. IPFW responded with three pointers on back-to-back possessions, the first from Reed, and the second by Zuppe, to give the ‘Dons another lead, at 9-8.
The teams traded baskets for the next nine minutes, as the teams were tied at 18 before Reed and Haluska hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the visitors a six-point lead with 4:11 to play in the half.
The IPFW lead twice grew to as many as eight, the first on a Zuppe three-point basket with 1:14 remaining, and the final time in the opening frame when Reed hit a pair of charity stripe attempts with six seconds remaining on the clock.
The ‘Dons lead grew to 11 as Zuppe opened the second half with a three-point basket, before the Thunderbirds started chipping away at the lead, out-scoring IPFW 25-16 to start the second half, taking a one-point lead after Dani Hosking drilled a long range attempt, giving Southern Utah a 49-48 lead.
IPFW found themselves down by three at 53-50, before Moen hit a three-point basket to tie the game at 53, sparking a 13-0 Mastodon run which featured seven consecutive points by Jackson on a jumper, a three-point basket, and a jumper on three straight IPFW possessions.
Down by ten with 7:12 remaining on the clock, Southern Utah chipped away at the lead, eventually cutting the deficit to three with just under three minutes left on the game clock, until Jackson put in the last of her 13 points with a jumper, before SUU’s Cassie Platt nailed a three-point basket with 59 seconds remaining to close to within two; however, neither team could score in the final time, despite an attempt by sears with a second left, as IPFW clung to a 69-67 Summit League Victory.
IPFW hit 40.3 percent (25-of-62) of their shots in the game, while converting on 14-of-34 (41.2 percent) from long range. Southern Utah shot a blistering 55.1 percent (27-of-49) for the game, including 17-of-23 (73.9 percent) in the second half. From long range, the Thunderbirds were nearly equally as impressive, hitting half of their 14 attempts in the game.
Southern Utah also had five players reach double figures in the scoring column, led by Platt’s 12, while four others, Anne Westwood-Higbee, Cassi Jones, Goff, and Challis Pascucci, each had 11. Pascucci had a double-double by adding 10 rebounds.
~Dons~
