'Dons Strong Second Half Not Enough to Overcome Slow First Half

Thursday, February 6

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

4-411-11. SL

South Dakota State

17-7, 8-0SL

South Dakota State

IPFW

Photo by: Lucas Carter

'Dons Strong Second Half Not Enough to Overcome Slow First Half

2/6/2014 9:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BOX SCORE | BOX SCORE (.pdf) | BOX SCORE (.htm)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - A late second half surge was not enough for the IPFW women's basketball to overcome a 25-point first half deficit as the Mastodons fell to league leading South Dakota State 77-66.

Haley Seibert led IPFW (11-11, 4-4 Summit League) with 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting while grabbing four rebounds and four steals. Amanda Hyde added 13 points, seven rebounds, and three steals for the 'Dons while Stefanie Mauk scored 10 points.

Rachel Mauk led the Mastodons with a season-high eight rebounds.

IPFW hung with SDSU early on, trailing by three four minutes into the game, before the visitors went on the game-changing run. The Jackrabbits opened a 24-3 run over a nine-minute stretch, from which the 'Dons never recovered from, as South Dakota State led 46-24 at halftime.

The Jacks led by as many as 21 in the second half, until the 'Dons began to make their run late in the game.

Trailing 64-43 with 8:23 to play, Haley Seibert sparked the 'Dons with a three-pointer at the 6:57 mark, starting a 19-8 run, cutting the Jacks lead to 10 with 1:26 to play in the game. The 'Dons would be unable to pull any closer from there, as the Jackrabbits held on the 11-point win.

On the night, IPFW shot 18-of-58 (31%) from the field, 8-of-30 (26.7%) from behind the arc and 22-of-33 (66.7%) at the free throw line.

IPFW will look to snap their two-game losing streak as they host North Dakota State on February 8 in a 2 p.m. tip-off for the seventh annual Pink Out game to benefit the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.

~ Feel the Rumble ~