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The Oakland Lady Grizzlies fall to the visiting IUPUI Jaguars in their penultimate home game, with the next four games looming and becoming deciding factors for seeding in the Horizon League tournament. The final score was 87-73, improving the Jaguars to 15-12 and dropping the Grizzlies to 11-15. This is Oakland’s seventh loss in eight games, and their fourth straight double-digit loss. They are void of momentum going into the postseason and don’t have the easiest path to rescue their season.
The first quarter was a heavyweight fight, no one giving an inch. IUPUI put a wall between them and Oakland, not allowing the Grizzlies to get within four points of their lead and matching each of Oakland’s baskets with one of their own. Both teams went scoreless for almost two minutes, with a Linda van Schaik layup breaking the ice and drawing the lead to four.
Oakland took the lead in the second quarter with a three-pointer from Breanne Beatty with 7:51 left in the second to make the score 29-27, but a quick three by IUPUI’s Rachel Kent giving the Jaguars the lead, which they did not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Oakland was able to stop many of IUPUI’s skilled attacks to the rim, and retired to the locker room for the half with a manageable 48-42 deficit.
At the 8:11 mark of the third quarter, IUPUI turned on the jets and took a seven-point lead. Oakland’s Miriam Ibezim and Brooke Quarles-Daniels brought the deficit to four, and the back-and-forth seen in the first resumed for two minutes. IUPUI’s Logan Lewis ran the table with 5 points in 30 seconds to give IUPUI an eleven-point lead. Oakland drew the deficit to nine at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was an open clinic by the Jaguars. The Jaguars blanked Oakland for two minutes and drove through the Grizzlies defense numerous times to garner a sixteen-point lead. Oakland could not stop IUPUI’s attack, and fell at the end by 14 points.
Five Jaguars eclipsed the double-digits in points, with Jaszmyn Turner putting up an astonishing 21 points and 10 rebounds. Logan Lewis was not far behind with 14, and Natalie Anderson, Rachel Kent, and Destiny Perkins scoring 12, 11, and 10, respectively.
For the Grizzlies, Kennedie Montue lead the scoring with 15 points. Brooke Quarles-Daniels and Alexis Johnson each had 12, and Breanne Beatty finished with a steady 10. Daniels and Johnson went a combined 9 for 32 from the floor, an effort that hurt the team badly.
The Jaguars will try to keep the newfound momentum up in their next matchup against the Youngstown State Penguins on February 21st. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies will try to escape their rut with a Metro Series matchup against the Detroit Mercy Titans on February 20th. Catch the Metro Series action here on 88.3 FM WXOU.
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