By Holly Weber, TTU Sports Information

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team (3-8) opened up their five-game road stand at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI, 8-2) on Wednesday evening. There, the Jaguars topped the Golden Eagles 77-63 in The Jungle.

"I don't think the score reflected how hard we battled tonight," head coach Kim Rosamond remarked. "I think our kids continued to fight and stayed aggressive."

Akia Harris opened play with a bucket at the 9:10 mark to give Tech the early 2-0 lead over IUPUI. An Anacia Wilkinson layup extended the Golden Eagle lead to 6-4 with 6:30 to go in the first quarter, however, an IUPUI three by Sydney Hall quickly put the Jaguars in the lead at 7-6 at the 6:21 mark. IUPUI then went on a 6-0 run to pull further ahead to 13-6 by the first media timeout at the 4:14 mark. Lindsey Jennings ended the Tech two-minute scoring drought with a layup out of the break to cut IUPUI's lead to 13-8. A Yaktavia "Shug" Hickson bucket from downtown cut the Jaguar lead down to five at 20-15 to end the first quarter.

A three from Kandace Newry at the 8:41 mark brought Tech within four at 22-18 to open second quarter action. Tech continued to hunt the Jaguars as an Asia Harper layup with 6:47 to go in the quarter brought the Golden Eagles within three points of IUPUI at 25-22. Finally, a three from Harris at the four-minute mark tied things up at 29-29 and set the Golden Eagles up to take the lead with a bucket from beyond the arc by Hickson with 3:37 on the clock. A technical foul on Hickson sent IUPUI's Kelsi Byrd to the line who knocked down both attempts successfully, and set up the Jaguar's Jenna Gunn to allow IUPUI to retake the lead at a layup with a minute to go in the quarter. However, a last second Harris bucket put the Golden Eagles up once again at 36-35 going into the half.

At the half, Tech was shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from downtown while IUPUI was shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles corralled 17 boards to the Jaguars 14 and forced five IUPUI turnovers while allowing only three.

After an early technical foul in the third quarter on both IUPUI's Danielle Lawrence and the Golden Eagle's Hickson, Hickson was ejected from the game (for having two technicals in the contest) leaving the Golden Eagles with 12 points and two boards and a tied score of 38-38 with 8:14 to go. From there, the Jaguars found some momentum and pulled ahead 42-38 with a layup at the eight minute mark. However, Tech hung tough and tied things back up at 46-46 with a brooks layup at the 6:35 mark. IUPUI again took a slight lead in the game at 52-48 at the 3:38 mark. A Hannah Goolsby jumper at the 1:40 mark tied the contest up once again at 52-52, however, three IUPUI layups and one at the line put the Jaguars up 59-52 to close out third quarter action.

IUPUI opened the third quarter with a jumper from Jenna Gunn to lead Tech by 10 (62-52) at the 8:40 mark. Tech then went on an 8-2 run to cut the Jaguar lead down to 64-60 with under five minutes remaining in the game. However, IUPUI continued to fight and pushed their lead out to nine at 69-60 at the 1:55 mark. Despite the Golden Eagles defensive efforts to get stops, the Jaguars claimed a 77-63 victory over Tech.

Freshman Akia Harris tallied 11 points and three rebounds in the contest while teammate Treyvonna "Trey" Brooks also posted 11 points with six rebounds and two blocks. Lawrence led IUPUI with 17 points and seven rebounds, while four other Jaguars found themselves scoring in double-figures. Hall tallied 15 points, Hoopingarner posted 11 and Byrd and Rogers each tallied 10.

As a team, the Golden Eagles shot 48.1 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 60 percent from the free throw line while the Jaguars shot 43.9 percent from the floor, 36.8 percent from downtown, and 87 percent from the charity stripe. Tech totaled 34 caroms to IUPUI's 30, however the Golden Eagles allowed 19 turnovers to the Jaguars 10.

The Golden Eagles return to action on Sunday, when Tech travels down the road to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Vanderbilt in a 2 p.m. contest.

Photo by Jim Dillon