JAGUARS KICK OFF FOUR-MATCH ROAD TRIP ON THURSDAY

DAYTON, Ohio- Eleven straight wins propelled the IUPUI Jaguars to the top of the Horizon League. IUPUI (16-5, 13-3 HL) tied Youngstown State (19-4, 13-3 HL) in conference wins, with the Penguins holding a slight advantage in winning percentage. The Jaguars begin a four-game road trip this week with matchups against Wright State (2-18, 1-14 HL) and Northern Kentucky (16-5, 10-4 HL).
Clean in Veedersburg macee williams made history on Sunday: she is now the IUPUI’s all-time leader with 1,178 career tips. Williams hit the milestone with 18 rebounds against the still-winless Detroit Mercy Titans in a game where she also scored 15 points. Williams is the only Horizon League player to average a double-double with 17.6 PPG (second in conference) and 10.3 RPG (best in conference).
Rachel McLimore (12.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and Rachel Kent (11.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG) have been consistent offensive threats all year. McLimore led all players with 22 points against Detroit Mercy and Kent scored 10. Nathalie Anderson (6.5 PPG) also had 10 points, hitting double digits for the first time since Jan. 23 against UIC. Andersen seems to put that shoulder injury behind her, going 4 of 9 from the floor in 25 minutes of action.
Second to last in the Horizon League, Wright State has not done better than Detroit Mercy this year. The Raiders have lost six straight games, mostly Monday against Cleveland State by a score of 86-60. Wright State’s 61.6 PPG is ranked seventh, but they also have the most porous defense in the conference allowing 72.9 PPG.
Redshirt sophomore Destyne Jackson leads the Raiders with 13.8 PPG, and junior Jada Roberson is second with 12.9 PPG. Wright State also has a good position option in senior center Jada Wright, who is fifth among Horizon League rebounders with 7.4 RPG. Wright State hosts IUPUI Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Meanwhile, the Northern Kentucky Nordiques are ranked fifth in the conference. They, too, lost their last game to Cleveland State 59-56, but had beaten Purdue Fort Wayne (8-15, 6-9 HL) and UIC (2-17, 1-13 HL) before that. Northern Kentucky has the third-best offense in the conference (68.0 PPG) as well as the sixth-best defense (59.7 PPG allowed).
The IUPUI is sure to schedule the match for the best Nordic guards: Lindsey Duvall senior in redshirt and Ivy Turner junior. Duvall has been on fire this season — her 17.5 PPG ranks third in Horizon League scoring behind only Williams and Cleveland State’s Destiny Leo, and she’s also sixth in rebounding with 7.3 RPG. Turner’s 14.3 PPG is good enough for seventh place in the conference, and she’s shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Northern Kentucky has a third key weapon: graduate student Grayson Rose (5.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG). The 6’3″ center is the second-best rebounder in the league and will try to do his part to slow down Williams. The Norses host the Jaguars Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.