Women's Basketball 2/12/2012 3:58:00 AM SUU Strategic Communication

T-Birds Take 10-Point Win Over IUPUI

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Feb. 9 – Kimie Hawkins turned in a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with 16 points to help Southern Utah take a 58-48 win over visiting IUPUI on Saturday. The junior forward hit a career-best 12 free throws on 14 attempts to help SUU earn its fourth home-victory this season.

“That was a great team effort,” said SUU head coach JR Payne after the game. “Kimie was great, Angel Dorn gave us some great minutes and Taylor Maynes did well.”

The Thunderbirds got things going behind the efforts of Tayler Anderson who scored 11 of the team's first 15 points to help SUU build a four-point edge halfway through the opening period. The junior forward started the game 4-5 from the field, which included a step-back three from the left wing.

The T-Birds increased their advantage in the closing minutes of the half as Anderson stepped in front of a Jaguar pass and found Angel Dorn streaking down the court in transition for a lay-up and a foul. Her free throw put SUU up 25-18 with 2:50 left on the clock. Southern Utah then got back-to-back baskets from Dorn and Kimie Hawkins to increase its lead to 29-21 at the break.

The Thunderbirds shot the ball 44 percent in the first half while their defense held IUPUI to just 28.6 percent. Anderson's 11 led all scorers in the opening period and freshman forward Nevena Markovic had seven for the Jaguars.

Carli Moreland scored the first basket of the second half to make the score 31-21 in favor of SUU. The Jaguars narrowed the margin with four-straight points, but after two more lay-ups from Moreland the T-Birds went back up by 10 at 37-27.

IUPUI chipped away at the lead over the next six minutes and was able to pull within five as a pair of free throws by Kerah Nelson made the score 41-36 approaching the seven-minute mark. SUU then used an 11-5 run, capped by a fast break lay-up as Taylor Maynes found Jones in transition, to push the margin back into the double figures as it went up 52-41 with three-minutes left to play.

The Jaguars got back within six on a basket by Del'Niqua Bellamy, but Jones came right back with a pull-up jumper to put SUU up 54-46. Maynes then added a three-point play in the closing moments and Anderson added a free throw to set the final score at 58-48 for the Thunderbirds.

Hawkins was one of three Thunderbirds to finish in the double-figures, as SUU got 12 from Moreland and another 13 from Anderson, who matched her career-best. Freshman forward Nevena Markovic led the Jaguars with 16 of her own.

The Thunderbird defense was solid throughout, holding the Jaguars to just 30.6 percent shooting on the night, the lowest mark of any SUU opponent this season. SUU was able to hold Jaguar forward Kerah Nelson to just five points on 1-10 shooting. The junior came into the game as one of the Summit League's top-scorers averaging 16.7 points per game. The T-Birds also held a significant advantage on the glass in the contest, outrebounding IUPUI by a count of 48-29.

“We've done a good job rebounding all year,” said Payne. “Tonight some of those o-boards translated into baskets for us.”

Southern Utah picks up its second Summit League win of the year and now holds a 2-12 mark in conference play to go with its overall record of 6-19. IUPUI falls to 6-7 in league play and 11-14 for the season.

The T-Birds will look for a second consecutive home-win this Monday when they host Western Illinois. SUU will tip things off against the Leathernecks in the Centrum Arena at 7 p.m. (MT)

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Players Mentioned

#31 Tayler Anderson: G/F; 6' 0"; Junior

#4 Angel Dorn: G; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#34 Kimie Hawkins: F; 5' 11"; Junior

#24 Taylor Maynes: G; 5' 9"; Freshman

#15 Carli Moreland: F; 6' 1"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#31 Tayler Anderson
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G/F

#4 Angel Dorn
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: G

#34 Kimie Hawkins
: 5' 11"; Junior
: F

#24 Taylor Maynes
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: G

#15 Carli Moreland
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: F