IUPUI Wins 2022 Keeps #HLWBB Championship
By Zachary Powell
Sports Capital Journalism Program, IUPUI
INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI Jaguars had been here before, but not quite like this. They stood on a championship stage at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, celebrating a second conference championship in three seasons, after a breathless 61-54 victory over Cleveland State in the Keeps Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship.
The Jaguars will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the history of their program, just as the 2020 team had thought before the games were stopped by the cancellation of the tournament. They extended a 24-4 season, with 19 victories in the last 20 games, by holding off a Viking rally that cut an 18-point lead to just two points with 2:06 to play.
As they stood on that stage, with their new championship T-shirts and hats, their coach told the crowd what his players had already been thinking.
“This is the step we needed,” Parkinson said, “to do what we want to do.”
Macee Williams, the four-time conference Player of the Year, scored 19 points with 18 rebounds. Williams’ three-game total of 45 rebounds surpassed the record of 37 she set a year ago. Her total of 32 field goals was one less than the tournament record held by Angel Baker of Wright State last year. Williams made 32 of 42 shots, 76.1%, in the tournament.
“I honestly don’t think I deserve this,” Williams said as she stood with her teammates on the stage during the trophy presentation.
She was joined on the All-Tournament team by McLimore, Destiny Leo and Gabriella Smith of Cleveland State and Breanne Beatty of Oakland.
But it was Jaguar senior point guard Destiny Perkins who created the moment that will be remembered when she made a 3-point shot from the right side, drew a foul from Viking junior Gabriella Smith, made the foul shot for a 57-51 lead with 1:34 to play, and helped end a Jaguar crisis.
Perkins provided 15 points, three assists, a veteran’s direction and emotional stability.
The Vikings (19-8) were led by Leo, a sophomore guard, who scored 10 of her 14 points in the last 14:54 to lead the Cleveland State comeback. “Boy, our players just fought,” said Cleveland State coach Chris Kielsmeier. “We want to base our program off of toughness and togetherness, and that’s what we showed tonight. It wasn’t our day but we’ll go to work and be back here, we’ll finish it someday.”
The game had started to change after IUPUI made 50% of its first-quarter shots to take a 21-7 lead. In the second quarter, with the Jaguars held to 1-of-7 shooting from behind the 3-point line, the Jaguars only scored nine points in the quarter and committed five turnovers.
“We were taking some shots that were good shots, but we were rushing,” Parkinson said. “I felt like Cleveland State was tired, so we were getting stops and then just going down the floor and taking bad shots.”
The Jaguars did not get rattled, though. Perkins, the redshirt senior guard from Indianapolis, made sure to step up in many ways. She scored 12 of her 15 points in the final 5:37.
She had been guided by Holly Hoopingarner, a first-year assistant coach for the Jaguars and the Most Valuable Player of the 2020 tournament. Back then, Hoopingarner was the starter who limited Perkins’ playing time. This year, Hoopingarner became the mentor that every great player needs.
“Destiny has come the furthest of anyone I’ve ever met,” Hoopingarner said after the game. “She’s grown to be one of the best teammates I’ve had in this program. We went through a stretch in the middle of the season where we didn’t have her and there was a difference.”
When Perkins had to sit two seasons ago, she could watch Hoopingarner and learn how to facilitate a team. Now Hoopingarner gets to sit on the sidelines and watch Perkins lead her former teammates.
“Who she is and what she is to our team is enough,” Hoopingarner added. “She doesn’t have to be any more than that. She has enough experience and has seen enough so this type of stage won’t bother her.”
All season long Perkins has been the floor general and leader for the Jaguars in many different facets of the game. In this afternoon’s championship game, when the team hit adversity and when leadership mattered the most, Perkins prevailed for her team.
“I had a little episode throughout the game when I kind of lost my head and I know Destiny came up to me and kind of calmed me down,” Williams remembered. “I have to get a lot of credit to Des and what she does for the team.”
Not only can Perkins shoot the deep ball, at a rate of 37% this season, but she has the ability to create open shots for many of her teammates. This makes Perkins a difficult matchup for any opponent. More importantly, she has the backing from her coaching staff to lead this Jaguar team.
“We have a unique relationship,” Parkinson said. “We have a lot of conversations about basketball and life, but I’m so proud of her maturity and growth. I know that first year was hard for her because she played behind Holly. She wanted to play, but since then she’s just been outstanding.”
Now the stage becomes bigger. On Sunday, the Jaguars will learn their destination and opponent. A season already remembered for an overtime loss at Michigan and a victory at Iowa will include at least one more trip.
“We kind of gave you guys a glimpse when we played Michigan and Iowa,” Williams said during the press conference. “For us, it doesn’t matter, the team. We’re going to bring it no matter what.”