Defense carries IPFW past South Dakota

Mastodon tracks

Jessica Hall gave up only three hits to IPFW and the UCLA softball team defeated the Mastodons 8-0 on Saturday to end IPFW's season at the NCAA Regional in Louisville, Ky.Today 8:05 pm

Mastodons to regionals

IPFW senior Theresa McHugh and freshman Rachel Dincoff have earned spots at the NCAA East Region Preliminary Championships, which begins May 23 in Greensboro, N.C.Thursday

Softball players honored

IPFW junior Ashleigh Bousquet and sophomore Larissa Franklin were named to the Summit League Softball Academic All-League team, as voted on by the schools’ faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors.Wednesday

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder.

In the case of IPFW's 62-60 victory over South Dakota on Thursday at Memorial Coliseum, it's a black eye.

Offensively, IPFW is not a pretty basketball team, particularly when its best scorer, senior guard Frank Gaines, begins the game shooting 0 for 7 from the floor and finishes with 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting.

From three-point distance, the Mastodons shot 15 times and made two.

But give them this: They guard.

South Dakota came into the game averaging a nudge more than 71 points per game and only got 60.

There was the combination of aggressive defense, but also IPFW was active in deflecting South Dakota passes. The Coyotes made 15 turnovers - eight of them off IPFW steals.

Gaines came back with 14 second-half points to lead the team in scoring, while Luis Jacobo had 13 and Joe Edwards had 12 off the bench.