CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands -- A late push by Indiana (4-1) helped the Hoosiers fend off the Wichita State women's basketball team (1-3) as the Shockers dropped a 64-54 decision in their second day of action at the 2007 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.

Kiki Stephens and Jennifer DeGarmo led the way for the Shockers, as Stephens posted a team-high 14 points while the freshman added a career-best 13 points on the day. Jacie Hoyt added eight points and four assists and the Shockers owned a 34-26 edge on the boards including a 12-5 advantage on the offensive glass. The Shockers shot 41 percent on the day but Indiana shot 51 percent, and connected on six three-pointers on the day.

Indiana's Jamie Braun led all players with 19 points, while Nikki Smith chipped in 16 and Whitney Thomas posted 10 points on the afternoon.

WSU took its first lead of the tournament midway through the first half when a Jadhon Kerr jumper gave the Shockers a 14-13 lead after falling behind 7-2 to open the game. A pair of Kim Roberson free throws with just less than eight minutes left regained the edge for the Hoosiers at 15-14, but a three-point play by Kiki Stephens tied the game again with just over six minutes left in the first.

Jennifer DeGarmo's fifth point of the day broke a 19-19 tie with 4:30 left and a putback by Shantel Pointer gave WSU its biggest lead of the game to that point as the Shockers took a 23-19 edge. The Shockers extended the lead to four again following a left-handed runner by Marcy Sudbeck before Indiana ripped off an 8-0 run capped by a Niki Smith
three-pointer with 1:14 left in the half, giving the Hoosiers a 29-25 lead.

The Shockers responded yet again, posting the final four points of the half to score the sixth tie of the first frame thanks to back-to-back baskets by Stephens that sent WSU and Indiana to the break tied at 29-29.

Indiana scored the first point of the second half on a Jackson free throw to take a 30-29 lead before the Shockers answered yet again with four straight, and Stephens' jumper with 16:11 left gave WSU a 33-30 lead. Ao 10-0 run by the Hoosiers midway through the second gave the Hoosiers a 47-41 lead with nine minutes left before a Stephens three-pointer that just beat the shot clock ended a four-plus minute drought for WSU, closing the Hoosier edge to 47-44 with just under eight minutes left.

An Alex Bunton layin with 5:58 left closed the IU advantage to just one at 49-48 before a Smith three-pointer pushed the Hoosiers back out to a four-point lead with less than five minutes left in the second.

IU's Jori Davis connected on the frontend of a one-and-one, and missed the backend, but Jackson got the rebound and the putback to give IU its largest lead of the game at 55-48. Smith's fourth three-pointer of the day gave Indiana its biggest lead of the day at 62-52, the first double-digit advantage for either team with less than two minutes to play, and the Shockers could never recover as Indiana finished the half outscoring WSU 35-25 in the second frame to take the win.

The Shockers wrap up play in the 2007 Paradise Jam at noon CST on Saturday against Wake Forest, who takes on No. 11/10 Texas A&M in action later today.