INDIANAPOLIS - With a 76-68 loss at IUPUI to close the regular season, Western Illinois receives the No. 5 seed heading into next weekend's Summit League Tournament.

The Leathernecks closed the regular season with a 14-15 overall mark for the second straight season, falling to 6-8 in Summit League play. IUPUI, who had the second seed locked up prior to the game, improved to 21-8, 11-3 in conference action.

Hot 3-point shooting again doomed WIU. IUPUI shot 72.7 percent (8-of-11) from long range just two days after IPFW hit 57 percent (12-of-21) in another Western loss. The Leathernecks were 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from beyond the arc.

Western was led by Tori Niemann (14 points/five rebounds) and Ashley Luke (13 points, seven rebounds).

The Leathernecks jumped out to an early 18-13 advantage, but IUPUI scored 17 straight points to take a 30-18 lead it never relented.

With the Jaguars leading 59-50 at the 9:10 mark, a Sophie Reichelt jumper and Liz Skotowski triple cut the margin to 59-55 with 8:07 to play.

But IUPUI responded with an 8-0 spurt of its own to put three game away.

Paige Harmon added 11 points and five rebounds for Western, while Michelle Maher pitched in nine points and four assists, and Rebecca Henricson totaled six points, six assists, three boards and three steals.

Mallory Boyle snapped a scoreless drought of more than a month, finishing with four points, her most against a Division I opponent. Reichelt finished with six points and four rebounds.

By out-rebounding the Leathernecks 37-30, the Jaguars also had a 16-8 advantage on second-chance points.

The Leathernecks shot 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the charity stripe, compared to just 38.1 percent (8-of-21) for IUPUI.

Western Illinois will take on either South Dakota or Fort Wayne in the opening round of the Summit League Tournament on Sunday (March 9), depending on the outcome of tomorrow's (March 2) game between South Dakota and South Dakota State.