On January 20, the Hoosiers halted a Michigan State rally to get a much-needed win. They had previously lost six of their first seven games in conference before the win.
It’s now February 20. One month has passed, and the Hoosiers have done nothing but win. Eight straight to be exact.
The latest installment of an Indiana win was Tuesday night when the Hoosiers hit huge shots down the stretch, led by their senior Tyra Buss, and pulled away from the Gophers for an 82-70 win.
The Hoosiers went down early, but after the early struggles, they quickly got back in the game. The contest went back and forth throughout the next couple quarters. It was tied at 19 after one. The Hoosiers held a 42-40 lead at halftime. Then, Minnesota had a 56-54 lead after three quarters.
The Hoosiers dominated in the fourth quarter, mainly on the defensive end. They held the Gophers to 14 points in the fourth, and hit their free throws down the stretch to win by 12. The Hoosiers shot 16-19 (84%) from the charity stripe.
Buss needed eight assists coming into the game to become the all-time leader in career assists in program history. She had seven to go with 36 points and 7 steals to help the Hoosiers to their 16th win of the season.
During their eight-game win streak, Buss is averaging 25 points and five assists per game.
Outside of Buss, the team was very balanced, with three other players in double figures. Yeaney had her second double double of the season, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Royster had 10 points and 9 rebounds, while Cahill added 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Cahill has really picked it up during this win streak. She’s averaging just over 17 points and 8 rebounds per game, including two double doubles.
The main trend in the eight games is that the team is playing better along with individuals elevating their games, at the same time. In six of the eight games, the Hoosiers have had someone other than Cahill or Buss in double figures. Moren said she wanted more consistency out of her team and her freshmen. She’s gotten that during this win streak.
Indiana’s postseason hopes seemed very dark back on January 20. However, they’ve won eight straight and now seem to be creeping toward the NCAA tournament conversation. Their last three wins have been teams that at the time were in the top 5 in the conference; Purdue, Nebraska and Minnesota.
The Hoosiers are now tied for sixth in the Big Ten with Michigan. If the tournament were today, Indiana would be the 7-seed.
They will have another chance against a top five Big Ten team on Saturday when the Hoosiers head to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes. The tip will be at noon and the game will be broadcast on BTN.
Hoosiers Win Their 8th Straight With Victory Over Minnesota
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