INDIANAPOLIS – Must-win. Backs against the wall. Hope dwindling.
After delivering a less-than inspiring first half performance, the Indiana Hoosiers headed into the locker room in desperation mode. Adjustments needed to be made, and they could not afford to withstand another run by the Cornhuskers during Wednesday’s first-round game of the Big Ten Tournament. After all, the next 20 minutes would decide whether or not they live to fight another day.
Down by 17, many teams would try to come back with ultra-aggressive tendencies, relying on perimeter game to will their way back into the game. However, for the Hoosiers, the third quarter became an opportunity to gradually erase the deficit. They did just that, battling all the way back to come out with the 72-69 victory.
“Give those kids credit,” Teri Moren said following the win. “It would have been really
easy for us to walk out and just say it wasn't going to be our day, but they had that fighting spirit.”
Surrendering 45 points on 50 percent from the field in the first half, the Hoosiers made a concerted effort to neutralize the inside game, forcing the Cornhuskers to pivot their entire offensive attack.
In an attempt to muster up momentum, Indiana continued to push the pace on offense, albeit this approach failed in the first half. It was only a matter of time before they got into a rhythm, as Shay Ciezki began to find her shot early in the third. An Edessa Noyan layup within the final seconds would cut the lead to single digits, outscoring Nebraska by nine heading into the final quarter.
“We were sharing the ball,” Ciezki said postgame. “Coach was saying that we were trying to play hero ball at half, and she was so right.”
The third saw a completely different team than the previous two quarters, one who was unafraid to play through contact and with unwavering confidence. That was the formula. It was not anything drastic, just simply finding their way back to what got them there in the first place.
On nights like this, the third quarter was kind to the Hoosiers. However, looking back at the regular season, the team’s performance coming out of the locker room has been a whirlwind, to say the least.
It has definitely been a struggle for the Hoosiers to adjust after halftime for the majority of the season, a season that has seen Indiana put up three single-digits third quarters, including dropping just four points in a three-point loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes back in January.
During their first 10 games in conference play, the Hoosiers were outscored by a total of 67 points in the third quarter, attributing to their 0-10 Big Ten record to start the season.
“I'm a firm believer in, you can't succeed until you fail,” Ciezki said. “And I think that we hit a rough stretch in the beginning of the Big Ten play.”
Flipping the switch mid-season is a challenge, but the Hoosiers’ ability to prevent their opponents from breaking the game open was a key factor in their success in the second half on the season.
The third quarter woes slowly dwindled, as the final eight games saw Indiana outscored by just 4.6 points in the quarter, which while not ideal, is an improvement from earlier on in the season.
Indiana has been able to tap into its clutch factor late in the season, stemming from more consistent starts in the second half, all the way to key moments in crunch time.
“Early on in the season, if we were down 20, the response probably would have
been a little bit different than it was today.” Lenée Beaumont said.
The team has dictated its journey, understanding the bad to create the good. In a single-elimination tournament, it’s anybody’s game.
With the improbable comeback win, the Hoosiers advance to face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday at approximately 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
