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(02/27/21 11:05pm)
A 12-0 run in the span of two minutes would ultimately decide the game between Indiana and Ohio State in Columbus, as the Hoosiers picked up their 16th win of the season. This was truly a monster win, as it keeps Indiana at second in the Big Ten, only behind Maryland.
A huge reason for the win Saturday was the wide variety of scorers Indiana had out on the floor, as the entire starting five scored in double figures. Grace Berger led Indiana with 20 points and Ali Patberg was shortly behind her with 19 points and seven rebounds.
But a double-double from Nicole Cardano-Hillary was a great thing for Indiana fans to see, as she added 16 very important points along with 11 rebounds.
Cardano-Hillary was key to the decisive 12-0 run in the fourth quarter, where IU went from trailing by four with four minutes to play to leading by eight with two minutes left. Cardano-Hillary scored four points during that run, including a clutch 3-pointer that forced a Buckeye timeout.
To her teammates, Cardano-Hillary gives 100% all the time.
“She plays really hard,” Patberg said. “She’s super competitive and she had 11 rebounds and she’s 5'6". So that just shows you her heart, her toughness and her will to win. And she’s a great player, awesome teammate, so she plays her heart out.”
The start of the game was very sloppy for both teams, as there were six combined turnovers in just the first four minutes of the game. Buckeye forward Dorka Juhasz picked up right where she left off when these two teams last faced, as she was a severe problem on the boards to start things off. For the Hoosiers, the scoring was very balanced in the beginning, as Patberg, Mackenzie Holmes, Berger and Aleksa Gulbe were all scorers in the first quarter.
Berger’s scoring was a big reason Indiana was able to jump out to a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Her driving ability to carve up the Buckeye defense caused problems for OSU and forced the Buckeyes to respond on the offensive end against a gritty Indiana defense.
There was a lot more offensive firepower in the second quarter, as both teams got comfortable at what they do best. Ohio State seemed to have found its stroke from beyond the arc, while Indiana did a good job of getting the ball inside to Holmes and let her score. Patberg and Berger also played well and hit some huge shots to extend the Hoosier lead to nine points.
But two huge 3s in the final seconds of the first half from Braxtin Miller and Jacy Sheldon would quickly cut that Hoosier lead to just three points. Despite the late 3s, Indiana’s defense had a very good first half, forcing Ohio State into 10 first-half turnovers. This is especially impressive considering the fact the Buckeyes average 12 turnovers per game.
As soon as Indiana was building a lead to start things off in the third quarter, a huge four-point play from OSU’s Kateri Poole would cut the Hoosier lead to three. Some shooting woes late in the third quarter allowed for Ohio State to eventually take a five-point lead.
Defensively, Indiana remained solid. But the Buckeyes were hitting all sorts of shots, and it seemed to frustrate the Hoosiers with the quality of shots they took. This is exactly how Indiana lost the game against OSU in Bloomington, so this made the fourth quarter extra interesting to see if Indiana could turn this game around being down five.
The quality of shots looked a lot better in the beginning of the fourth quarter. When the Hoosiers moved the ball around very well, there were open 3s and shots inside available to score. Holmes was also very impactful on the offensive glass, as she got some very critical rebound putbacks to keep the Buckeyes from going on a big run towards the final stretch of the game.
The Hoosiers responded with just over three minutes left in the game, as Gulbe and Cardano-Hillary hit some big shots. Indiana also did a phenomenal job keeping Juhasz and Miller off the glass and limiting the Ohio State second chance opportunities. For head coach Teri Moren, the will to come back says a lot about the heart of the team.
“I think it says everything about who they are, their character, [and] just how tough they are,” Moren said. “We’ve never had that quit in us, we just don’t believe in that. And it’s just players stepping up making big plays, timely plays.”
Indiana would close out the game with made free throws to pick up an enormous 87-75 win over the Buckeyes in Columbus. For the team, it means a lot to finally end a losing skid against OSU.
“We haven’t beaten them in a long time,” Patberg said. “They made their run in the third quarter, and we knew they were going to make a run they’re a really great team. We stayed poised, hit shots when we needed to, and got stops when we needed to and pulled out the win.”
Indiana now focuses on its regular-season finale against the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 3. The Hoosiers defeated Iowa a couple of weeks ago in Iowa City, but nonetheless, the Hawkeyes will bring a high octane offense to Bloomington. Indiana will need a great defensive performance to cap off the regular season before the Big Ten Tournament.
(02/25/21 3:06am)
A great defensive effort led the Hoosiers to a 77-49 win over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center Wednesday night. The No. 11 Hoosiers held the Badgers to the second-lowest point total they’ve held a team to this season, and Wisconsin looked like it had no answer for the stifling IU defense.
After a rough game Thursday night, Mackenzie Holmes seemed to have gotten her groove back, as she picked up 23 points and nine rebounds on the night. Nicole Cardano-Hillary had a big night on both ends, as she added 14 points along with some big steals to help extend the Hoosier lead down the stretch. For the defense, it was a team effort on that side of the ball.
“I think we all did a very good job,” Cardano-Hillary said. “We all were in each other's gaps which helped. Getting up, pressuring them, and knowing my teammates had my back was really helpful as a mindset.”
(02/14/21 11:49pm)
Despite a rough shooting night, Indiana was able to escape Champaign with a 58-50 win over the Illini on Sunday. The team went 32% from the field and a rough 17% from 3-point range, but the defense was able to get the job done and finish the game when the Illini had some momentum towards the end of the game.
Mackenzie Holmes, who has been huge for the No. 15 Hoosiers all season, did not play her best game Sunday. The sophomore went 1-for-16 from the line and finished with seven points. Ali Patberg was the team’s leading scorer with 16 points, but only shot 5-for-14 from the field.
It was quite the slow start for both teams, as both teams had a combined 22 points in the first quarter. Turnovers hurt Indiana at the beginning, as the four lost possessions early on allowed the Illini to hang in the game. IU’s scoring was very balanced, as Holmes, Patberg and Grace Berger each had two points.
Indiana continued to be spectacular on the boards, as Holmes along with freshman Kiandra Browne helped IU prevent any Illinois second-chance points. Browne’s energy has taken this team a whole new level, as the more experienced players really appreciate her passion on defense.
A Nicole Cardano-Hillary and-1 sparked a big run for the Hoosiers in the second quarter, as the team’s energy looked much better.
The Hoosier defense had one of its best performances of the year, holding Illinois to 21 points in the first half. Cardano-Hillary and Browne’s great defensive efforts made it much easier for Patberg, Holmes and Berger to score in transition. IU’s ability to turn Illinois over really helped the Hoosiers jump out to a double-digit lead. Players gave credit to the coaches for a great gameplan to stifle the Illini offense.
“Defensively, we always come in prepared,” Patberg said. “Our coaches always have us ready and prepared for their plays. And we were just in our spots that we were supposed to be in.”
As good as Indiana was defensively in the first half, its offense helped a lot to open the second half. While Holmes struggled from the field, Patberg picked up the slack, as she had 11 points through the third quarter. The Hoosiers were up 17 at one point, thanks to some timely shots in transition.
But that lead was soon cut to seven, as Illinois went on a big run at the end of the quarter. Indiana struggled from the field at the end of the third, and that came back to hurt, as IU clung to a single-digit lead going into the final quarter of play.
The Hoosiers kept trying to get Holmes touches to score the ball, but she continued to struggle from the field and missed some shots inside. Illinois did a great job of stopping the forward duo of Holmes and Aleksa Gulbe, and forced Indiana to make some tough shots. The Hoosier lead was down to one point at a moment, but Indiana would hang on to escape Champaign with a win 58-50. Even if the team did not play it’s best game, the team found a way to win.
“I just think that we made enough plays,” head coach Teri Moren said, “whether it was up two, up three, up five. I think Nicole after the airball came back and attacked the rim and gave us a little bit of breathing room. And Aleksa came in and gave us four quick points, which was a nice shot in the arm.”
The Hoosiers face a major test next week, as the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines come into Bloomington. Indiana will need to find a way to slow down Naz Hillmon, as she is one of the leading candidates for Big Ten Player of the Year, in order to get a quality win come Thursday.
(02/07/21 10:26pm)
In a game of runs, the Hoosiers managed to pick up a big 85-72 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. Mackenzie Holmes continues her dominant stretch, adding another double-double to her superb sophomore year with 25 points and 12 rebounds Sunday. Ali Patberg also came up big with some incredible shots, scoring 22 points.
But Indiana announced a big loss Sunday, as Jaelynn Penn has decided to opt out of the season. This hurts IU’s perimeter defense, as IU could have really used her defending some of the guards that are on tap for opposing teams. Head coach Teri Moren respects her decision to opt out of the season.
“Out of respect for Jaelynn, we just have to let Jaelynn take care of Jaelynn right now,” Moren said.
On a positive note, Nicole Cardano-Hilary filled Penn’s absence perfectly, going 3-for-6 from 3-point land and dropping 17 points Sunday. Cardano-Hilary’s teammates showed her full support throughout the game.
“It was great to see,” Holmes said. “She’s a great player and she’s taken a couple of games to get in the groove of things with a new team and new system. So I think she’s done a really great job and fits so well into what we are trying to do in pushing the ball and playing great defense. I think she stepped up huge tonight and we are looking for her to do that consistently.”
The dynamic Hawkeye duo of Caitlin Clarke and Monica Czinano was a problem for the Hoosiers at the start, as they combined for 15 of Iowa's 18 first-quarter points.
However, for the Hoosiers, Cardano-Hilary came up with some big buckets in the absence of Penn. Berger was also very efficient with the Hawkeyes finding a way to shut down Holmes early on. Being down early, it was promising to see IU make a run at the Hawkeyes and eventually take a lead at the end of the first.
That lead would not last long, as Iowa went on a 10-0 run to start the second quarter. It seemed like Indiana didn’t have an answer for Clarke, as she hit some big shots to put the Hoosiers in a big deficit. But being the game of runs it was, IU went on a 10-0 run to retake the lead. The Hoosiers seemed to find a way to get Holmes some touches, and it worked with her making big shots inside.
The Hoosiers came out hot to start the third, as they went on a 6-0 run. Berger’s driving ability opened up the floor for shooters such as Cardano-Hilary and Patberg to hit some shots and extend the lead. But Iowa stormed right back and was able to force Indiana to make some shots. With both teams being able to hit shots down the stretch of the third, things were shaping up for an entertaining final 10 minutes of play.
Once again, Indiana stormed out of the gate in the fourth quarter, going up 10 on Iowa. Patberg was huge on that run, as she scored a quick six points to build some Hoosier confidence from the field. Holmes, along with Cardano-Hilary, got some big buckets down the stretch to try and close the game.
Iowa was not able to manage to come back from this run, as IU had some big stops in the final minutes to put this game away and give the Hoosiers their 11th win of the season. The win is Indiana's first in Iowa City since 1994.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am for those guys,” Moren said. “We did a tremendous job defensively, and I know Caitlin Clarke had 30, but she had to shoot it 27 times to get her 30. So just excited for our group, 16 assists, low turnover, everybody contributed, and that’s what you have to have and what you have to do on the road.”
IU now moves on to a home game against Penn State in three days. The Hoosiers defeated the Nittany Lions handily in the first matchup between these two teams, so Indiana will look to replicate that same performance come Wednesday night.
(02/01/21 1:30am)
Thanks to a big second half of scoring, the Hoosiers were able to defeat the Michigan State Spartans 79-67. Indiana outscored MSU by 20 after halftime, and after shooting very poorly in the first half, the Hoosiers were able to finish at a 55% clip and went 7-for-10 from 3.
Where Indiana has always had success this season was post play, and that was no different Sunday. Mackenzie Holmes and Aleksa Gulbe combined for 31 of Indiana's 79 points, but the other Hoosiers showed up as well. Jaelynn Penn had 13 points and Ali Patberg finished with 15. As well as those two played, Nicole Cardano-Hilary continued to be the spark IU needed off the bench with seven very important points.
There’s some pretty big significance behind this win Sunday, as Indiana women’s basketball grabs its 800th win in the program's history. For head coach Teri Moren, the program wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without the effort from the players.
“I think it goes out to our players,” Moren said. “What our jobs are [as coaches] is to put them in positions and help them be successful day in and day out. So it always comes back to the players and the program, and we had a lot of really good ones.”
(01/24/21 8:26pm)
No. 16 Indiana outscored No. 21 Northwestern 26-7 in the fourth quarter Sunday to complete a 74-61 comeback victory for the Hoosiers. This win marks the first ranked win of the season for IU, and truly a win that will provide confidence entering the second half of the season.
Mackenzie Holmes was once again a star, tacking on a double double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Grace Berger played very well for the IU backcourt as well, putting up an efficient 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Indiana got one of its best perimeter players back in Jaelynn Penn, who had some big shots in the game.
Penn made a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to help start IU's comeback, and said it felt good to make a shot in her first game back from an ankle injury.
“When that 3 went down it was really good,” Penn said. “Obviously it boosted my confidence, but [it helped] get some reps because I only practiced two days before we played, so it was big for me to get in my rhythm and find rhythm on the defensive side as well.”
(01/15/21 12:06am)
Holding Purdue to an abysmal shooting performance, it is clear that the Indiana defense came to play, as the Hoosiers marched right into Mackey Arena on Thursday and dominated the Boilermakers 66-45.
IU held Purdue to shooting just 18-for-53 (34%) from the floor, and forced Purdue into 16 turnovers along with 10 combined steals and blocks. Indiana’s versatility was on full display here, showing IU can be a defensive team while also shooting 50% from the field.
Offensively, Purdue just seemed to have no answer for Grace Berger, as she put up a phenomenal 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Berger was able to drive to the lane and either create plays for her teammates or score many times throughout the game. Head coach Teri Moren had some praise after the game for the junior.
“I don’t know that anything Grace Berger does at this point any of us are shocked by,” Moren said. “She’s a fantastic player, but also has this drive and this want to be pushed and become even a better basketball player, and that’s what you appreciate about her.”
Mackenzie Holmes also continues to play like one of the best players in the Big Ten as of recently, recording 20 points on the night. She has now scored in double digits in each conference game, averaging nearly 19 points per contest in Big Ten play. Holmes’ ability to score with both hands stymied Purdue’s defense, as she had multiple moves to keep the Boilermaker forwards guessing.
The gameplan for Indiana was quite simple early on — get the ball inside. Holmes and Alexa Gulbe combined for six of the first eight points for the Hoosiers. Indiana also had 10 points in the paint compared to Purdue’s four. However, the Boilermakers would respond with what they’ve relied on all season — their ability from beyond the arc. Purdue had two big 3s to stay in the game and pace itself with Indiana.
(01/11/21 3:48pm)
Ali Patberg sparked Indiana's best 3-point shooting performance of the season Sunday, leading the way for the Hoosiers to claim back-to-back Big Ten victories with a 74-49 win over Wisconsin.
Three-point shooting was the difference in the game, as No. 19 Indiana shot a season-high 52.9% from downtown compared to Wisconsin’s 0-8 night from 3. Patberg was 5-for-7 from long distance. For the players, confidence is key to be consistent from beyond the arc.
“We put in the work constantly, we haven’t stopped,” Patberg said. “On games we haven’t shot well, we still were confident. We’re just taking the looks we get and stepping up and hitting them.”
Patberg finished the game with a team-high 21 points while also dishing out five assists and grabbing three rebounds. The senior seems to be finding her groove, as this is now back-to-back games with 20-plus points.
(01/08/21 2:44am)
Despite missing one of their most valuable players in Jaelynn Penn, the Hoosiers didn’t miss a beat Thursday, cruising to an 85-64 win on the road against Penn State. The offense in the second half was a huge reason the Hoosiers made the game the way it was.
The trio of Ali Patberg, Grace Berger and Mackenzie Holmes was key in the road victory. Holmes completely took over, scoring a season-high 27 points. After a quiet night Monday, Patberg had some huge baskets when the Nittany Lions began to double-team Holmes inside.
History was also made Thursday, as Berger had the second triple-double in program history with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. The other triple-double? Berger's 17-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist game in the season opener against Eastern Kentucky.
“I always come into a game trying to make plays for my teammates,” Berger said Thursday. “I think early on I wasn’t getting shots. So my mindset transitioned to getting Ali, who was hot, shots. I just wasn’t really feeling my shot so I just tried to find my teammates down the court.”
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Penn, who missed the game after suffering an ankle injury in Monday’s loss to Maryland, missed the game after starting the first eight games of the season.
Indiana got off to the start it needed, going on a 9-2 run in the opening minutes. But Penn State responded immediately with a 10-0 run of its own. The transition play of the Nittany Lions had the Hoosiers out of sorts for a bit, as Penn State was able to find Johnasia Cash inside for some easy buckets. It seemed like whenever Indiana had good transition defense, the Nittany Lions struggled to score.
The Hoosiers found their offense later in the first half, as Penn State seemed to have no answer for Holmes. Double-teams and all, the sophomore seemed to find many ways to score around the basket and served as a huge source of Indiana’s points. As soon as Penn State was able to lock down the post play, Patberg began hitting shots from the field to find ways to score in the Nittany Lions zone. The senior said she treated her mental preparation like she would any other game.
“I came in and I was focused on playing like I know how [to],” Patberg said. “Just playing the game I love and free, and not hesitating and overthinking anything.“
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But like the first quarter, the Nittany Lions responded by getting Cash and their main scorer Kelly Jekot going from the field, as the two were the main reason for Penn State scoring points. Indiana was still not able to pull away from the Nittany Lions at the end of the first, as the teams went into the locker room with the Hoosiers up three.
Outside shooting and continuing to get the ball inside helped the Hoosiers jump out to a 10-point lead early in the third quarter. Patberg and Holmes continued to score at will and found holes in Penn State’s defense. Indiana’s transition offense also had the Nittany Lions out of sorts, as Penn State turnovers turned into quick outlet passes for buckets by Grace Berger.
Indiana simply used its momentum to keep up the work on offense in the final quarter. Holmes could not be stopped, as it seemed like every time she had the ball it was going in the basket. But it was the Hoosier defense that closed out the game down the stretch, as Indiana constantly got steals to keep Penn State from scoring. From what was a close game at the start, Indiana ended up cruising to an 85-64 win.
Impressively, Indiana had just two turnovers against Penn State. With a team that rotates well and plays a zone like the Nittany Lions, the limited turnovers were a huge reason Indiana found success Thursday. Head coach Teri Moren praised her team for playing smart with the ball.
“It was tremendous,” Moren said. “And this is a team that pressed us. Every made field goal, they were in some sort of three-quarter court [press] and towards the end they went full man-to-man [press]. It’s different when you can just walk it up and run your sets, but it's a whole other deal when you’re facing some pressure in the backcourt, and I thought we handled ourselves in a terrific way.”
The Hoosiers now come back home to Bloomington on Sunday where they will match up with 3-5 Wisconsin. The Badgers are on a three-game skid right now, so the Hoosiers will deal with another feisty team that needs a win here in conference play.
(01/05/21 8:01pm)
A 10-0 start from the Terrapins would end up costing Indiana the game, as the Hoosiers fell in a close one 84-80. Despite the stagnant start, Indiana made a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback to cut the deficit to four points thanks to getting hot from the field and staying composed on defense.
A bright spot on offense was junior Grace Berger, who put up 26 points while dishing out seven assists and grabbing three rebounds. Sophomore Mackenzie Holmes continues to be a huge presence inside for the Hoosiers, as she tallied up a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds while shooting at a 50% clip.
(01/01/21 2:52am)
A 23-9 run in the first quarter helped propel the Hoosiers to their third straight Big Ten victory as IU beat Illinois on Thursday, 79-56.
Thanks to senior Ali Patberg, junior Grace Berger and sophomore Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana was able to jump on the Illini from the get-go and take some of their will away in the opening minutes. Redshirt junior Nicole Cardano-Hilary, who has been a spark off the bench off season, contributed to the run as well with two 3-point shots.
Defensively, IU had a solid day, holding Illinois to 33% from the field and forcing them into nine turnovers. The frontcourt duo of Holmes and junior Aleksa Gulbe led the charge on the defensive end, as Holmes recorded all three blocks for IU, and Gulbe totaled four steals. Despite holding Illinois to a poor day offensively, head coach Teri Moren would like to see some more consistency on defense throughout the season.
“We were doing really good things offensively but then we would go down the floor and do something silly defensively,” Moren said. “It just seemed we could not put long enough stretches together where we were really good offensively and defensively. That was a little bit frustrating but again I think we were trying to work some kinks out after having some time off and getting back on the floor.”
The Illini tried to respond with a small run of their own, but the Indiana offense struck again, as the Hoosiers went on a 13-3 run to go up 22 points at the half. Illinois had no answer for Holmes, as she got 10 of her 18 points in the paint in the second quarter. Holmes led the team with 18 points, as she continues to be the main source for offensive production.
It seemed like whenever the Illini found their groove offensively, the Hoosiers had a response to extend the lead. A huge reason for this was the way Indiana distributed the ball and found holes in the Illini defense from great passing. The Hoosiers had 16 more assists than Illinois, finishing with 19 total. Moren emphasized the importance of passing in breaking down a defense.
(12/24/20 4:36pm)
After dominating the Nebraska Cornhuskers on both sides of the ball, the Hoosiers took that same momentum into Williams Arena, as the team got its first conference road win of the season, beating Minnesota 75-54.
Indiana was down by one at the end of the first quarter, in what was a bit of a sloppy first 10 minutes. But the second quarter was ultimately the difference in the game, as Indiana outscored the Gophers by 10 to go into the half up 11 points.
In the last 4:53 of the half, the team went on a huge 14-2 run to get its confidence back after going back and forth with Minnesota. The team was just making shots, shooting 57.1% in the quarter, and had a good shot selection overall.
The defense during these 10 minutes was also superb, as Minnesota was just held to 10 points during the second quarter. Most notably, senior Jaelynn Penn stood out on the defensive side of the ball, racking up a team-high four steals.
Penn helped hold Minnesota leading scorer Jasmine Powell (averaging 17 points per game) to 12 points on a 4-for-14 shooting night. Head coach Teri Moren was very impressed with the senior’s performance Wednesday night.
“Defensively I thought Jaelynn Penn was really good,” Moren said. “Obviously she had a good night offensively as well, but we asked Jaelynn to have the challenge of guarding Jasmine Powell and I thought she did a terrific job on her.”
Penn’s 19 points tied for the game-high and were a huge reason Indiana’s offense scored the way that it needed to. She was very active in transition and found her teammates open for shots, as she picked up five rebounds to go along with three assists. Another big reason the Hoosiers got their offense going was the playmaking of senior Ali Patberg, as she led the team in assists with six. Drawing so much attention on her own, she was able to kick it out to her teammates who hit their shots.
Indiana picked up right where it left off to begin the third quarter, immediately going on an 8-0 run led by sophomore Mackenzie Holmes. Holmes would finish with 19 points on the night and once again served as a lethal offensive weapon for the Hoosiers.
But the Hoosiers didn’t stop there, as Penn along with redshirt junior Nicole Cardano-Hilary scored some big buckets to help Indiana extend its lead to 20. Moren was able to get some fresh legs in there in order to rest the starters to prep for the next game. Overall, it was a very impressive offensive performance from the Hoosiers, as Indiana had four players — Holmes, Penn, Grace Berger and Aleksa Gulbe — in double figures. Moren praises her team for going on the road and dominating the way they did.
“Those wins are always incredibly difficult to win,” Moren said. “But road wins as I always say are a different kind of challenge. Really happy and pleased with the way we played this afternoon tonight against a really good Minnesota team on the road.”
The Hoosiers now travel back to Bloomington to take on Illinois on New Year’s Eve, which will be the final game of the 2020 calendar year. The 2-2 Fighting Illini are coming off a road loss to Nebraska, and a visit to Assembly Hall will only be the team’s second road game of the season.
(12/21/20 4:31pm)
Coming off a tough shooting night Thursday against Tennessee, Indiana bounced back offensively to beat Nebraska in its Big Ten opener, 81-45, behind big games from its two frontcourt starters.
Junior Aleksa Gulbe and sophomore Mackenzie Holmes were key in this win, combining for 32 of the team’s 81 points. Gulbe also picked up a double-double on the evening, grabbing 12 boards to go along with her 18 points. Holmes seemed to be a key source of offense for the Hoosiers, as her teammates consistently found her in the post to score and eventually pull away from the Huskers.
Holmes’ success at the rim opened up opportunities for Gulbe to score and expand on IU’s lead in the second quarter, where the Hoosiers outscored Nebraska 25-10. The junior also had a couple nice defensive plays on the night, racking up two steals, one she took all the way for a layup at the other end for an and-one. The frontcourt duo proved Sunday they can be lethal for opposing teams, and when these two are on the same page, they are very hard to stop.
“I’ve got to admit that it’s pretty amazing after that first year playing together,” Gulbe said. “We’ve really gotten a feel for each other and we love playing with each other. I know where Mac is going to be, she knows where I’m going to be. I love playing with her.”