3rd Ranked Excel H Sports Indiana Women’s Basketball finishes non-Conference 12-0
Hoosiers down stubborn Bulldogs
By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports
The 3rd ranked Excel H Sports Indiana Hoosiers Women’s Basketball team ended the non-Conference season with a 67-50 win over the Butler Bulldogs before a Wednesday afternoon crowd of 5,898 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers finish the non-Conference with a perfect 12-0 record and will be off until next Thursday December 29, when they resume Big Ten Conference play at Michigan State at 3pm. Indiana is one of eight teams that remain undefeated in Women’s College Basketball. Indiana has won five in a row against the Bulldogs and leads the all-time series 9-1 with a 6-0 record at home along with a 3-1 record at Butler. Butler’s only win in the series came on December 9, 2012, when Bulldogs beat the Hoosiers 59-56 in Hinkle Fieldhouse. “These games before Christmas are always interesting, we did not get off to start we wanted to, but we are happy to get the win and go home for the next 3-4 days with a win and celebrate Christmas with a win than a loss because it’s a lot easier and trust me I have been on both sides of it” Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game.
Mackenzie Holmes led the way with 21 points and with a lot of young girls’ basketball players in stands due to school being out for the Christmas Holiday Holmes mentioned the crowd and how important it is to put on a show for those young girls that look up to this team. “Seeing those kids in the crowd and knowing we were those girls at those age it’s pretty special to see and to show that dreams can come true” Holmes said. Yarden Garzon added 13 points and Sydney Parrish had 10 points. The Hoosiers shot 44% percent from the field on 24-54 shooting, 7-20 from three-point range for 35 % and 12-13 from three-point line for 92%, Indiana pulled down 38 Rebounds, 15 assists, 4 steals 2 blocks. The Hoosiers scored 32 points in the paint and all eight points off the bench came from Lexus Bargesser who jumped to get a ball that stuck between the backboard and the rim. Bargesser was asked after the game if she can dunk and will see it in a game. “Yes, I am working on it and its possible that will see it this season” Bargesser said with a big smile.
The teams traded the first four baskets of the game tied 4-4 at 7:45 mark with the Hoosiers going on a 5-0 run. Butler responded with a 5-0 run to tie the game 9-9 with 4:11 left in the first quarter. Yarden Garzon broke the tie with a three pointer. Kendall Wingler scored on a layup as IU led to one point when Garzon hit a three and Mackenzie Holmes scored inside with the Hoosiers up six before Trinity White scored for the Bulldogs as Indiana led 17-13 after the first quarter. The Hoosiers opened the second quarter on 9-0 run with Holmes scoring on a layup and free throw along with back-to-back three pointers by Sydney Parrish and Garzon. Sydney Jaynes hit a basket and a free throw to break the Hoosier run but Indiana went on 9-0 run before Kelsy Taylor scored on back-to-back to jumpers. Indiana did not hit a field goal for the final 3:54 of the second quarter as Holmes hit two free throws to give the Hoosiers a 37-20 lead going in the locker room.
In the second half Butler got the lead within 10 points with 5:24 left in the 3rd quarter outscoring the Hoosiers 11-4 as Indiana did all afternoon the Hoosiers went on a 11-2 run to end the quarter leading 52-33 and outscoring Butler 15-13 in the quarter. Butler’s Shay Fredrick ran into a Mackenzie Holmes pick at the end of third quarter and was helped to the locker room unable to return as she finished with 3 points in 17 minutes of action. Butler outscored the Hoosiers 17-15 in the fourth quarter and Indiana did not score a field goal for the final two minutes and twenty-one seconds of the game.
Butler is 5-7 on the season and was led in scoring by Zionsville HS product Rachel McLimore with 13 points. Sydney Jaynes who played at Trinity Lutheran HS in Seymour scored 11 points. The Bulldogs are coached by Austin Parkinson who came over from IUPUI after 12 seasons with a 224-141 record along with 6 WNIT appearances and 2022 NCAA Tournament Appearance. The Jaguars qualified for the 2020 NCAA Tournament that was canceled by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Parkinson a Kokomo Indiana Native and 2000 Indiana All Star at Northwestern HS played at Purdue from 2000-04 took over a team that one just one game a season ago has built this program from the ground up. Along with five (5) in state players on the roster and two players that transferred with Parkinson from IUPUI with McLimore and Anna Mortag. The other Indiana connections are Jessica Crothers and Abby Stoddard from Crown Point and Kelsy Taylor from New Albany
The 12-0 start is the best start in the Teri Moren era. Moren started 10-0 in 2018-19 and currently this is third best start in school history just breaking the 11-0 mark set by 1992-93 team that was coached by Jim Izard. Indiana was 15-0 in 1972 under Bea Gorton in the first season of Indiana Women’s Basketball and 14-0 in 2013-14 under Curt Miller. The Hoosiers started the season 10-0 under Jim Izard in in 1992-93 and 1993-94. Moren has won 383 career games in her 20 seasons overall and has won 184 games here in Bloomington she is second behind Jim Izard who had 188 wins in 12 seasons from 1988-2000.
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