#9 Excel H Sports Ranked Indiana University Women’s Basketball wins battle with #11 Excel H Sports Ranked Maryland

By Nick Jenkinson/ Excel H Sports

   The Number nine (9) ranked Excel H Sports Indiana Hoosiers Women’s Basketball team took down the eleventh (11) ranked Excel H Sports Maryland Terrapins 68-61 before a crowd of 5,789 Thursday Night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.            Indiana is 15-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten while Maryland drops to 13-4 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten. Indiana has won three games against Maryland with all three wins coming in the last two seasons and the second straight time the Hoosiers have won against Maryland at home and the other coming in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis last season. “That was hard played game between two good teams, all wins are good and hard” Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game”.

    Sydney Parrish led the Hoosiers with 18 Points with 13 of those coming in the first half. Mackenzie Holmes recorded her fourth straight double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds Yarden Garzon and Grace Berger scored 11 points each. It was Berger’s first home game since coming back from a knee injury this week. Berger hasn’t played a home game since Mid-November since she was hurt against Auburn in Las Vegas. Indiana was 25-49 from the field for 51%, 6-15 from three-point range for 40% and 12-21 from the free throw line for 57 %. Indiana pulled down 37 rebounds, 15 assists, 12 steals, 4 blocks, 32 points in the paint and committed 19 turnovers.

   Maryland was led in scoring by Diamond Miller with 19 Points and Brinae Alexander scored 15 points. Abby Meyers who IU fans will remember from the NCAA Tournament run last season when she was at Princeton a season ago scored 9 points and double figure scorer Shyanne Sellers had 9 points. Maryland was 21-57 for 36%, 6-18 from three-point range for 33% and 13-18 from the free throw line for 72%. Maryland pulled down 29 rebounds, 10 steals, 11 assists, 1 block, 18 points in the paint and had 16 turnovers.

    This game was a 12 round heavyweight fight and both teams battled to the end. Maryland 20-19 at the end of the first quarter with 6 Ties and 6 Lead Changes. The Hoosiers outscored Maryland 16-7 in the second quarter to take a 35-27 lead into the locker room with just 1 lead change in the second quarter. Maryland. In the second half Maryland fought back and outscored the Hoosiers 15-13 as the Hoosiers used build a 10-point lead and led 48-42 at the end of the third quarter. With the game tied 50-50 with 6:12 left in the game Indiana outscored Maryland 18-11 and outscored the Terps 20-19 in the fourth quarter.

    The crowd was a big part of this game and during the game a Maryland player let Mackenzie Holmes know how much of a difference they make. “It was funny that one of their players told me during the game your fans are legit, and they are loud” Holmes Said. Holmes said that she is glad to get to play here with a great fan base and be the home team and the energy that they bring for every game. The Hoosiers will host Wisconsin on Sunday at 2 pm and Coach Moren says that this league is too good to get too high or low. “If we enjoy this for 48 hours, we will not be ready for Wisconsin on Sunday and we will enjoy this tonight and get ready for Sunday when they come in tomorrow” Moren said.