#2 Indiana Women’s Basketball clinches first Big Ten Title since 1983 in front of sold-out crowd
By Nick Jenkinson\Excel H Sports
The #2 Excel H Sports Indiana Hoosiers beat their instate rivals the Purdue Boilermakers 83-60 in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,222 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Sunday afternoon which the first time in school history an IU women’s basketball home game has been sold out and break’s the attendance record set earlier this month of 13 046 against Iowa. The Hoosiers are 26-1 overall and 16-1 in the Big Ten and have a share of the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 1983 which is the schools only other Big Ten Regular season title in program history. The Hoosiers 16 wins in Big Ten play is most in school history. The 1983 team went 15-3 in the inaugural season of Big Ten Women’s Basketball which was honored during the game which was the 40th anniversary of that championship team along with players that were in attendance that represented all decades of Indiana Women’s Basketball over the 50 years that the program has been around. “That 1983 team has always supported us and they are down in the locker room signing the State of Indiana board and we are thankful to be able to celebrate this with them” Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game. The Hoosiers finished the regular season with a 16-0 home record this season.
The Starting five for the Hoosiers all scored double figures with Mackenzie Holmes leading the way with 20 points on 10-11 shooting and 7 rebounds, Senior Grace Berger had a double-double on her senior day with 14 points and 10 assist. Although she did not want to think about it before the game because it would be sad but after the game, she was able to reflect on what it means. “To go out cutting down the nets and I know were not done yet I couldn’t ask for better ending” Grace Berger said after the game. Chloe Moore-McNeil scored 14 points and 5 assists. Sydney Parrish a double-double 13 points and 10 rebounds. Parrish accomplished something she was not able to do when she played at Oregon and that is cut down the nets with the Hoosiers and play in front of her family and made sure to find her parents and grandparents after the game. “I made the right decision to come home, and my grandparents are a big reason why I came out and I am sure this hat and piece of the net will wind up in their house and I had it was special to celebrate with them” Parrish said after the game. Yarden Garzon added 12 points hitting 4 three pointers and pulling down 6 rebounds. Alyssa Geary who is the other senior on the team played 2 minutes pulled down a rebound and got a blocked shot as she missed her only field goal attempt. Sara Scalia scored 6 points. Lexus Bargesser and Henna Sandvik scored 2 points each as all 13 Hoosiers played. Indiana shot 32-60 from the field for 53%, 11-27 from three-point range for 40% and 8-9 from the free throw line for 89%. The Hoosiers pulled down 34 rebounds, dished out 20 assists, 6 blocks, 3 steals and committed 14 turnovers.
Purdue is 17-8 overall and 8-7 in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers were led in scoring by Lasha Petree with 23 points on 8-13 from the field along with 5-9 from three-point range and 2-4 from the free throw line. Abbey Ellis added 12 points and Jenae Terry added 11 points. Purdue finished the game shooting 23-54 for 42 %, 6-22 from three-point range for 27% and 8-13 from free throw line for 61 %, Purdue pulled down 26 rebounds, 12 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks and committed 14 turnovers.
The Hoosiers had a fight on their hands for the first half just like the first meeting in West Lafayette. Purdue went toe to toe with the Hoosiers. Indiana led 20-15 after the first quarter. Purdue outscored Indiana 19-17 in the second quarter as Indiana led 37-34 at halftime. Purdue went on a 7-0 run in the final 3:07 of the 2nd quarter as the Boilermakers went 3-3 from the field and held the Hoosiers scoreless for the final Three minutes and 18 seconds of the quarter as the Hoosiers went 0-4 from the field. In the third quarter Mackenzie Holmes scored on back-to-back layups to lead 41-34 as the Hoosiers outscored the Boilers 27-12 and led 64-49 at the end of the third quarter. The Hoosiers kept control in the fourth quarter leading by as many as 27 at one point and Purdue could get no closer than 21 as the Hoosiers outscored the Boilers 19-14 in the final quarter and cut the nets down after the game as Big Ten Champions and had a senior day celebration.
Indiana will travel to Iowa City on Sunday at 2 pm to take on the fourth-ranked Excel H Sports’ Iowa Hawkeyes in the final regular season game. Iowa travels to #6 Excel H Sports’ Maryland Tuesday before hosting Indiana next Sunday and if the Hawkeyes win both games, they will share the Big Ten title with Indiana.
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