#16 Hoosiers cruise past Maryland on Senior Day
By Nick Jenkinson\Excel H Sports
The Indiana Hoosiers took care of Maryland Terrapins 71-54 Sunday Afternoon inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Indiana closes out the regular season with a 24-4 record and a 15-3 Conference Record. Indiana will be the #3 seed in the Upcoming Big Ten Tournament and will play its first game on Friday Night at 9pm in the Quarterfinals after securing a double bye. Iowa beat Ohio State 93-83 to finish the Big Ten 15-3. The Hoosiers and Hawkeyes split the season series but Iowa beat Ohio State and will get the number 2 seed and the Hoosiers lost to Ohio State is the next tiebreaker. The Hoosiers finish the regular season 15-0 at home and are the only Big Ten Team to accomplish that feat and they are projected to be top 4 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and should be hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Bloomington for the third season in a row.
The Hoosiers honored Seniors Mackenzie Holmes, Sara Scalia and Arielle Wisne in pre- and post-game ceremonies. Holmes finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds, but she went down in the second half with a knee injury, but she was able to return to the bench on her own late in the fourth quarter. Scalia led the way with 19 points and drilled four three pointers. Wisne who has not played a lot in her time year but in the final minute of the game she got a big-time block and her bench celebrated with her after the game. Wisne also sung the National Anthem before the game and received a standing ovation, and it was surprise to her teammates because they did not know before the game that she was going to sing the National Anthem.
Yarden Garzon scored 17 points and hit four three pointers. Chloe Moore-McNeil who announced on Saturday that she will return for her fifth and final season scored 10 points and went 8-8 from the free throw line. Sydney Parrish scored 10 points and has scored 1,000 career points between her two seasons at the University of Oregon and IU. Lexus Bargesser scored 2 points, Juliana LaMendola and Lilly Meister scored 1-point apiece. Lenee Beaumont and Henna Sandvik played but did not score. The Hoosiers finished 23-52 from the field for 44%. 8-24 from three-point range for 33% and 17-20 from the free throw line. The Hoosiers pulled down 39 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 6 steals, 5 blocks and committed 14 turnovers. The Hoosiers had 28 points in the paint, 16 points in the paint and 4 points off the bench. Meister went down with ankle injury in the second half and both she and Holmes are being evaluated and are day to day.
Maryland finished 17-12 in the regular season and 9-9 in Big Ten was lead in scoring by Jakia Brown-Turner with 15 points along with 13 rebounds. Bri McDaniel added 13 points and Shyanne Sellers added 11 points. Maryland was 19-67 from the field for 28%, 3-16 from three-point range 18% and 13-19 from the free throw line for 64%, Maryland had 42 rebounds, dished out 10 assists, 5 steals, 1 block and committed 13 turnovers. The Terps scored 28 points in the paint, 11 points off turnovers and 4 bench points.
In the first Quarter the Hoosiers jumped out a 4-0 lead before Maryland got its first basket by Faith Masonius at the 7:08 mark of the first quarter. The Hoosiers went on 12-0 capped off by two back-to-back three pointers from Yarden Garzon that led to Maryland timeout at 5:38 mark. Maryland responded with 8-0 run to get within two 16-14 with 2:23 left. Sara Scalia drained a three to give the Hoosiers a five-point lead capped off by a Mackenzie Holmes layup with 1:02 left as the Hoosiers led 21-14 at the end of the first quarter. The Hoosiers outscored Maryland 18-10 in the second quarter including a 15-2 run when Hoosiers knocked down three 3 pointers with two from Garzon and Scalia to led by 20 with 3:16 left before half. Maryland outscored Indiana 8-3 the rest of the half including a 6-0 run to close out the half as the Hoosiers led 39-24 going into the locker room.
The Hoosiers outscored Maryland 32-30 in the second half with 16-15 in the third and fourth quarters. The Hoosiers led by double-digits the entire third quarter and led 55-39 going into the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers kept the double-digit lead and Indiana has won 4 straight against Maryland and 5 of the last six after Maryland won the first 11 of the series that dates back to 2015. The Hoosiers now turn their focus to the postseason and the Big Ten Tournament which it will take three games to win the title and then onto the NCAA Tournament.
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