It was one of several high-powered games this week in Women’s College Basketball, as #4 Indiana took on the defending NCAA Champions, the 7th ranked Cardinal of Stanford at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, Bahamas. Earlier in the week #1 Stanford battled past #2 UCONN, and earlier in the day, #2 Maryland lost big to #5, North Carolina State.
The Hoosiers came out strong to start off the first quarter, and Junior Forward Mackenzie Holmes was instrumental in the first few minutes, recording 2 baskets, 2 blocks, and 2 rebounds; although, her production was shut down by a much taller Stanford team who held Holmes to just 6 points for the game.
It was a gritty game, with the Cardinal taking a lead midway through the first quarter and never relinquishing control. The Hoosiers just wouldn’t go away, though, fighting back from a 12-point deficit to get within 3 at half, and within one point in the waning minutes of the match-up. Even though they only shot 32% from the field and were out rebounded 59-38, Indiana never let up tough physical play. 35-year veteran Head Coach of the Cardinal, Tara VanDerveer credited IU with their defensive presence.
“[Indiana] played a great game and they are well coached,” said Coach Vanderveer during the post-game press conference. “This was the most physical game we’ve played so far,” she added. Her respect for the Hoosier’s program was evident when she stated that Indiana will “win a lot of games this year.”
Winning was not in the cards for IU today, as they struggled to make shots. Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren said, “[We] just didn’t shoot the ball well enough to beat a team like Stanford.” While Senior Guards Ali Patberg and Nicole Cardano-Hillary scored 19 and 18 points, respectively, All-Americans Grace Berger and Holmes combined for just 7 of 31 from the field.
“[We] fought like crazy to get back in the game and give ourselves a chance,” said Coach Moren, referencing the leadership, strong defense, and some key 3-point shots from Patberg and Cardano-Hillary to keep Indiana close. But in the end, the Hoosiers had no answer for Stanford’s 6’4” Sophomore Forward Cameron Brink. Brink scored 21 and pulled down 22 rebounds, 17 off of the defensive boards.
Some positive take-aways for the Hoosiers from this tough loss include the level of effort delivered for the full 40 minutes of play; and, the ability to match strongly against proven perennial programs such as Stanford. “[This game] gives us confidence that we can play with the best teams in the country,” said Patberg, after the loss. For now, she said, they will simply “be disappointed, learn from it, and be ready to come back.”
That come back will need to be quick, as Indiana (4-1) will remain in the Bahamas to take on the Miami Hurricanes (4-1) on Saturday at 8:30pm. The following week, IU will battle NC State in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Sweet 16 game, where IU won and advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time in program history.
