#7 Indiana came out on fire from the gate, scoring on their fiirst 6 posessions. They manhadled the Illinois defense, who started out in a zone, but were getting beaten by IU’s fluid ball movement. The Illini did not seem to know what hit them, and after the first 10 minutes of play, the Hoosiers had a 20 point lead.
“I felt like we were shooting the ball well,” said IU Head Coach Teri Moren about the offensive foundation laid by her team from the onset of last night’s game. “Things were going our way, and it gives eveybody, including our staff and the bench, a lot of energy and a lot of confidence. . . eveyone was feeling really good about our offense.”
The second quarter would be more of the same, with Indiana maintaining the heat with the best balance of post and perimeter scoring we have seen from them all year. Ali Patberg scored 21 in the first half, and the Hoosiers went into the lockeroom up 54-24.
But this first half was not all about points scored, as Indiana earned 24 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in the first half. The cohesion was phenominal, with regular bench rotation and Hoosiers assiting their teammates 10 times in the first 20 minutes of this road game. By the final buzzer, Indiana was able to amass 20 total assists, “which I am so excited about,” said Coach Moren, “because that means we’re sharing the ball.”
More of the same throughout the 3rd and 4th quarters for the Hoosiers, as they reclaimed their true rhythm, perhaps for the first time since losing All-American Forward Mackenzie Holmes from the starting line-up early in January due to a knee injury. Unfortunately, during the third quarter, Graduate Guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary took a hard fall following a 3-point shot, twisting either her knee or her ankle. Thankfully the preliminary report from the training staff made it appear as if she will be fine, and only did not return into the game because of the significant lead Indiana accumulated.
But other than that one moment, the game was an exceptional demonstration by the nation’s 7th ranked team.,
“This coach, tonight, is finding very few things that I can upset with, with this group,” exclaimed Coach Moren during the post-game press conference.
Coach was pleased with the offense, the defense, the overall sense of teamwork, and also the productivity from the bench. One of the benefits of a substancial lead is the opportunity to reach a little deeper down the bench, allowing those with less experience the chance to get in some minutes. During the game, Indiana saw 70 minutes of play from the bench. On the scorecard they accomplished 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal; although the leadership they displayed went beyond the numbers.
With the IU starters cheering along from the sidelines, Sophomore Guard Chloe Moore-McNeil led the offense for the final 6+ minutes. She did so with patience and maturity, getting past the full-court press, and directing healthy ball movement to both absorb time off the clock as well as find open shots.
“Loved everything [Moore-McNeil] did,” said Coach Moren with brut confidence. “She’s steady, she’s calm, and I thought she was terrific defensively . . . really pleased, but not surprised.”
Gamestats: Ali Patberg scored 26 points; Aleska Gulbe 18; Grace Berger 13; Nicole Cardano-Hillary 7 ; Kiandra Browne 6; and off of the bench, Katlin Peterson scored a career best 11 points; Chloe Moore-McNeil 9 points, and Grace Waggoner 3 points.
The Fighting Illini were led in scoring with 14 points by Adalia McKenzie, while Jayla Oden added 13 points. The Hoosiers have won 13 in a row against the Fighting Illini, keeping the longest active streak going for most consecutive wins against a conference opponent. Indiana becomes 17-3, 9-1 and Illinois falls to 6-13, 1-7.
“A great win for us . . . and, onward . . . we have to look forward to a really great Michigan State team,” exclaimed Moren as she made mention of needing to start preparations for this Saturday’s 3pm match-up again Michigan State at Assembly Hall. Michigan State stunned IU 69-61 in their last meeting during the 2021 Big Ten Tournament, when Junior Guard went to town, scoring 30 and producing 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
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