Win a Big Ten Championship, make the NCAA Final Four, and compete for a National Championship; these were the goals of the 2021-22 Indiana Women’s Basketball Team. All of these still seem to be on the table, except the past several games have not helped their cause, losing 3 of the past 4.
Indiana walked into the calendar year 2022 riding high, feeling determined to accomplish the ever so important first piece of the puzzle on their wish list. They would need to find a way to defeat the Big Ten’s perennial champion in order to advance their goals. A win against Maryland has been on the checklist for the Hoosiers for many years, especially since elevating their program to national relevance. And at least one victory in the two-game series this year, would be imperative.
The setting was Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, it was January 2nd, and although Hoosier Nation brought about 6,000 fans to the game, the student section was not as complete, as this was in the middle of IU’s Winter Break.
The Hoosiers fought hard, and their game plan was clear; they would jam the paint and double-team Angel Reese, the All-Conference Senior Center for Maryland. Indiana rolled the dice, allowing their perimeter defense to work its magic while they focused on stifling Maryland’s post-game.
“[Reese] is a really good player in our league, and getting her in foul trouble is a good thing,” said Indiana WBB Head Coach Teri Moren during a pre-game conference of the rematch. “She is susceptible to fouling . . . we have to be more intentional about going inside early.”
The gamble paid off in game 1! While Reese was still able to accomplish a double/double, Maryland was visibly frustrated on offense for most of the game. By contrast, IU offensively fed their pair of Forwards down low and scored high percentage points, while getting Reese into foul trouble. Even though the Hoosiers allowed the Terps to get back into the game, tying it late in the fourth quarter, IU dominated the overtime, and won 70-63. The Hoosiers set the pace of the game and accomplished balanced point production.
Just a few days later, Indiana would suffer a significant loss, with All-American Junior Forward Mackenzie Holmes injuring her knee during a workout. She was sidelined for 6 weeks, rehabbing for 4 of them after an unidentified procedure in late January.
Indiana was 12-2 before losing Holmes, and 7-4 since her injury. While Sophomores Kiendra Browne and Chloe Moore McNeil have worked hard and stepped up their games in Holmes’ absence, IU was missing 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, along with a significant defensive presence. Although Holmes has returned and played in 3 games, she is not very close to where she was before the injury. Coach Moren described her as currently being at 60% of her capabilities.
“Yesterday was a great day for us,” said Coach Moren. “It is the first practice in 8 weeks Mackenzie Holmes has had.” Coach explained that this was the first time in 8 weeks that Holmes has been able to get up and down the floor. “In each game we have seen her look a little more comfortable, but unfortunately, it has been having to do that inside of real live games.”
The rematch is upon us, and both teams will anticipate a physical and exhausting game. These two conference powerhouses will each be determined to give it all they have for the final game of the regular season, one which has serious implications for the seeding of the Big Ten Tournament, scheduled for next week.
What to expect during the game:
- Indiana will try to push the pace on offense, and work the ball inside. With the ball, they will post Holmes one on one against Reese and capitalize on the talent of Holmes going to either hand, or finding an open weak-side shot, likely by Nicole Cardano-Hillary.
- Aleksa Gulbe should play the 5 role on defense during a significant part of this game, so the need for her to continue her recent step-up is important. Gulbe will need to come down with 8 or more rebounds and be very strong in preventing second chance shots.
- Cardano-Hillary will be matched against Ashley Owusu, Maryland’s All-American Point Guard. Cardano-Hillary will have to set the tone by slowing down the Terps’ ball push, and watch the inevitable ball screen switch attempts, that Maryland uses on back-cuts to the basket – and do so while not picking up quick fouls.
- The Hoosiers will need Ali Patberg to score in this game. She sank 18 the last time these two met but has been hot and cold with her field goal percentage over the past several weeks. Her leadership is important but finding the bottom of the net is necessary for the 7th year Graduate Guard against a Maryland team that can score a lot of points.
- Indiana must maintain possession of the ball. they need to keep their turnovers to a minimum, ideally under 10.
- Maryland will look to establish perimeter success from the onset and use it to open up their inside game. Very few teams work the ball screen cut to basket as effectively as Maryland. The Terps will use their bench in quick substitutions, hoping to find mismatches on the offensive side of the court. They will likely play 9 or 10 athletes during the game. A fast-paced game set by the Hoosiers would disrupt those efforts.
In the past week, Indiana has dropped from 5th to 10th in the national rankings, and from 1st to 5th in the Big Ten Conference. 6 games in a dozen days to end the season, including the last 3 games against ranked teams, is a rough break; but they will need to rise to the challenge if they are to accomplish their lofty goals.
Coach Moren believes that her Hoosiers are prepared to play their best basketball moving forward. “When March rolls around and we’re in the NCAA Tournament, we hope for our best basketball, and that we’re right in stride to peak at the right time,” she said with enthusiasm.
The game is Friday night, February 25th at 8pm, televised on BTN.
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