Indiana Women play this afternoon in the NCAA Round of 32
The IU Lady Hoosiers got it done on defense, defeating VCU 63-32, holding the Rams to 23% shooting from the field, on Monday afternoon.
It was a rough start, in Indiana’s first NCAA tournament game since their 2019 second round loss to Oregon. IU held a 5-point lead at half, but after 2 quarters of play, the score was 22-17, significantly lower than what the Hoosiers are used to. Junior Guard Grace Berger scored 13 of those 22, but it was obvious that IU had not found an offensive rhythm. MacKenzie Holmes was practically shut out of the offense at that point, with only 2 shots after 20 minutes of play.
The third quarter was the turning point, as Indiana concentrated on strong moves to the basket, driving the baseline on several occasions and initiating contact . . . they were obviously motivated by the words of Coach Teri Moren in the locker room at halftime. Grace Berger said the message of that conversation was to “not just settle for jump shots and get in the paint.”
Coming back from the locker room to play strong in the second half has been a reoccurring theme for this year’s Lady Hoosiers. Coach Moren addressed exactly what Monday’s halftime conversation sounded like. “We weren’t close to hitting the panic button [because of a 5 point halftime lead], but we have to have kids willing to make the extra pass,” she said. Coach told her team to, “think about moving parts . . . rotate and fill open spots.”
The plan worked, as IU made the extra passes, turned on the offense, and scored 41 second half points; but perhaps more impressive was the continued defensive effort, holding VCU to 15 second half points and just 32 for the entire game. Indiana was also able to make each possession count, turning the ball over just 7 times during the game against a team that is known for their ability to steal the ball and force turnovers.
Today, the 4th seeded IU Hoosiers will play their round of 32 game against the 12th seeded Belmont Bruins, tipping off at 5pm ET, televised live on ESPNU. Belmont defeated 5 seed Gonzaga 64-59 in their first round matchup, led by Destinee Wells’ 25 points. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen
Lower Cascades Streambank Stabilization and Trail Extension Project
Since March 2020, Old State Road 37 through Lower Cascades Park has functioned as a bicycle- and pedestrian-only trail. A 0.6-mile segment of the road between the Lower Cascades Park playground and the IMI quarry entrance is closed to motorized vehicles during this pilot road conversion project. This week, the road through Lower Cascades Park is closed to ALL users–pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists–as a safety measure during tree removal in the park. Twenty-three trees are being removed in preparation for a significant project to stabilize the streambank to reduce erosion, provide easier access to the creek for recreational purposes, construct an accessible boardwalk to the Cascades waterfall, and extend the Cascades Park Trail north through the park. Before the project’s estimated start in May, CBU will complete an unrelated utility project at the southern end of Lower Cascades Park. Once the utility project begins (in late March or early April), half of the converted road on the southern end of the park will be closed to allow for traffic related to the utility project. The playground and the Sycamore Shelter (at the corner of Old State Road 37 North and Clubhouse Drive) will remain open during construction, although the parking lot on the south side of the playground, where the restroom building is located, may close periodically and temporarily to facilitate the safe movement of large equipment. More information about the pilot road conversion and opportunities to provide feedback about the project are available at https://bloomington.in.gov/parks/lower-cascades-road.
Indianapolis Indians announce 2021 season
The news we have all patiently waited for during our extended offseason is finally here – Indianapolis Indians baseball will be back at Victory Field in 2021! The 120-game season features 60 home games – the first coming on Tuesday, May 11 – in what will end a 619-day layoff since the Indians last played at The Vic on Aug. 31, 2019. Since Indianapolis last took the field, the landscape of the minor leagues has changed drastically. The Indians are now part of the 20-team Triple-A East and will face eight of those clubs in 2021, including the top affiliates of the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.
The 2021 schedule was constructed with COVID-19 precautions in mind and does not foreshadow potential scheduling plans for seasons to come. Intradivisional and regional games were the focus to assist with travel for all 20 teams along with homestands and road trips limited to facing only one opponent as well. With those factors in mind, the Indians will not play any of the six teams in the Triple-A Northeast Division (Buffalo, Lehigh Valley, Rochester, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Syracuse, Worcester) and five of the seven teams in the Southeast Division (Charlotte, Durham, Gwinnett, Jacksonville, Norfolk).
The safety of fans, partners, players and staff remains top priority, as The Indians will provide more information on single-game tickets, promotions, Victory Field safety guidelines and capacity restrictions in the coming weeks.