{"id":2456,"date":"2022-03-21T04:03:58","date_gmt":"2022-03-21T04:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bloomingtonnews.online\/?p=2456"},"modified":"2022-03-28T02:12:47","modified_gmt":"2022-03-28T02:12:47","slug":"preview-of-indianas-ncaa-second-round-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomingtonnews.online\/?p=2456","title":{"rendered":"Preview of Indiana\u2019s NCAA Second Round challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“I’m trying to be prepared mentally for our game, because I want to win. I want to win bad.”<\/strong><\/p>– IU Graduate Guard Ali Patberg<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

With Charlotte out of the way, only Princeton stands between the Indiana University Women\u2019s Basketball team and their second consecutive NCAA Sweet Sixteen. These two teams look very similar from a statistics perspective, and home court advantage might be necessary to get past this obstacle, a misnomer at an 11th<\/sup> seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the outcome, this match-up will also mark the last time that four of your Indiana Hoosiers will play at home, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall: Grace Waggoner, Nicole Cardano-Hillary, Aleksa Gulbe, and the team\u2019s leader and 7-year collegiate athlete, Ali Patberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Graduating Hoosiers with their loved ones during Senior Night at Assembly Hall (Photo by Skip Daley \/ SCINN)<\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love Assembly Hall,\u201d said Patberg. \u201cI grew up coming to games. Dreamed about playing here, and I’m just thankful that I had two more games than I normally would have,\u201d Patberg refenced Assembly Hall hosting these two NCAA Tournament Rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even during this emotional moment, this veteran player plans to stay focused on the goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patberg added, \u201c. . . I’m just trying to stay in the moment. I’m trying to be prepared mentally for our game, because I want to win. I want to win bad. And so, I’m trying not to think about it, honestly. But like I said, I’m just thankful that I get another game in Assembly Hall. And I’m going to make the most of it. We’re going to make the most of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And winning would mean that the Hoosiers would continue their season, stepping closer to their pre-season goal of a Final Four berth, and the opportunity to compete for a National Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the 11th<\/sup> seed is no slouch. They haven’t lost since mid-December 2021 and are coming off of a decisive win against the 6th<\/sup> seeded Kentucky Wildcats, a team which won the super competitive SEC Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, let\u2019s look at the 2021-22 Princeton Tigers . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Coach Carla Berube<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Princeton Head Coach Carla Berube during the 2022 NCAA Tournament (Photo by Jeremy Hogan \/ The Bloomingtonian)<\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Princeton Head Coach Carla Berube is a 1997 graduate of the University of Connecticut (played under Head Coach Geno Auriemma), where she accomplished 4 Big East Championship Titles, 2 Sweet 16 appearances, and won the NCAA National Championship. She scored 1,381 points during her career, and her team went 132-8 in her 4 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She became the head Coach at Tufts in 2002, where she went 384-96 in 17 seasons while reaching the NCAA Division III Final twice, the Final 4 four times, and the Sweet 16 nine times. She won the Pat Summitt Trophy in 2015 as the Division III National Coach of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is her second year leading the Tigers. Last season they did not play, however, in 2019-20, went 26-1, finishing with a 22-game winning streak. The Tigers\u2019 streak was the second longest in the country, behind #1 South Carolina. They ended the season with a RPI of #9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022 Tigers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n