With IU just two short weeks away from its first exhibition game of the 2016-17 season, the women’s basketball team had a sense of joyful optimism during Saturday night’s Hoosier Hysteria.
From dance moves at center court to out-gunning men’s players in the three-point shootout, the team went through the events of Hoosier Hysteria with smiles on their faces.
After introductions that featured each player running out to a song of their choice, the team burst into a group dance that culminated in IU Coach Teri Moren and her staff joining in on the action.
The dance finished with a rousing rendition of “Juju on That Beat,” which junior guard Tyra Buss and junior forward Amanda Cahill said took some practice to perfect.
“We practiced as a group a couple times, but some of us had to put in a little more work than others,” Cahill said with a knowing glance at Buss.
“‘Some of us’ meaning me and Amanda,” Buss said as the two laughed.
It was easy for the Hoosiers to laugh on Saturday. IU returns nearly all key contributors from a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament and expect to be ranked in preseason polls.
In a discussion with the host of the evening, ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg, Moren expressed her optimism for this year and the years to come with big goals.
“This is a program now that wants to get to the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight and the Final Four,” Moren said.
In the on-court events, the girls team shined as well, delivering an entertaining three-point contest after about thirty minutes of drills and shootaround.
Buss and Cahill took on senior guards Amber Deane and Karlee McBride in the first round of the three-point shootout. Buss earned the top seed for the finals easily, but McBride and Cahill went into a tiebreaking round where Cahill came out on top.
The classmates and close friends staged a back-and-forth battle in the finals, but Buss hit her final two shots to defeat Cahill by a score of 18-15. Greenberg tried to get Buss to talk some smack to her teammates after winning, but the star sheepishly refused.
After the men’s three-point contest, which was won by sophomore big man Thomas Bryant, Buss stepped up to battle the 7-footer in a battle of the sexes. Bryant’s hot hand cooled off, allowing Buss to pull out a 14-9 victory.
“It felt good, it’s just a fun thing to do,” Buss said. “It’s a good experience to get out in front of Hoosier Nation and just shoot.”
Buss certainly shot, as the team’s leading scorer from last season was the unquestioned star of the night for the Hoosier women. Both Buss and Cahill said they feel ready to get the season started with Hoosier Hysteria now out of the way.
IU’s first official game will be played against Presbyterian on November 11, followed two days later by a game against Vanderbilt that should provide a look at how the Hoosiers will fare against bigger schools this season.
Now that Buss and Cahill have participated in three Hoosier Hysterias, they are seasoned veterans of the annual kick-off event. But Cahill emphasized that each year is equally special and equally energizing for the team.
“I think you can never take it for granted, just all the amazing fans that we have in Assembly Hall and just being part of the atmosphere,” Cahill said. “Every year, it’s just as exciting and it’s a real blessing.”
