Hoosiers beat Brown at tourney

Playing four games during the course of the week, the women's basketball team didn't enjoy the luxury of time off this holiday break. \nBut they had plenty to be thankful for. \nThey've leaped to their first 5-0 start since the 1994-95 season.\nThey won the Holiday Inn/Fazoli's Classic Saturday for the eighth consecutive year, roughing up the Brown (R.I.) Bears with a 72-63 win at Assembly Hall.\n"I just feel like we toughed it out tonight," coach Kathi Bennett said. "We got the win and tried to play hard. We just weren't as crisp and sharp."\nThe Hoosiers held Brown (2-2) scoreless for the first five minutes, never trailing in the game. But IU kept Brown in the contest by missing open shots, especially in the paint. For the game, the Hoosiers made 30 field goals in 74 attempts.\n"I felt we started out defensively really well, but we weren't making shots," Bennett said. "Because we were holding them and getting steals, I think if we had that explosion where we were making shots in the beginning of the game, we could have broken it open a bit earlier."\nMidway through the first half, the Bears clawed their way back in it, going on a 23-15 run. Bears' guard Tara Williams sunk back to back three-pointers, cutting the Hoosiers' lead to 31-29.\nBut that's as close as they came. Coming off a 34-29 halftime lead, the Hoosiers exhibited more energy in the second half. A flurry of threes from freshman guard Anna Waugh and junior guard Heather Cassady brought the Hoosiers to a 17-point lead. \nCassady, who finished with nine points and was named to the all-tournament team, showed a lot of acrobatic finesse on the fast break. After having evaded two defenders to make an underhanded layup in the first half, she outdid herself by finding senior forward Rachael Honegger on a drive with a no-look, behind-the-back pass for a wide open jumper. \n"One of my goals this year is to have more assists," Cassady said. "And I think that when I penetrate and dish it off, I have players that I can rely on to make the shots." \nAnd the Hoosiers saw more than a few open courts over the course of the game, forcing 29 turnovers. With the Bears double-teaming the high-scoring junior center Jill Chapman, the guards also took it to the paint more than usual.\nWhile Chapman was held to a season-low six points, 6-foot-4 sophomore forward Erika Christenson stepped up, scoring 10 points and pulling down three boards in 18 minutes of play. \n"I was just really happy with the way that the guards were getting us the ball and swinging the ball around," Christenson said. "That broke down their defense. I know it helps a lot when (senior guard) Rainey (Alting) and the other guards drive, it pulls our defenders."\nChristenson wasn't the only one on the Hoosier bench to come through. The reserves outscored the starters 41-32. \n"I think our depth will be our key as far as how well we do this season," Bennett said. "If we continue to have that great strength and intensity when we rotate, if we sub or get in foul trouble, that's going to be the key to the season." \nIn their first tournament game, the Hoosiers walked over the Furman (S.C.) Lady Paladins 78-62. The Paladins' zone defense proved ineffective, and a 17-2 first half run put the nail in the coffin. Although they had moderate success after switching it to man-to-man, the Paladins (2-1) never recovered. \nAlting claimed the tournament's MVP title. She finished the two games with 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Beyond that, she played aggressive defense, holding Brown guard Barbara Maloni to 12 points.\nMaloni, who's quick and known to turn a steal into an easy layup, came into Assembly Hall averaging 29.5 points per game.\n"I was surprised, actually, to win MVP," Alting said. "But I'm happy and excited about it."\nThe Hoosiers play next against Kent State Tuesday at Assembly Hall. It will be the fifth game they'll play in eight days.\n"I think most of us are pretty tired, but we've shown a lot of toughness," Alting said. "I think we're going to have to work through this together and that's what we've done so far. I think we're really looking forward to a break"