Cassady carries Hoosiers in win

Suspended IU senior Rachael Honegger wasn't the story in IU's 83-79 overtime win against Wisconsin Thursday. \nJunior guard Heather Cassady made sure of that -- in the game's first five minutes. \nCassady's 11 points in the game's first five minutes carried IU (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten) to a 10-point halftime lead against No. 20 Wisconsin (14-8, 8-4). Her two three-pointers midway through the second half stopped a 24-5 Badger run and preserved an IU lead.\nCassady hit four field goals in four attempts in the first five minutes, on her way to a game-high 21 points. In five attempts, she didn't miss a single three-pointer, while shooting 6-of-9 from the field.\n"Cassady got them out of the block quick," Wisconsin coach Jane Albright said. "We knew, the one thing we needed to do was guard her, and we didn't." \nJunior forward Jill Chapman's two clutch overtime buckets gave the Hoosiers an insurmountable lead. Junior forward Erin McGinnis sealed the deal with two free throws with 12 seconds remaining in overtime. But for all the heroics Thursday, it was Cassady's night.\n"We were shouting, 'Find Heather, find Heather,'" women's coach Kathi Bennett said. "She was on fire. She is our captain; she is our leader. She got us going."\nWhile Cassady poured in her points, the team rallied around Honegger.\n"We wanted to come together as a team," Cassady said. \nBut no one plays with more emotion than Cassady. The Hoosiers were trying to hold a six-point lead midway through the second half, and Wisconsin had the ball. After a cross-court lob, Badger junior guard Tamara Moore raced past senior guard Rainey Alting, only to find Cassady waiting under the basket. \nMoore, who is averaging 13.3 points and 5.6 assists per game, plowed ahead, knocking Cassady flat on her back with an elbow.\nWhen the official called an offensive foul, Cassady started pumping her fist from the floor, before she had even caught her breath. Moore finished with only seven points and three assists Thursday.\n"Heather was incredible on Moore," Bennett said. "She contained a girl who has some big skills."\nMinutes before drawing the charging foul, Cassady steadied what looked to be a surely sinking ship. After IU had jumped out to a 20-point cushion on the Badgers, Wisconsin whittled the lead to one point, 47-46, after a 24-5 burst.\nAfter losing four out of the last five games, and dropping to seventh in the Big Ten standings, a loss would have hindered the Hoosiers' post-season hopes. But Cassady carried the Hoosiers when they needed her most, nailing consecutive three-pointers to extend the Hoosier lead to seven. \n"When they needed to score," Albright said, "they did"