Hoosiers gear up for N.C. State match

They've generated intensity, stuck with a high-caliber foe and produced a potent offense.\nBut the women's basketball team still has to enhance its defensive rebounding before it tests another highly ranked team with a talented frontcourt.\nIU encounters its second top-10 opponent in a week in No. 10 North Carolina State 7 p.m. Friday at Assembly Hall.\n"We need to improve and be a better rebounding team," coach Kathi Bennett said. "Stanford kind of jumped over us and got some second-chance points. I feel like we have to do a better job blocking out. I feel if we do that we have a better chance to win."\nThe Hoosiers (1-1) split games in a season-opening tournament in Palo Alto, Calif., falling to No. 9 Stanford 87-72 and dropping Western Kentucky 85-70. The Hoosiers led the unranked Hilltoppers 32-29 at halftime.\n"We played very well against Stanford," junior point guard Kristen Bodine said. "I think we showed what we're capable of doing when we play together and play well. Against Western, we had a little emotional letdown. I think we came back in the second half and played well."\nOut west, IU remained close to the Cardinals (2-0), drawing to within two points at 52-50 with 12:40 remaining. But Stanford pulled away with outside shooting and didn't lead by fewer than 11 points in the final five minutes. \nStanford's National Player of the Year candidate Nicole Powell controlled the game with a triple double of 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.\n"I think they're one of the best teams I ever coached against," Bennett said. "They are one of the best offensive teams because they all can shoot the three, but they all can get to the rim and they have a 6-foot-8 post player that's built like (IU senior) Jill Chapman that can dominate inside. \n"We bring that same intensity, same focus, same preparedness on our home court, we definitely give ourselves a chance to win."\nAs for N.C. State, the Wolfpack (2-0) slid past Drake 64-61Saturday and opened its season with a 84-47 drubbing of Radford Friday. Against stingy Drake, the Wolfpack shot 50 percent (21-of-42) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from behind the arc. \nDrake shot 42 percent. Forward Carisse Moody commanded the Wolfpack with 21 points and eight rebounds.\nDespite accurate shooting, N.C. State struggled on the boards -- just like IU did during the weekend. The Wolfpack grabbed 24 rebounds -- three of them offensive -- against Drake. The Hoosiers snatched 27 rebounds -- 10 offensive -- against the Cardinal.\nSenior forward Erin McGinnis led IU in rebounding with 17 during the two weekend games. She said Bennett is stressing rebounding during practice this week.\n"We're just going to work on it a lot in practice," McGinnis said. "We just have to keep getting repetition on box-outs and make sure every player gets their player boxed out. I think that will help a lot."\nBeyond the focus on rebounding, Bennett said she hopes her team can remained unfazed by a top-10 team at home during the holiday break.\n"I think it's a great situation to play in if we can play fearlessly against them," Bennett said. "We're going to have to do that"