Defensive woes plague IU in loss

The IU women's basketball team started off its preseason with a 82-69 loss at the hands of Athletes in Action Sunday. However, the 13-point loss could have been worse as IU went on a 9-0 run to end the game.\nAIA dominated the Hoosiers throughout the game with a barrage of three pointers. In total, AIA hit 10 three-pointers from four different players. Forwards Lisa Eckhart and Katie Voight hit six of seven three pointers between them in the first half and finished the game with 80 percent shooting from behind the arc. However, AIA's prowess from the three-point line was not IU's only problem as AIA dominated throughout the game.\nEarly in the first half, junior guard Jenny DeMuth stole the ball and broke away for lay-up for a 4-2 IU lead, which turned out to be the Hoosiers' only lead of the entire game. Then the shootout began. AIA answered with three straight three-pointers to begin a 16-2 run, giving AIA a 18-6 lead.\nThe rest of the game went on in a similar fashion as the Hoosiers were able to cut the lead down to single digits numerous times, only to have AIA cut off IU's rallies.\n"I think we played in spurts, we had some bright spots, we had some defensive stops," DeMuth said. "When we play defense, our offense is easier."\nDeMuth and sophomore guard Cyndi Valentin led all IU scorers with 17 points apiece while sophomore center Angela Hawkins led the team with 14 rebounds and nine points of her own. \nWhile the team had a reasonable offensive showing, hitting 41 percent of shots from the field, the players were unhappy with IU's defense in the game.\n "I would say the biggest thing that disappointed me would probably be our transition defense because we worked so hard on that, and it didn't show in the game," DeMuth said. "We have to communicate more. They're shooting a free throw, and we don't know who we have. That's a big problem."\nIU coach Kathi Bennett was also unhappy with IU's defensive stature within the game and cited the Hoosiers' defensive woes to communication problems on the court.\n"It's just a lack of this team talking to each other," Bennett said. "Even at time outs and free throws, we're just trying to get them matched up, and someone's got to take some leadership on the court and get us matched up and talk, and there's really a lack of that and they're going to have to solve that."\nWhile the Hoosiers were unhappy with the loss, the team is looking upon the game as a learning experience.\n"We got exposed to the things that we need to go back into practice and work on," Valentin said. "We work hard in practice and we do it, but when it comes to game time with different situations and different people, it shows that we have things to work on."\n-- Contact staff writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.