Hoosiers dominated in 78-69 loss

IU put up 69 points Sunday, good for its largest point total in a Big Ten game this season, and also shot at an impressive 50 percent for its second-best shooting game of the season. Yet the scoring was just not enough as the Iowa Hawkeyes (14-9, 8-4 Big Ten) defeated IU (10-14, 3-10). \nThe Hoosiers were firmly in control of the game for the first 10 minutes, taking a 25-10 lead off of a three-pointer by sophomore Cyndi Valentin. IU also showed suffocating defense during the stretch, holding the Hawkeyes to only two points for the first seven minutes of the game, while the Hoosiers managed to pour in 16 points. During the streak, the Hoosiers displayed phenomenal shooting, hitting nearly 70 percent of their shots.\n"Indiana came out and played wonderful defense," Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. "They were denying, they made it hard for us to run our offense, they pressured the ball very well and we missed a couple of shots that we normally make, but the main reason for the drought was Indiana's defense." \nStill, the Hawkeyes were able to turn the tide in their favor as Iowa put together a 16-0 run to give Iowa its first lead at 26-25 with 4:10 left in the first half. IU and Iowa then duked it out for the rest of the half to give the Hawkeyes a 35-33 at the break. \n"We came out with a lot of energy, and our defense was really good in the first ten minutes," Valentin said. "Then I think we broke down defensively at the end of the first half and into the second half."\nIU took little time to make it into a game, knotting the score at 35 just 15 seconds into the second half on two free throws by junior Jenny DeMuth. The game remained a dogfight with neither team garnering more than a three-point lead in the first 10 minutes of the second half until IU freshman Jamey Chapman hit a three from the top of the key to place the score at 56-52 in the Hoosiers' favor.\nThe lead changed hands 10 times in the game. Iowa went on an 8-2 run with under four minutes left in the game to give the Hawkeyes all they needed to take the game, 78-69.\nIU suffered from foul trouble throughout the game, with three Hoosiers finishing with four fouls and freshman Leah Enterline fouling out. As a result of IU's fouling woes, Iowa finished the game at 22-26 from the charity stripe, while the Hoosiers connected only 10-15 from the line. Bluder said Iowa's free-throw shooting may have been the difference in the game.\n"We did stay neck-and-neck," Bluder said. "We were trading baskets for much of the second half, but Jamie Cavey hit some really key buckets for us inside, and we got to the free-throw line a lot more than they did." \nDeMuth and Valentin led the way for the Hoosiers, scoring 20 points each. DeMuth also added four assists and seven boards and amassed five steals. Sophomore Angela Hawkins also added nine points and nine rebounds, while batting away four shots. \n"DeMuth is really good, and Valentin is a great shooter," Iowa junior Jamie Cavey said. "DeMuth is just awesome on defense, and she pushed our guards. Hawkins was also really good defensively. I think they are just a really good team."\n-- Contact senior writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.