IU opens regular season against No. 8 Baylor

For IU head coach Kathi Bennett, the time has finally come. Bennett and the Hoosiers will look to bounce back after a disappointing season last year as they open up the regular season Friday night in Waco, Texas, against the No. 8 Baylor Lady Bears in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. \nThe cream and crimson are coming off a 75-67 victory over the Australian Institute of Sport in its only exhibition game of the year. Junior Cyndi Valentin carried the Hoosiers, as she netted a game-high 23 points, shooting 6-15 from the field and 4-7 from behind the arc.\nThe AIS squad tested IU throughout much of the game until a three-point basket from sophomore Leah Enterline helped the Hoosiers pull away with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left. The Hoosiers refused to look back and turned up the intensity throughout the last three minutes of the game. A key three-point play by junior Angela Hawkins followed by two free throws from senior LeeAnn Stephenson sealed a Hoosier victory.\nThe Lady Bears enter Friday night's contest against the Hoosiers with a 0-1 record after a 71-70 loss to No. 2/3 Louisiana State University last Sunday in the State Farm Women's Tip Off Classic in Austin, Texas. The Lady Bears were led by junior and preseason All-American Sophia Young and senior Steffanie Blackmon as the pair combined to score 43 of Baylor's 70 points with 21 and 22, respectively, against the Tigers.\nYoung and Blackmon have proved to be among the nation's most formidable inside duos, averaging 32.3 points and 15.5 rebounds per game last season. The Hoosiers will look to hold off the powerful forwards, as Bennett will use the foursome of Hawkins, senior Jamie Gathing, junior Brigett Branson and sophomore Sarah McKay to stop Baylor's leading scorers.\n"We're going to look to hold off Young and Blackmon by using double and triple teams, and let their other players try to beat us," Bennett said. "Defensively we need to play better, and I believe since the last time out we have taken strides, and hopefully it will show against Baylor."\nAs will be the theme this season, IU will have to overcome a difficult schedule as it ranks sixth in strength of schedule in the Summerville RPI Poll, facing six ranked opponents in ESPN/USA Today's Top 25. Nevertheless, the Hoosiers say they will not let the rankings intimidate them as they head into Friday night's season opener.\n"The rankings really don't matter to us," Hawkins said. "We're the underdog, but we are going to play tough and leave it all on the floor."\nIU will look to take advantage of the opportunity to take on one of the nation's top women's basketball programs and hopes to tip-off the season on a good note before entering the Big Ten conference season.\n"I think it will be a good start to the year for us to take on a top-ranked team," Enterline said. "It will definitely help prepare us for the Big Ten, and it should be a great opportunity for us to get better." \n-- Contact staff writer Matt Ostrega at mostrega@indiana.edu.