Hoosiers defeat Lady Stars 70-63 in exhibition opener

The Sharon Versyp era started on a positive note Thursday night as the Hoosiers won their exhibition opener against the Hoosier Lady Stars, 70-63.\n"For the team, tonight was a whole new experience," Versyp said. "We did some good things, but other things not so well."\nIU got off to a slow start against the Lady Stars, falling behind 5-0. The Hoosiers scored their first points of the game on a free throw by senior Jenny DeMuth, who redshirted last season with a knee injury.\nBehind senior guard and team captain Cyndi Valentin, the Hoosiers charged back into the game. Valentin scored seven straight points early in the first half to give IU its first lead of the game.\nAs the team captain, Valentin knows she has to take a leadership role. \n"I've been playing for three years," Valentin said. "With coach and her system, we're still learning game situations."\nValentin finished the game with 14 points and a team-leading three assists.\nThe two teams exchanged baskets throughout the half until the Lady Stars slowly pulled away in the closing minutes of the half.\nWith IU down 26-21, freshman forward Whitney Thomas dominated the post, scoring seven points and grabbing several offensive rebounds. Behind Thomas' inside dominance, the Hoosiers tied the game 30-30 at the half.\nAfter halftime, IU came out strong, going on a 7-0 run behind some long-distance shooting from sophomore guard Nikki Smith and a runner in the lane from Valentin.\n"I told them (the team) to work harder," Versyp said. "We have to get out of the gate a little harder."\nThe Lady Stars never let the Hoosiers get to far ahead, always staying within striking distance throughout the second half.\nAfter another Lady Stars run brought IU's lead down to a single point at 58-57, Thomas scored yet another inside basket and was fouled on the play. After sinking the free throw, the Hoosiers led 60-57 and held on for the victory as the long-range shooting from the Lady Stars went cold. \nOn the night, Thomas dominated the Lady Stars in helping lead the Hoosiers to victory. In her first game for the Hoosiers, she notched her first collegiate double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, six of them offensive.\n"Like everyone else, it was our first game, and I was a little nervous," Thomas said. "But I got the ball from my teammates, and I couldn't have done it without them."\nWith their first exhibition victory behind them and one more on the schedule, Versyp admits the Hoosiers still have a lot of work to do.\n"We blew up a bit," Versyp said. "But you have to make mistakes to learn from them. You have to hit your outside shots, or you're not going to score a lot of points"