VALENTIN'S DAY

TERRE HAUTE -- Senior guard Cyndi Valentin did not want to be denied. \nIn Monday night's second round WNIT game against Indiana State, Valentin scored IU's last 10 points of the game to lead the Hoosiers to a 68-62 victory, extending their season at least one more game.\nDown 59-58 in the closing minutes, IU had the ball following two Indiana State free throws. Valentin dribbled up the court and, rolling off a pick from senior center Angie Hawkins, found herself wide open at the top of the key.\n"I think (IU) coach (Sharon) Versyp made a great call to call that play, but I was wide open," Valentin said.\nAfter the senior drilled the wide open 3-pointer, the Sycamores quickly replied with a basket of their own. \nValentin responded again.\nOn IU's next possession, the senior captain broke down her defender, dribbled behind her back into the lane and, with her left hand, scooped the ball into the basket as a foul was called. Valentin would hit the free throw, giving the Hoosiers all of a lead they would need.\nShe would go on to hit four consecutive free throws in the game's closing seconds to hold off Indiana State and preserve the IU victory.\nFor the first 30 minutes of the game, it appeared that IU's season was nearing its end. Indiana State's biggest lead was only eight points, but the Sycamores seemed to have a stranglehold on the Hoosiers.\nVersyp called for a defensive change in the second half, switching her squad to man-to-man defense. The change sparked the team, allowing IU to take its first lead of the game, 56-55.\n"As far as the team, we didn't want to end our careers like that," Valentin said. "We wanted to fight, stay alive and keep playing. We don't want our season to end."\nValentin led all scorers with 20 points, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.\nAnd while Valentin's clutch performance down the stretch gave the Hoosiers the win, it was freshman forward Whitney Thomas who kept IU in the game.\n"Whitney had an amazing game for us just looking at her stat line," Versyp said. "She continues to get better and better every time she steps out on the court."\nThomas finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals before fouling out in the game's final minutes.\nThe loss was just the second home defeat of the year for Indiana State and their sixth overall.\n"We knew coming in here tonight that ISU was a great basketball team," Versyp said. "I just thought it was a great basketball game with a great atmosphere."\nNext up for the Hoosiers in the WNIT is Marquette, who beat Iowa State on Monday night.\n"We just enjoy this win and tomorrow focus on who we play next," said senior forward Jenny DeMuth. "We're going to get some rest and go from there"