Senior forward Amber Jackson’s mother had never seen her daughter play basketball in college prior to last week.
During the Hilton Concord Classic she got that chance, and Jackson didn’t disappoint.
Jackson scored 25 points in each of the Hoosiers’ (4-2) two games in Moraga, Calif., and earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors after propelling the team to a 80-63 win against host Saint Mary’s in the tournament’s championship game.
Jackson described the experience as a special one and a homecoming, adding she was glad her mother could see her play for the first and maybe last time, due to the distance between Bloomington and her home in California.
The play of Jackson did not surprise IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack, who said she thinks her senior is fully capable of playing this way on a consistent basis.
“Amber is a force to be reckoned with,” Legette-Jack said. “It was great to see her play so well in front of her family.”
Senior forward and All-American candidate Whitney Thomas and sophomore guard Jori Davis also earned spots on the all-tournament team.
In the first game of the tournament, a 74-47 victory against Radford, Thomas recorded her 25th double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, moving her to fifth on the all-time list at IU. Davis also recorded a double-double, the first of her career, with 19 points and 14 rebounds against Saint Mary’s.
Even though Jackson, Thomas and Davis scored big numbers, the victories represented great team efforts, as the game against Radford saw all 13 players get playing time, with 11 scoring.
After the game, Legette-Jack said her team’s positive emotions and bonding made her proud.
“In that locker room it was cool to see their excitement that they all contributed to this win,” she said.
This season has not been without adversity, but with three consecutive wins, the team might have some positive momentum to build on.
After losing a tough game and one it let slip away after leading much of the way to then-No. 22 Xavier 60-57 in the preseason WNIT, things didn’t get much better.
The team went on the road and lost 65-59 against Middle Tennessee State in its WNIT consolation game.
Then things took a turn for the better.
The Hoosiers continued their five-game road trip against Missouri and beat the Tigers 63-54 Tuesday night, behind 23 points and 16 rebounds from Thomas.
Thomas said the game was important to get the team back on the right track.
“We definitely had to come back and make a statement,” she said.
The team then traveled to California, where they spent Thanksgiving sightseeing in San Francisco. Among the activities were seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39, a team picture on Lombard Street and a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at its hotel.
The next test for IU will come on Friday as the team travels to Coral Gables, Fla., to take on Miami in the ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge.
For the Hoosiers’ success this season, team defense has been an emphasis, and they set goals each game on how many points they want to hold their opponent under.
“We need to hold teams under 59 points,” Thomas said. “If we can do that, we can do great things.”
Hoosiers sweep Calif. tournament
Jackson earns tournament MVP honors
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