Hoosiers face Tigers, Jaguars in 1st games of season

The IU women’s basketball team will travel to Memphis on Friday before returning to the friendly confines of Assembly Hall two days later for a matchup against IU-Purdue University Indianapolis – a 900-mile round-trip.

The Hoosiers will face the Memphis Tigers at 6 p.m. Friday, and junior guard Andrea McGuirt said she thinks the first game of the season is very important to the whole year.

“Really, we are focusing on Memphis,” McGuirt said. “It will be a key to our success for the whole season.”

Last year, the Tigers finished with a record of 12-18 and ended the season with a loss in the first round of the Conference USA tournament to Marshall.    

IU opens the home portion of their season facing in-state rival IU-Purdue University Indianapolis at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Jaguars finished the 2008-09 season with a 16-15 record and a season-ending loss against South Dakota State in the second round of the Summit League tournament. 

IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said she thinks the game Sunday is very important for state bragging rights.

“Every time we represent Indiana, it is important,” Legette-Jack said. “The in-state rival thing, though, adds a little more to the equation, and we want to be the best in the state.”

Looking back to last year, the Hoosiers finished the 2008-09 season with a 21-11 record and their fourth straight trip to the WNIT.

IU lost the services of four seniors from last season, three of whom averaged double figures in scoring.

The Hoosiers, however, return with two double-figure scorers from last year in senior guard Jamie Braun and junior guard Jori Davis. They also add NJCAA First Team All-American Hope Elam as well as three freshmen.

Davis, who is now the captain of the team, said she needs to take it upon herself to motivate the team to improve on defense if it wants to take the next step and get even better.  

“Going into the games, my goal is to get the defensive intensity high,” Davis said. “We have a lot of players who can score, and it is up to me to bring the defensive intensity.”