Hoosiers take on another major opponent

For the third time in four years, IU is off to a perfect 3-0 record.

Now comes Game 4, and the Hoosiers will put their unblemished record on the line against the Missouri Tigers at 2 p.m. Sunday in Assembly Hall.

IU senior guard Jamie Braun said one of the reasons for the perfect start has been the closeness of the team.

“It started out with the summer,” Braun said. “We were all here bonding and working hard, and we really liked each other and it clicked.”

The Hoosiers faced the Tigers last year in Columbia, Mo., and won 63-54.
Missouri enters Sunday’s contest with a 1-1 record after losing 75-74 against Memphis on Wednesday. The Hoosiers have also faced Memphis this year and had a different result in the form of a 78-74 win Nov. 13.

For the Hoosiers, Sunday’s game marks the second of three straight BCS schools the team has faced.

IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said whether the Hoosiers play a high-major opponent or a mid-major school, they must go in with the same mindset.

“We’re humble, but we’re hungry,” Legette-Jack said. “We have a lot respect for all the coaches out there, and everyone is working hard.”

IU passed the first test against a high-major opponent when it downed the Cincinnati Bearcats 64-57 on Wednesday in Assembly Hall.

Along with playing high-end competition, the Hoosiers also continue to be at a disadvantage in terms of battling nagging injuries.

Legette-Jack said scrapes are part of the game, and she is thankful for a special individual who helps the team get through it.

“I think our go-to player is Mister Robb,” she said, referring to the team’s athletic trainer, Robert Black. “Our guys are hurt, and he tapes us back together and gets us out there and ready to play.”