Shorthanded Hoosiers cruise past Illini, 67-54

The Hoosiers have heard every reason why they shouldn’t succeed this season: They are too young, too inexperienced and there are just too few of them suited up.  

That didn’t stop them, however, as they defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini with a score of 67-54 on Sunday, giving them two consecutive conference wins for the first time this season.  

Only seven players saw playing time against Illinois, but they overcame the lack of reserves through tough defense, penetration and the play of their guards.

Fifty-three points were scored between juniors Jori Davis and Whitney Lindsay and senior Jamie Braun. All seven Hoosiers scored at least 1 point, but IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said junior forward Hope Elam’s contributions helped propel the team to victory.  

“Not only does she give us great basketball and great character, she gives us great off the court conversations with our team,” Legette-Jack said. “She helps us grow in more ways than anyone can imagine.

“We are truly blessed with two things. One, that we won. And two, that we have Hope Elam on our team.”  

Elam finished the game with 7 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals, as she returned to play in her hometown, Champaign, Ill., for the first time.

“It actually felt good coming home to play in front of the home crowd,” Elam said. “But I think the best thing is that my team got the win today.”

The team as a whole played stellar defensively, recording 12 steals against an Illinois team Legette-Jack referred to as one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten.  

“They are tenacious when it comes to defense,” Legette-Jack said. “But our young ladies decided to step it up and meet the passes and stay focused.”

A key part of the Hoosiers’ win was keeping Illinois center Jenna Smith at bay. Smith was first team All-Big Ten the past two years and is currently on the watch lists for four different awards, including the Naismith and Wooden awards.

Legette-Jack said the game plan was to double- and even triple-team Smith, but she said she knew it might not be enough.  

“We know we cant stop her, we just hope to try to contain her,” Legette-Jack said.  

The Hoosiers were able to contain Smith scoring wise, as she was held to only 9 points, but the boards were a different story. Smith brought down 20 rebounds against a Hoosier squad still playing without their best rebounder, freshman forward Sasha Chaplin.  

Fouls were also a huge part of the game, as the Hoosiers shot 34 free throws in the game. By stark contrast, the Illini shot 11.