IU starts Big Ten tournament run against Illinois

As the IU women’s basketball team journeys to Conseco Fieldhouse for the 2010 Big Ten Tournament’s opening round, it will be facing a familiar and previously-defeated opponent. 

The Hoosiers (14-15, 7-11) beat the Illinois Fighting Illini (15-13, 7-11) in both meetings this season with only seven or eight players suiting up. But even though the team is healthy again, it isn’t getting complacent. 

“It’s always hard to beat someone three times,” senior guard Jamie Braun said. “We just can’t go in there thinking that, ‘We’ve already beat them twice. We’ve got them this third game.’ We know they are a very good team and we know we have to bring everything we have in order to beat them.”

Beating Illinois will depend on how the Hoosiers can inhibit Illini center Jenna Smith. Smith was just recently named First Team All-Big Ten for the third time and is on the watch list for four season honors, including both the Naismith and Wooden Awards.

Although Smith averages 18.1 points per game, the Hoosiers held her to 18.7 percent shooting from the floor in the last contest, far under her average of 49.9 percent.

However, her presence was still felt, as she had 9 points, 6 blocks and 20 rebounds. The Hoosiers know her play will largely define the game. 

“If she’s lighting us up on scoring and rebounding like crazy, it’s going to be a really rough game for us,” Braun said. 

But one Hoosier said she feels her own play will be the game-changer in the tournament, as she has transitions from a starter to role player.

“I’m going to be the spark for this tournament, I feel like, for our team coming off the bench,” junior guard Whitney Lindsay said. “I think a lot of people might have been expecting me to be starting, but since I’m not, when I come in the game, I have to make an impact.”

Lindsay, normally the starting point guard, has embraced the change, as it helps her see the flow of the game first and understand what the team needs to change on both sides of the ball before she goes in.

However, the Illini could possibly have the extra motivation of never beating the Hoosiers this year, and that momentum could propel them past the Hoosiers if the cream and crimson clad squad does not bring its game to Indianapolis.

The team realizes this, and several players, including injured sophomore forward Lindsay Enterline, shouted similar phrases during Tuesday’s practice.

“You don’t get a second chance anymore — it’s the tournament,” Enterline yelled to her teammates.

The Hoosiers have, at some points this season, played as if they had a second chance, but IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack made sure to emphasize if they play like that, they are going home.

“The stakes are higher in postseason because you get one shot to make a difference, and you’ve got to compete, and you’ve got to practice understanding that you survive to move on,” Legette-Jack said. “If you come out here thinking you’ve got a tomorrow, then you’ve already lost.”