Hoosiers carry late-season surge into Michigan

On Sunday against Penn State, the IU women’s basketball team showed it can contend with the top teams in the Big Ten.

Today, the Hoosiers will have the opportunity to prove they can do it consistently.
IU (9-16, 3-10) will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the University of Michigan
(14-10, 7-5).

After shooting 51.9 percent from the field against Penn State, the Hoosiers will need to continue a balanced effort on offense if they hope to pull off the road win.  

IU will look to senior captain Jori Davis, who netted 27 points against the Lady Lions. The Hoosiers could benefit from another solid performance from junior guard Aulani Sinclair. She was second behind Davis against Penn State, scoring 16 points. Sinclair leads the Hoosiers in three-point field goal percentage this season, shooting 38.5 percent from long-range.

The Hoosiers’ defense, which is allowing the most points per game (67.7) in the Big Ten, will need to be prepared to contain Michigan’s duo of senior Veronica Hicks and sophomore Jenny Ryan. Both have a field goal percentage of more than 40 percent
this season.

Although IU only has one win in the last 11 games, IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said the team’s play has been steadily improving. After the game against Penn State, Legette-Jack said she saw a change in her team’s desire and that it was a force to be reckoned with.

“We allowed a lot of teams to come to our house and went into a lot of people’s homes and they dictated,” Legette-Jack said. “Not anymore. We’re dictating. Win, lose or draw, we dictate.”

–Caitlin Ursini