IU drops 1st game without Jones to Oklahoma State

The Indiana women's basketball team lost to Oklahoma State 83-72 in the second installment of the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge on Sunday.

Oklahoma State’s victory gave it a 4-0 record. The team is now 3-0 since losing Head Coach Kurt Budke and Assistant Coach Miranda Serna in a Nov. 17 plane crash. There was a moment of silence before the game.

IU’s loss extended its current losing streak to four and put its record at 2-5.

The Hoosiers led by as many as eight with 8:56 to go in the first half, but turnovers and missed shots helped the Cowgirls go on an 8-0 run to end the first half’s final 2:31.

They continued that streak into the second half, going on a 18-2 run in the first 5:52 of the second period.

IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack acknowledged that run as the key to the game.

“We fought hard today, but we fell short,” she said. “I think the first five minutes of the second half really did us in.

We put ourselves in such a deficit to a team that good with that kind of emotion behind it.

 “Their ability is very difficult to come back from. We fell short of perfection, but we didn’t fall short of the desire and heart and grit.”

IU will finish the season without senior forward Georgie Jones. The captain injured her ACL during Thursday night’s loss to Virginia.

The injury leaves an already young and inexperienced team searching for continuity.
“I told this team that we’re going to be good late because we have to continue to get to know ourselves and each other,” Legette-Jack said.

“Unfortunately, as we’re getting to know each other, we’re playing some really tough teams, but we’re learning lessons, and if we stay in to it and stay focused, we’re going to be good, and we’re going to be good soon.”

Leading the way for the Hoosiers were senior forward Danilsa Andujar and junior forward Aulani Sinclair.

Andujar had her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Sinclair scored 23 points with five three-pointers and shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

Her performance puts her at five straight games with double-digit scoring. She also led the team in scoring in four of those five contests.

As the only captain now able to play, Sinclair said she knows the importance of leading by example.

“During the offseason, I focused a lot on my shooting, and this year, especially with this game, with Georgie down, we all just had a focus of giving it everything you have just for the team and Georgie, especially. So I just went out there and gave it everything I had,” Sinclair said.