Freshman McCurty continues to develop her game

After winning last week’s Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, IU freshman center Quaneisha McCurty saw only nine minutes of action during IU’s (5-12, 0-4) Sunday loss to Northwestern (11-5, 1-2) at Assembly Hall 69-61.

McCurty scored only four points — all from the charity stripe — and she added four rebounds, one steal and two turnovers in her limited minutes Sunday afternoon.

IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said after the game that the breakout freshman, who had averaged almost 12 points and nine rebounds per game during the Hoosiers’ last five outings, needs to get tougher if she wants to see more minutes in the future.

“Her toughness has to get better, and she has to get to understand the level of intensity that it takes to play at this level,” Legette-Jack said. “There are moments that she shows it, but then there are also moments where she looks like a freshman. We just have to continue to teach her.”

McCurty played six minutes in the first half and started the second half, she but left after only three minutes. Soon after, she could be seen donning her warm-up attire.

She didn’t play the rest of the game.

With IU’s main post presence sitting on the bench for much of the game, one of the Wildcats’ taller players down low had a breakout game to lead the team to its first conference win of the season and first win in Bloomington since a 68-66 victory Dec. 30, 1998.

Junior forward Dannielle Diamant had game-highs of 20 points and nine rebounds as the Hoosiers had limited personnel to counter the Wildcat attack down low.

IU was outscored in the paint 28-18 for the game, as McCurty failed to score a single field goal. Indiana still managed to narrowly out-rebound Northwestern 45-42.

Junior forward Aulani Sinclair said although McCurty’s presence was missed when Diamant and other taller Northwestern players were trying to score in the paint, she and her teammates have to take up the challenge themselves.

“Whoever is down there has to get it done,” Sinclair said. “We might be undersized, but we have to stick to our rules of defense, and if they’re trying to post us up, we know we’re smaller, but we have to try to get around them and stick to our defensive plan.”

Legette-Jack said McGurty needs to continue to work toward being a complete player.
“Today, the game came faster than it had in the past,” she said. Her thought process was a little slower than normal, and she looked a little like she was in quick sand. Her intensity wasn’t what we had seen the last few games, but she’ll get better.”

McGurty will get her next chance to prover herself when the Hoosiers play at 7 p.m. Thursday at Michigan State.

Legette-Jack said, with time, McCurty can develop to be one of the better players in the paint, but for now, she has to play with more intensity every game.

“She has to learn with both success and failures in order to get better,” she said. “One thing we’re familiar with is how to develop post players.”