Hoosiers match last season's win total

IU Coach Curt Miller called Wednesday night’s 52-49 victory against Clemson at Assembly Hall “very important as a stepping stone for this program.”

Despite shooting a season-worst 30.9 percent from the field, matching its lowest point-total of the season, trailing by as many as 10 points and turning the ball over 16 times, IU (6-1) still managed to win its sixth-consecutive game. Miller said the game “ranked right up there” in terms of ugly games, something he knows his team will have to do to be successful this season.

“I’m proud that this roster that is filled with a lot of kids who have not won a lot of collegiate games kept battling and fighting and believed in each other to make just enough plays to win tonight,” Miller said. “I don’t think they would’ve done that a few months ago when we started working with them.”

The team also equaled its win total from all of last season with the victory.

“To match the win total from last year in November, to match the win total of last year in seven games, it’s an exciting start for that locker room,” Miller said. “They’re proud of that.”

The last time IU started this strong was in the 2006-07 season when it opened 7-1.

Trailing by five with 6:28 to go, freshman guard Nicole Bell drilled a 3-point shot from the right elbow to bring the Hoosiers within two. After a defensive stop, sophomore center Quaneisha McCurty scored on a layup to tie the game at 42.

Junior center Simone Deloach then put in a layup with 4:05 to go to give IU a 44-42 lead the team would not surrender. That basket completed a 10-0 run by the Hoosiers after they had trailed by as many as eight points in the second half.

“That three by Nicole was a big turning point for us,” senior forward Aulani Sinclair said. “It got us more energized, more excited to play defense on the way down. After that is when we really started turning around. Everyone picked up the energy on the defensive side, which led to easier point on the offensive side. That was a major turning point for us tonight.”

Sinclair once again led the Hoosiers in scoring, netting 23 points to match her season-high on 7-14 shooting.

Defensively, the team kept its fifth-straight opponent to less than 50 points, tying a record set back in the 1973-74 season.

“To hold five Division I programs under 50 in consecutive games is unheard of,” Miller said. “For a team to be able to do that, I’m really proud of them.

“We needed everyone of those stops because we were struggling to score tonight.”

Defensive aid came in the form of McCurty, who matched a career-high with six blocks. She played 18 minutes after only seeing 33 minutes all year coming into the game.

Miller told her before the game that if she rebounded and played defense, she would get playing time. Points would be a bonus.

“She came in and played really well for us tonight,” Sinclair said. “Her size really helped us out. She got a couple of blocks, which was really good for us.”