Women's basketball opens season with 85-55 win against Oakland

The IU women’s basketball team found itself in the record books after Saturday’s 85-55 victory against Oakland at Assembly Hall in the team’s season-opener.

The Hoosiers’ 85 points are the most points the team has scored in a season opener since the 2002-2003 season, when it scored 90 points against Wofford.

Freshman guard Larryn Brooks scored 19 points in her first regular season game.

“I’m feeling pretty good about it,” Brooks said. “Main goals right now are just playing my role and just doing what I can for the team.”

Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot contributed 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field. She also went 2-for-4 from 3-point range.

Senior Sasha Chaplin scored the team’s first six points at the start.

“Sasha really got us going,” Gerardot said. “She had a really powerful start.”

Redshirt sophomore Kaila Hulls, also playing in her first regular season college game, finished with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes.

Four of the IU’s five starters — Brooks, Gerardot, Hulls and freshman Taylor Agler — are in their first season playing with the Hoosiers.

Seven first-year players saw playing time for the Hoosiers (1-0).

After accounting for 62 of the team’s 79 points in their exhibition win over Kentucky, they finished with 62 of the team’s 85 points.

IU shot 48 percent (18-37) from the field in the first half, and 50 percent (15-30) in the second half. The team’s 48 first-half points were the most ever in a half under IU Coach Curt Miller.

“For a young team it was a little boost of confidence that we came out and executed in the first half and got the game up tempo,” he said.

IU shot 49.3 percent, its best field-goal percentage since Nov. 26, 2012.

Follow women’s baskeball reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.