Freshmen lead victory against Minnesota

The Fab Five made an appearance in Assembly Hall yesterday.

No, not the five freshmen from Ann Arbor, Mich. who took the country by storm in the early to mid-1990s. It was a group of IU's first-year players who made crucial plays down the stretch in an 83-78 overtime victory against Minnesota Sunday.

“We wanted a spark,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “We were struggling to score from the field, and we were rewarding our post game that was contributing in different ways.”

Miller said he decided to start five freshmen so his starting post players could rest more during the game.

Miller used a variety of lineups and combinations to combat the 13 years of combined experience between the Gophers’ starters.

Freshman guard Taylor Agler defended Wooden Award nominee and junior guard Rachel Banham almost the entire time she was on the floor.

“Taylor Agler not only scored tonight, but guarded one of the premiere players in the country,” Miller said. “Every single possession, she gave her heart and soul out there.”

It was her offense, however, that provided a spark for the Hoosiers when Gophers began pressing on defense. After breaking down Minnesota’s full-court press, freshman guard Larryn Brooks found Agler for a left corner 3-pointer to extend IU’s lead to 10.

In overtime, Agler converted on a pair of free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give IU a three-point lead.

She said that throughout the season, she had always gone 1-of-2 in those moments.

“My teammates had confidence in me, and in the last huddle were telling me that I could make them,” Agler said.

She was not the only freshman making big plays down the stretch for the Hoosiers.

Brooks led all Hoosiers with 25 points, including two free throws that capped off a 16-2 IU run. Together, she and Agler combined for 45 points by the end of the game.

Brooks had a number of other key plays for the Hoosiers as well.

Her layup with 46 seconds remaining in regulation gave IU a one-point lead. In overtime, she hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds left to give IU its final lead.

Freshmen Jenn Anderson and Lyndsay Leikem, on the other hand, made their first career starts.

“We felt like Jenn matched with Zahui in the post,” Miller said. “Lyndsey Leikem had been rebounding for us and doing some things with her length defensively. If we weren’t gonna score, we thought we’d give it a try.”

Anderson finished with six points and five rebounds while Leikem finished with 10 points and four rebounds.

Despite finishing with only four rebounds, Leikem’s work on the boards came at crucial times for IU. Her offensive rebound with four minutes and 57 seconds remaining in regulation led to a layup by Anderson, which extended the lead to seven.

Leikem said she’s learned a lot from senior forward Tabitha Gerardot.

“It was fun. I usually get a chance to watch Tabitha work the floor and see what I’m up against,” she said. “It was a transition but you learn really fast.”

Miller said the freshmen are growing and learning, but he was happy for Leikem and the rest of her teammates.  

“We brought them here because they’re winners, they’re competitors and they’re great character kids,” Miller said. “That whole locker room has bought in.”

Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1