The consensus after the 65-61 loss to No. 21 Minnesota was that it was an encouraging performance but the Hoosiers simply fell short.
Then, worry began to settle in a little more after Thursday’s 79-75 loss to a Penn State team that was winless in Big Ten play.
IU Coach Teri Moren said after both losses that IU needs to learn how to play a complete 40-minute game. That stands out when seeing that the Hoosiers have lost in all three games decided by less than five points.
This IU team (12-6, 2-5) that has lost four of its last five will try to put a complete perfomance together Sunday at 3 p.m. in Assembly Hall as No. 7 Maryland (16-2, 7-0) looks to continue their ten-game win streak.
The Terrapins have yet to lose a game as members of the Big Ten since they are 7-0 in their first season in the conference. It will be a matchup between a team trying to figure itself out and a team that has everything clicking.
In each of the past two losses, IU has been matched up with big and physical post players. The Hoosiers contained Minnesota center Amanda Zahui B. to 11 points but forward Shae Kelley had 19 points and 13 rebounds. At Penn State, they were outrebounded 47-to-35, including allowing 23 offensive boards.
IU has less size than most Big Ten teams. It is not a secret.
“That cannot be our excuse for losing,” Moren has said time and time again.
After the Penn State loss, she elaborated that there is other ways to win basketball games and they need to figure that out.
Size will continue to be something the Hoosiers have to worry about as Maryland starts two players 6-foot-3 or taller. There is Brionna Jones, who has averaged 14.9 points and 10.4 rebounds in Big Ten play, and there is Malina Howard. Both are listed as centers. Five different Maryland players have averaged at least five rebounds a game in conference games.
A common theme Moren mentions is that IU’s whole game often comes down to how it starts out. When the Hoosiers hit shots early, like they did against Wisconsin on Jan. 11, things go well. When that is not the case, IU lets it affect them.
“Penn State threw the first punch and we kind of liked it,” Moren said. “We didn’t respond the way we needed to.”
This is a young IU team. All but two points this season have come from freshmen or sophomores. Many of these players are still adjusting to playing Big Ten opponents and traveling to various gyms across the country.
Experience is the key, and Moren said they are learning from each game. The Minnesota game still stands as a source of confidence and proof of how this team is capable of playing going forward.
“I think that gives your young players confidence that they come ready and they’re focused and we hit shots, we can play with anybody,” Moren said.
