With Minnesota, there were no surprises.
IU Coach Teri Moren and her team knew if they could contain forwards Amanda Zahui B. and Shae Kelley, who were averaging a combined 32.9 points and 20.1 rebounds per game, they could stay in the game.
Through the majority of Sunday’s game, that’s exactly what they did.
Zahui B. was held to just three points in the first half. She also had two fouls and picked up her third within the first minute of the second half. She was barely a factor for most of the game.
But Kelley picked up her slack, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. And when Zahui B. came back into the game at the end, the duo became too much for the Hoosiers.
Minnesota took its first lead of the game with 1:18 left to go and held on for a 65-61 win in Minneapolis.
“I thought we did what we needed to do to win the game. It’s just a shame that we’re on the other end of this,” Moren said. “At the end of it, they made the plays that they had to to win the game.”
Before the game, Moren said in order to stop Zahui B. they’d have to force her to catch the ball outside the lane, so she’d have to take short jumpers rather than easy shots inside where she could use her size.
They wanted to keep her out of her comfort zone.
Most importantly, though, they’d have to keep her off the glass, where she gets most of her points. After the game, Moren said they used sophomore guard Alexis Gassion’s versatility to help double-team Zahui B. in the post.
“I thought we did a tremendous job,” Moren said of defending the 6-foot-5 center. “We doubled just like probably a lot of other schools do. One of the things about Alexis Gasison is even though she’s a three in our league, she has the length and size and athleticism.”
But stopping Zahui B. was just a start. Kelley would be another test for an undersized IU team.
Kelley’s double-double on Sunday came after scoring 29 points and pulling down 18 rebounds in a win against Ohio State last week.
“I’ll tell you this,” Moren said, “I’m glad she’s a post-grad kid and we don’t have to deal with her anymore.”
Moren was happy with the way Gassion defended the 6-foot-1 forward, but said they “lost her a few times.” Every time they did, Kelley took advantage. It allowed the No. 23 team in the country to hang around.
And at the end of the game, it wasn’t Kelley or Zahui B. producing big shots for Minnesota.
With 1:18 left, it was freshman Carlie Wagner who hit a three to put the Gophers ahead 62-61. She then scored a layup off an inbounds play to regain the lead for Minnesota with under a minute to go.
Moren said she’d like to see her freshmen have the same aggression that Wagner has. They may have kept Zahui B. and Kelley in check but in the end, Moren said, Minnesota had the pieces IU didn’t.
“That’s why they’re at the top of the Big Ten,” Moren said. “You have to have the pieces in this league. Wins are hard to come by. (Minnesota) has the pieces that if Zahui isn’t having a good night, other people can step up.”
