All season, IU Coach Teri Moren preached IU’s need for toughness.
The Hoosiers ran drills in practice to be tougher. It’s a necessity in the ?Big Ten, Moren said.
Toughness is what sets Rutgers apart. The Scarlet Knights’ physicality and athleticism got the best of the Hoosiers in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday afternoon. Moren said it was a combination of being out-sized, not as athletic and not as rested after a win against Penn State the night before.
Put together, it was a 63-52 loss and an end to IU’s season.
“At the end of the day, we just didn’t have enough bullets in the gun to walk out of here with the win,” Moren said.
Rutgers started fast, turning IU’s missed shots and turnovers into fast-break points. It was a quick 12-4 lead for the Scarlet Knights, and they led by nine at halftime.
They shot 50 percent in the first 20 minutes, whereas the Hoosiers were just 33 percent from the field. ?Rutgers’ Kahleah Copper finished with a team-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
Betnijah Laney had a double-double with 12 points and 15 boards.
Moren said for the most part, her team had a response to every run Rutgers made. Out-rebounding a bigger, more athletic team was something to be proud of, she said. The Hoosiers had a slight edge on the boards, 39-38.
“I thought there were moments this afternoon when we could’ve easily given in,” Moren said. “I just didn’t feel like our kids were quite ready yet to give in.”
That was evident in freshman Tyra Buss. Against Penn State, the Hoosiers were able to move the ball around their zone. Driving to the basket opened up shooters.
But when shots weren’t falling against Rutgers, Buss began driving. If nothing else would work, she’d get fouled and shoot free throws.
Buss made 11 of 12 free throws on her way to a game-high 19 points. Midway through the second half, her leg got caught under a Rutgers player as the two went after a loose ball.
“I don’t know how it happened exactly, but it didn’t feel good,” she said. “I wanted to do whatever I could to get back in the game.”
Buss had the toughness Moren’s been searching for.
“She was wanting and willing to do anything to help her team this afternoon,” Moren said. “That obviously says a little bit about who she is as a person, her character.”
But it couldn’t overcome the Hoosiers’ poor shooting and lack of experience.
Moren couldn’t make a team of freshmen and sophomores grow up in one or two games. After one season of calling her team “young,” she has a team that’s seen 31 games.
That experience means more than any individual improvement could have.
“We’re playing with young kids, new system, new coach, new staff,” Moren said. “There were a lot of firsts for all of us.”
