In her third year donning the cream and crimson, junior guard Karlee McBride had never started a game.
That changed Wednesday night against No. 18 Michigan State.
The Hoosiers, who have struggled to find a consistent starter beyond sophomore guard Tyra Buss, sophomore forward Amanda Cahill and sophomore guard Alexis Gassion, turned to McBride against the Spartans.
The 5-foot-10 guard did more than earn a starting lineup introduction, though. She might have earned herself another start.
McBride poured in 13 first-half points en route to a career-high 17 point outing on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor in IU’s 81-65 upset win of No. 18 Michigan State at Assembly Hall.
“I think that suits her, huh?” IU Coach Teri Moren said of McBride’s role as a starter.
The Pennsylvania native sparked a 15-2 Hoosier run start to the game, knocking down a 3-pointer before finishing a driving layup. That was only the start of McBride’s breakout evening. After the Spartans cut the Hoosier lead to single digits in the second quarter, McBride hit back-to-back 3-pointers to seize the momentum back from the favorites.
“My teammates definitely got me pumped up for it,” McBride said. “It was a team win. It feels good, I’m glad I came out and helped my teammates. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
McBride finished the first half with 13 points to help the Hoosiers take a 39-25 lead at the break.
It wasn’t necessarily her offensive output that Moren saw to give McBride her first career start, though. The second-year head coach has been impressed with the awareness and leadership of her newfound starter.
“Karlee is by far our best communicator,” Moren said. “If you watch us practice, you hear one voice constantly, and it’s Karlee McBride. We rewarded her for that. Her ability to communicate to her team was huge, it starts with her. That’s why she got the nod tonight.”
McBride’s zone awareness helped the Hoosiers cause Spartan stars Aerial Powers and Tori Jankoska to combine for just 23 points on 13-of-36 shooting from the field. The duo averages a combined 36 points per game this season for Michigan State. Powers, the sixth-leading scorer in the Big Ten, was held scoreless at the half.
“We knew we were going to play in zone,” Moren said. “She’s a kid that really has a high basketball-IQ, especially in zones and movement.”
Moren has dabbled with her starting lineup all season, as junior guard Tyshee Towner opened the season as one of the team’s starting guards. Once sophomore guard Jess Walter fully recovered from a concussion injury, Moren chose her to replace Towner, a defensive-minded guard, in the lineup.
Walter had started the previous five games, including all four in Big Ten play. The spot, Moren said, is still up for grabs. IU next travels to Minneapolis to play the Gophers on Sunday afternoon.
“That three-spot has been a difficult thing for us to figure out,” Moren said. “Tyshee, Jess and Karlee all give us different things, but it’s the consistency factor that we’re looking for. That may change again, starting positions and minutes are always up for grabs. Our kids need to realize that.”
