The Hoosiers are in position to enter uncharted territory depending on the result of Saturday’s matinee against Penn State (11-17, 6-11).
With a win and other Big Ten games finishing in its favor, IU will procure one of four double-byes into the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers will try to complete an undefeated home regular season against the Nittany Lions at 4 p.m.
“Coach always tells us to not worry about that stuff,” sophomore point guard Tyra Buss said. “Winning takes care of that. As long as we play our game and push the tempo, I think that really helps. We don’t worry about the pressure too much, we’re just going to win.”
IU’s “one-game-at-a-time” mantra has helped the team to a 19-10 (11-6) record and a tie for fourth place standing in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers were able to climb the standings after reeling off five consecutive wins in the latter half of the conference schedule.
While the Hoosiers are trying to not look ahead to the Big Ten Tournament and the possibility of the NCAA Tournament, the team is more than aware of the situation at hand.
With a win against Penn State, IU can become the 3-seed in next week’s conference tournament if No. 5 Ohio State defeats Michigan State.
Buss said while the players and coaches are aware of the scenario, they try not to worry too much about the implications in an effort to focus on each game along the way.
“Our kids, they know,” Moren said. “They pay attention and talk. They put the teams up on the board, the wins. They’re kind of tracking all of that. We’ve really had them focus one game at a time, but for them they want to see the big picture.”
While Penn State is stuck in 11th place in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are fresh off an 81-68 win against Iowa on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers in Iowa City last week.
“Coach Moren told us that their record doesn’t really show what they can do,” Buss said. “They have big girls down there in the post. We really have to focus about what we’re going to do against them.”
Before Iowa, though, Penn State had lost six of its last eight games. Moren said freshman guard Teniya Paige is making a case for the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year award. The 5-foot-7 Chicago native leads the Lions in scoring with 15.4 points per game.
One thing Penn State has is size, Moren said. The Nittany Lions boast six players over 6-foot, including 6-foot-6 senior forward Candice Agee. Agee scored 21 points and corralled seven rebounds in the win against Iowa.
“They had some significant injuries in the beginning,” IU Coach Teri Moren said. “Now they have everyone back. They’ve hit their stride, I think they’re probably the hottest team in the Big Ten in terms of how they’re playing now and how they’re trending.”
With a win Saturday, the Hoosiers would complete the first undefeated season at home in program history.
“I think that would be special,” Moren said on her weekly radio show. “It’s a very difficult thing to do because we play in one of the best conferences in country. Any team that can do that is having a special season.”
The Hoosiers have completed a strong turnaround season in Moren’s second season at the helm, but the former Indiana State coach said she isn’t satisfied. She wants to automatically place into the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
“It’s always special to be in the position that we’re in,” Moren said. “We also know that Saturday is a big game, it’s a must-win for us. Not that we want to put any pressure on our kids, but this is for a lot of things. We want to have that double-bye. that’s the only thing we’re looking forward to.”
