For IU, there was a lot on the line Saturday against Penn State.
It was senior day for 6-foot-1 forward Lyndsay Leikem. The possibility of a double-bye into the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals hinged on a victory against the Nittany Lions. The Hoosiers were playing for a historic undefeated regular season within the friendly confines of Assembly Hall.
Led by second-year coach Teri Moren and just one senior, the Hoosiers had not been accustomed to any postseason pressure after last year’s 15-16 (5-15) record.
The pressure did not mount against Penn State. IU raced out to a 21-9 first-quarter lead, which only grew, as the Hoosiers routed Penn State, 76-55 in the regular season finale.
“They were playing for a lot today,” Moren said. “To go undefeated in Assembly Hall, for Lyndsay Leikem, for Big Ten seeding. They’ve played for a lot in every game.”
IU (20-10, 12-6) will receive a double-bye into the quarterfinals of this week’s Big Ten tournament. The Hoosiers were named the No. 4 seed after Maryland defeated Minnesota on Sunday.
The team’s seed is tied for the highest in program history; the Hoosiers were the No. 4 seed just once before in 1998. They must wait until the conclusion of Thursday’s game to find out their first opponent.
IU will play its first tournament game in the quarterfinals 2:30 p.m. Friday.
“We’ve never been there before,” Moren said last week. “So I wouldn’t know what it’s like. Last year we had to play on the first day, so it would be new for all of us. I would suspect that you get some extra time, and right now that’s what we need.”
The Hoosiers led, 44-19 at halftime after sophomore forward Amanda Cahill scored 10 points and eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play.
Cahill would go on to complete her 10th double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 14 boards.
“Coach always says that the first four minutes are really important to get out strong,” sophomore guard Tyra Buss said. “I thought we came out with a purpose.”
The IU lead grew to as many as 30 points against Penn State, when the Hoosiers took a 70-40 lead with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter.
IU was able to limit the size of Penn State and force the Nittany Lions to shoot from outside.
Penn State converted just 2-of-13 from 3-point range.
“We were really active in our zone,” Buss said. “I thought we did a really good job in communicating and that’s a big thing, especially when we play zone. I think that really helped our offense.”
All five of IU’s usual starters finished in double-figure scoring. Buss scored 16 points for her 34th consecutive game in double digits.
Junior guard Alexis Gassion added 13 points and six assists, while junior center Jenn Anderson pitched in 11 points.
“This is a Penn State team that has won a Big Ten championship,” Moren said. “There’s a lot of pride. They weren’t going to go away, and we cautioned them on that. I thought we would have shown better patience in the second half.”
For the first season in program history, the Hoosiers did not lose a game in Assembly Hall.
They’ll look to avoid a letdown next week in Indianapolis during the Big Ten tournament.
“That’s one of those things that every group wants,” Moren said. “It’s history, really, at this point. That’s one of the things that they’ll have for the rest of their lives.”
