Sophomore guard Tyra Buss has been beaten up all season.
The 5-foot-8 speedster has crashed onto the hardwood and into the base of baskets countless times. Buss, who injured her elbow in the Big Ten Tournament, has fought her way to 252 free-throw attempts, the third most in the country.
On Saturday, Buss took another beating.
The point guard was poked in the eye late in the third quarter while driving for a layup. It took a few possessions for Buss to recover, but the Mount Carmel, Illinois, native rebounded from the play, which did not result in a foul call.
Buss battled her way to a game-high 23 points to lead the Hoosiers to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1983. No. 9 IU defeated No. 8 Georgia 62-58 for its second NCAA win in program history Saturday evening in South Bend, Indiana.
History was made yet again for the Hoosiers in South Bend, Indiana, against a Bulldog team that had qualified for 20 consecutive NCAA tournaments before last season’s atypical campaign.
Ninth-seeded IU will return to South Bend at 6:30 p.m. today to face top-seeded Notre Dame in the second round of the tournament.
The Hoosiers led at halftime 28-24 as both teams struggled to find consistent offense.
Georgia sparked a run to take a long-awaited run late in the third quarter before IU took control. The Bulldogs never led in the fourth quarter.
“It was a gutsy win for the Hoosiers,” IU Coach Teri Moren said. “It has been 33 years since Indiana women’s basketball has won a game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. I just wanted them to be relaxed and to go out there and be their best for 40 minutes. We’re just really proud of our players right now.”
Buss finished with seven rebounds, four assists and a 6-of-9 performance at the free-throw line to go along with her scoring total. While the Big Ten is known for its physical play, Buss said the conference stretch helped with preparing for the Bulldogs.
“It was very physical,” Buss said. “But the coaches told me going into the game that when I drive, a lot of players are going to come to me and the kick out would be open. It was really physical, but I am kind of used to it playing in the Big Ten.”
Buss ranks fourth nationally in free throws made with 195, shooting a little more than 77 percent from the charity stripe this season. She was fearless Saturday, driving for a game-high 21 shots and nine free throw attempts.
“That’s really her mentality,” Moren said. “She wants the ball in her hands at crucial times in critical possessions. We always tell her she needs to either score the ball or get to the free throw line. That’s who she is as a player — she embraces the opportunity.”
Georgia cut IU’s lead to just 57-56 with 1:06 remaining after a jumper from freshman forward Caliya Robinson.
Despite three missed Hoosier free throws in the final minute, an ensuing basket from sophomore forward Amanda Cahill was enough for IU to escape with a historic win.
“I don’t think they fully understand the magnitude of this win for Indiana women’s basketball,” Moren said. “They might not fully recognize it until after the season is over, but we’re building something special here. We want to build our own tradition.”
The Hoosiers will not have much time to prepare for one of the best teams in the country.
Notre Dame, at 32-1, was ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Poll. The Fighting Irish finished ACC play with an undefeated 16-0 mark — Notre Dame’s only loss of the season was a 10-point defeat to No. 1 Connecticut.
Cahill, who tallied 14 points and six rebounds against Georgia, admitted IU knows little about the ACC powerhouse.
“We know that they are a good team but we do not know a lot about them,” Cahill said.
