Basketball is a game of runs.
One team gains momentum and looks to take control of the game, and then the opposing team does the same.
For the No. 25 IU women's basketball team, basketball has certainly been a game of runs. But when things get bad, it has become more a game of droughts.
In Wednesday night's 75-69 loss to Northwestern, the drought started from the opening tip.
The Hoosiers came out flat, missing their first 10 field goals. Their first bucket didn't come until until just over three minutes remained in the opening frame.
“We took great shots even in the first five minutes of the game, they just didn’t fall,” junior forward Brenna Wise said. “You’re just going to have those nights.”
IU got open looks early that it failed to convert, but the team’s plan to break Northwestern’s 2-3 zone failed early.
“That’s their bread and butter,” Wise said. “I commend their team for the active matchup zone that they play, and they play it well. They communicate. They know where to be.”
Even after freshman forward Aleksa Gulbe hit a 3-pointer to give the team its first field goal on the night, the offense continued to struggle.
IU scored just 10 points in the first quarter, marking the fifth time this season in which the team has scored 10 points or less in a frame.
And if not for a miracle, buzzer-beating, banked-in three-pointer from sophomore guard Bendu Yeaney, it would have been the fourth occasion where the team scored single digits in a regulation period.
IU has shown its upside, as it has usually overcome the droughts given they own a 15-3 record.
But despite a 3-0 start in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers have lost two of their last three games. Both losses have included long scoring droughts.
“We’re not going to play a perfect game for 40 minutes,” Wise said. “We’re always prepared for the game. It’s just about fighting through those types of quarters and piecing together a great 40 minutes.”
