Chants of “We want Withrow” came from various sections in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall during the fourth quarter of Sunday afternoon’s women’s basketball game between IU and Purdue.
The crowd’s wish came true amidst the Hoosiers rolling past the Boilermakers 73-51 and the fans seeking walk-on senior Grace Withrow to check into the game.
The IU faithful got what they wanted as Withrow checked in with 1:50 remaining on Senior Day and made her way to the free throw line less than a minute later.
She split the pair and then checked out with 25 seconds remaining to receive one final ovation.
“You’re always hoping when you go into games like this that you have an opportunity to take your seniors out and allow the crowd to give them those ovations,” IU Coach Teri Moren said.
Withrow’s free throw was the final point on an afternoon where IU’s offense came with ease.
After losing Tuesday in disappointing fashion to Northwestern, IU came out hot against its rival.
“It was kinda a pride thing,” junior guard Ali Patberg said. “That’s not how our team plays. That’s not how our program is supposed to represent the university. We needed to come out the way we’re supposed to play, and we did.”
The Hoosiers have struggled getting out to strong starts at times this season, but they started the day shooting 5-for-7 before the first media timeout.
“They’re more tuned in defensively because they’re not worried about the lost shot they just missed or the fact that we haven’t scored the last two or three possessions,” Moren said. “When our shots do fall, it’s amazing how much confidence we have and how we play off of that.”
The impressive shooting would continue throughout the first half and was capped off by an 11-0 IU run to take a 21-point lead into the locker room.
“We got the shots we wanted,” Moren said. “We got some run-outs. We also manufactured some shots that were not in our offense. I’m not sure that ignited us anymore than we were already ignited because this was a must-win for us.”
While IU’s shots were pouring in, the team was clamping down on the defensive end. Purdue shot just 30 percent in the game and had its lowest scoring total in a game since scoring 45 against Minnesota on Feb. 14.
“I thought we were really disciplined, solid defensively,” Moren said. “We didn’t give them anything easy.”
After being outrebounded in a loss to Purdue earlier this season, IU crashed the board Sunday to create a 46-30 rebounding advantage.
Junior forward Brenna Wise has said this season that rebounding is more about toughness, and the team showed it today by having five players grab five or more rebounds.
“They put their money where their mouth is,” Moren said. “There is a positioning part of it, for sure. That’s part of it, but it really comes down to your toughness, your grit and your tenacity.”
Sophomore guard Bendu Yeaney was a part of the rebounding effort, grabbing eight boards — five of which were offensive.
“They weren’t really boxing me out, so I had opportunities to go in and try to get it,” Yeaney said. “They came into my hands, so I was able to get us second-chance points.”
Patberg led IU in scoring with 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting while also having just two turnovers.
Postgame, Moren said she feels her team is different when Patberg is playing well, and it showed today.
“I’m not afraid to say that because if there’s one kid that can handle that kind of pressure, it’s AP,” Moren said. “The way she came out and handled herself today, I thought was a special performance.”
IU finishes the regular season with a 19-11 overall record and 8-10 in the Big Ten. As the team sits on the bubble of most potential NCAA Tournament brackets, it will look to improve its résumé at the conference tournament in Indianapolis this week.
The dates and times of IU’s games will be determined after the conclusion of Sunday’s Big Ten matchups.
