No. 16 IU women’s basketball had a 1-point edge entering the fourth quarter last night.
In a battle against No. 14 Ohio State, the Hoosiers had done enough to keep themselves in contention but not enough to bury the Buckeyes for good.
Just four days prior, IU was in a similar situation against No. 23 Northwestern. The Wildcats had slightly outplayed the Hoosiers through 30 minutes, but it was anybody’s game going into the final quarter. IU executed on practically all offensive possessions while the defensive intensity was the best we’ve seen all season. They won the game by 13 points.
It was a different story against Ohio State. The Buckeyes started the final quarter on an 11-0 run – a microcosm of the finish.
Related: [No. 16 IU women’s basketball ends winning streak with 78-70 loss to No. 14 Ohio State]
The team’s energy was present, but the focus seemed to disappear. IU turned the ball over five times in as many minutes during the decisive Ohio State stretch. The Hoosiers gifted the opponents easy transition layups.
“One of the most disappointing losses that we’ve had here in my tenure at Indiana,” head coach Teri Moren said.
With all things considered, it’s hard to disagree with Moren’s honest remark.
After Sunday’s crucial victory over Northwestern, IU was one of four teams atop the Big Ten standings with only one loss. With a competitive schedule ahead, it had opportunities to improve their quality wins and knock others down the standings.
But more than just the numbers, there appeared to be a togetherness between the players. Not to say it was absent prior, because it was clearly there, but it was the first time this season that they earned a win against a Big Ten contender – and they deserved it.
To follow that victory with a loss of this nature, disappointing is the appropriate word.
There is a sense of optimism for Hoosiers as always. Despite shooting a frustrating 40% from the floor, most of their looks were open.
“I think we were getting good shots,” sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes said. “They weren’t all falling and it made us a little more stagnant down the stretch.”
Related: [Berger, Holmes unable to carry IU women’s basketball to victory against Ohio State]
The toughest pill to swallow is the lack of consistency from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers shot a dreadful 1-for-14 from the 3-point line, turning themselves into a one-dimensional team.
To be fair, that aspect of the game has never been this team’s strong suit. They are second to last in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage, but burying a couple here and there forces the defense to play tighter and respect shooters just a little bit more.
When IU went 2-for-27 from deep in IU’s loss to the University of Tennessee earlier this season, Moren said the team needed to bring the offense inside the arc. The volume of 3-pointers didn’t bother Moren tonight as they stayed inside Moren’s arbitrary maximum of 15 attempts.
Even though the results didn’t show it, she still believes the team can knock them down as long as they are prepared and poised.
“They needed to step up and shoot it with confidence,” Moren said. “That’s what we try to instill over there – the good juice.”
The reason the Hoosiers competed until the end was due to the efforts of junior guard Grace Berger and Holmes. They combined for 43 points and were the only source of offense on a night when nobody else could find a rhythm.
Even with their production, the team fell short.
“Two kids can’t beat a team like Ohio State,” Moren said.
The Hoosiers will have a quick rebound when they face Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Bloomington.
