No. 15 IU women’s basketball is set to tip off against Penn State in a matinee matchup at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Bloomington.
This is the second time they’ve met this season, as the Hoosiers upended the Lady Lions 85-64 on Jan. 7. IU outscored Penn State by 18 points in the second half and junior guard Grace Berger notched her second triple-double of the season in the road win.
Since their last meeting, however, the Lady Lions have kicked it up a notch and turned their season around. Penn State, 8-7 overall and 5-6 in the Big Ten, has won five of its last seven games since its loss to IU, including a current four-game winning streak.
The Hoosiers have been on a streak of their own, too. Head coach Teri Moren’s squad is playing for its third win in a row since falling to then-No. 14 Ohio State and its seventh victory in its last eight games. IU also hasn’t lost to Penn State at home since February 2014.
If sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes has it her way in the paint again, the Lady Lions could be in trouble. IU’s leading scorer dropped in a career-high 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting, collected six rebounds and recorded five blocked shots in last month’s win over Penn State.
“People don’t realize how long Mack is, and her timing and her anticipation,” Moren said after Sunday’s 85-72 win over Iowa. “She’s really gifted in being able to stay vertical but also really create some problems for post players and guards because of her length.”
One of the biggest challenges the Hoosiers have dealt with this season has been unexpected postponements and their schedule moving around, but Moren said that’s just something they’re used to at this point.
When IU’s rescheduled game against Rutgers last Thursday was postponed again on short notice, Moren said it was disappointing for her team to have to switch gears to a different team and go another three days without a game. It’s their experience and competitiveness, however, that’s helped push them through that adversity this season.
“They are chomping at the bit to always get on the floor and compete,” Moren said. “They wanna know, they wanna take a deep dive into our scouting report and what our game plan is. There’s a shift that goes on there mentally, and I think that’s what’s been taxing for them.”
