No. 17 IU women’s basketball plays its third game in eight days at 8 p.m. Thursday against Rutgers, the first time this season the Hoosiers will make up one of their previously postponed matchups.
The two programs were supposed to meet Jan. 18 at Assembly Hall, as the Scarlet Knights are just now returning from a monthlong COVID-19 pause. Rutgers, 5-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten, last played Jan. 3 against Nebraska.
“It’s been difficult because they haven’t played in a month, and there’s just not been a lot of games that we can go back and scout,” IU head coach Teri Moren said. “We know this: They are gonna press, that’s what they’ve been known for. That is one thing we can and have been preparing for.”
Moren described the Scarlet Knights as pesky and handsy, and she also said they’re good about switching back and forth between different defensive looks throughout the game.
Senior guard Ali Patberg and junior guard Grace Berger will be tested facilitating the offense with ball security in mind, but the last thing Moren said she wants is for Rutgers to capitalize on careless IU turnovers.
“Any time you put that thing on the deck, you can bet that there’s another defender within arms reach that’s gonna try to pop that thing out of your hands,” Moren said. “This is how they can disrupt you if you’re not strong with the ball, if you don’t meet your pass.”
IU is averaging an uncharacteristic 15 turnovers per game in its last three contests, including a season-high 17 in last week’s 78-70 loss to then-No. 14 Ohio State.
Sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes, however, is confident that she and her teammates can bounce back and tighten things up offensively. The Hoosiers still boast the country’s No. 8 assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.46, and dealing with the Scarlet Knights’ defense will only force them to be more aware making decisions with the ball.
“It’s just gonna be important for us to stay composed in any of their pressure and just knowing that we can handle it and we’ve shown we can handle it,” Holmes said. “Being smart with the ball and crashing the boards and doing all the small things are gonna be big.”
Holmes has turned into a go-to option out of the post for the Hoosiers this season, leading the team with 17.8 points per game. The sophomore also progressed on the defensive end with her shot-blocking, rim-protecting ability.
Rutgers’ offense doesn’t attack the paint like IU and is driven by ball-dominant guards, but that doesn’t make Holmes second guess her upcoming assignment. What makes the Scarlet Knights even more dangerous in her mind is how long it’s been since they last played, she said.
“They’re a team that will take a lot of chances,” Holmes said. “They’re a really good team despite, you know, they’ve had a little bit of a break. I’m sure they’re just very eager to come out and play this week.”
