In its final game before Thanksgiving, No. 12 Indiana women’s basketball defeated Quinnipiac University 92-55 on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Just as they did in their first four games, the Hoosiers jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter then spent the next three quarters playing ahead and protecting their lead. Following a 21-4 Indiana run to end the opening frame, Quinnipiac never again cut the deficit to single digits or seriously challenged the lead.
[Related: No. 12 Indiana women’s basketball uses strong first quarter to put away Bowling Green]
In particular, freshman guard Yarden Garzon was a driving force behind Indiana taking advantage early in the game. The first-year player from Israel scored 11 points and went a perfect 3/3 from beyond the arc and finished the game with 14 points on 4/5 shooting from 3-point range.
“I thought she came out and was really good early and got us off to the start that we got off to,” head coach Teri Moren said. “I love how we are sharing the ball, and I love how we have different people on different nights scoring the ball.”
Led by Garzon’s shooting, Indiana went 5/8 from 3-point range as a team in the first quarter. Last season against Quinnipiac, Indiana went 3/8 from deep in the entire game, a 67-59 win.
So far this season, Garzon is shooting 11/22 on 3-point attempts to lead the team in both makes and percentage from long range. She attributed her success and efficiency to not forcing shots unnecessarily.
“Just be in the game, flow with the game and take the right shots,” Garzon said.
While she has played so far as an off-ball shooter for Indiana, Garzon has also served as more of a primary ball-handler at other times throughout her career. Garzon said she has continually had to adapt to different roles when joining new teams, including working to space the floor more since coming to Indiana.
“I’ve played most of the positions — with the national team or with my clubs in Israel,” Garzon said. “I just try to do my best to help the team win games.”
Though Garzon was vital to the Hoosiers initially building the lead, senior forward Mackenzie Holmes led the team in scoring and helped them keep the large advantage until the final buzzer. Holmes finished with 22 points on 8/9 shooting while also adding seven rebounds and three blocks — both of which were also team highs.
With Indiana fully in control for nearly the entire game, the only outcome Hoosiers fans were questioning was Indiana men’s soccer’s NCAA Tournament matchup against Saint Louis University, taking place at nearby Bill Armstrong Stadium. Those questions were answered during the third quarter media timeout when Indiana’s 1-0 victory was announced inside Assembly Hall, leading to a loud ovation from the cream and crimson-clad fans.
[Related: The quest for nine continues: Indiana men’s soccer fends off Billikens, advances to Sweet 16]
After the game, Moren said she is proud of how all Indiana teams support one another, and she looks at the men’s soccer team, in particular, as the blueprint for how to build a successful program.
“I have a special place for Todd Yeagley and men's soccer and how they’ve built that program,” Moren said. “I wanted our program to sort of mirror that with the tradition that he has, the success that he has. Really excited for all of our sports; this is a group of, not just head coaches, but also assistant coaches and staff that are very supportive of one another. So, it's a good weekend for the for the Indiana Hoosiers”
With the win, Indiana improves to 5-0 and will have a few days off before it returns to action at the Las Vegas Invitational. The Hoosiers will play Auburn University at 8:45 p.m. Friday and the University of Memphis at 8:45 p.m. Saturday — both in Las Vegas, Nevada — before returning home to face No. 13 University of North Carolina on Dec. 1.
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