It was evident when the news of Bob Knight’s passing spread throughout Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Wednesday night. The legendary Indiana men’s basketball coach passed away just minutes before Indiana women’s basketball tipped off against Division II opponent Northwood University. As the Hoosiers took the court with heavy hearts, they defeated the Timberwolves 111-68.
No shortage of offensive options
A 17-0 run to start the game is never a simple feat — neither is putting up 65 points in the first half. However, the Hoosiers did both, seemingly with ease as a multitude of players contributed to a dominant offensive attack.
It should be no surprise graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes led the team in scoring with 28 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, all in just 14 minutes of play.
Additionally, the perimeter shooting for the Hoosiers allowed the Cream and Crimson to score in volume with high efficiency. Although Indiana ranked 144th in the NCAA for 3-point-shots attempted last season, the Hoosiers rained down shots from beyond the arc against Northwood. The team shot a combined 50% from long range with graduate student guard Sara Scalia leading the way with five 3-pointers and 17 total points.
Including Holmes and Scalia, a total of 11 players scored against the Timberwolves. Senior guard Sydney Parrish and sophomore guard Yarden Garzon both eclipsed double digits with 14 points and 12 points respectively.
Running the court
The Hoosiers made it clear they wanted to run the court and score in transition during the first half. Fast break points came early and often as Indiana repeatedly pushed the ball up the court, leading to easy makes at the rim or wide-open looks from beyond the arc. Indiana forced 13 turnovers in the first half and 34% of the Hoosiers first half scoring came from fast-break points.
“It's certainly something that we pride ourselves in,” Moren said. “When you have playmakers and kids who are unselfish and willing to make the extra pass, it's fun.”
Dishing out the extra pass is something Teri Moren-coached teams have excelled at. In their 2022-23 campaign, the Hoosiers ranked seventh in Division I with 18.3 assists per game.
Up next for the Hoosiers
Following a dominant showcase in their one and only exhibition of the year, the Hoosiers will gear up to begin the regular season Nov. 9 when they welcome Eastern Illinois University to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The season opener will tip-off at 7 p.m. with the game being broadcast on Big Ten+.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa), columnist Ryan Canfield (@rpcvsthewrld) and photographer Olivia Bianco (@theoliviabianco) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
CORRECTION: A previous verson of this article misstated the amount of points scored by Mackenzie Holmes.
