No. 14 Indiana women’s basketball entered Thursday’s contest against Michigan looking to improve to 3-0 in Big Ten play. Coming off a nail biting 77-71 victory over Illinois on Dec. 31, the Hoosiers wasted no time against the Wolverines.
Senior guard Sydney Parrish began the contest driving into the lane for an uncontested layup to give Indiana a quick 2-0 lead. Michigan responded with a layup, but the Hoosiers followed with a 6-0 run behind a pair of layups from graduate student Mackenzie Holmes and two free throws from fifth year senior Sara Scalia.
After a step back jumper from Michigan graduate student guard Lauren Hansen, Parrish sank a trio of 3-pointers in the next minute and 15 seconds to give Indiana an 11-point lead. Nearly three minutes later, Scalia went on her own rampage from distance. Matching Parrish, Scalia drilled three consecutive 3-pointers, giving the Hoosiers a 36-17 lead at the conclusion of the opening frame.
Not only did Indiana set a season-high for most points scored in a quarter with 36, but it went a perfect 13-for-13 from the field.
Looking to continue their perfect start to the game, the Hoosiers went two-for-two to begin the second quarter before Scalia missed a 3-pointer to mark their first missed shot.
After the Hoosiers maiden miss, the Wolverines rattled off a quick 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 17. The Hoosiers immediately responded with a 6-0 burst behind senior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil's 4 points from the charity stripe.
Although Indiana didn’t shoot perfectly from the field in the second quarter like it did in the first, it still went into halftime with a 51-34 advantage.
The Hoosiers began the third quarter continuing to drain 3-pointers much like they did in the first half. Scalia and sophomore guard Yarden Garzon each sank a shot from beyond the arc to take a 23-point lead. While Phelia responded with a bucket to open the Wolverines’ scoring in the third frame, Indiana rattled off a quick 5-0 run to up its advantage to 26.
After over three minutes without points, Scalia made a layup to break the drought and maintain a 24-point edge. Despite outscoring the Wolverines 17-14 in the third quarter, the Hoosiers committed four fouls in the final two minutes, leading to frustration from the fans and Indiana head coach Teri Moren.
Entering the final quarter with a 68-48 lead, Indiana went on a 4-0 run before Michigan scored 6 in a row to cut its deficit to 18. Sophomore forward Lilly Meister and sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser scored 3 points apiece in the closing minutes of the final quarter en route to an 80-59 victory.
Holmes led the way for the Hoosiers, scoring 20 points and seven rebounds. Scalia notched 16 points as Parrish followed with 14 as the pair went seven-for-14 from 3-point range.
Indiana now sets its sights on a 2 p.m. tipoff Sunday against Nebraska inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. The contest will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa), columnist Ryan Canfield (@_ryancanfield) and photographer Olivia Bianco (@theoliviabianco) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
