No. 25 Indiana women’s basketball faced off against Maryville University on Wednesday in its lone exhibition contest this season.
The Hoosiers dominated the Saints inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, securing a 95-27 victory before the regular season begins in just five days.
Junior guard Lexus Bargesser, sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont and freshman forward Sydney Feen all missed the matchup due to injuries.
After Mackenzie Holmes’ and Sara Scalia’s departures in the offseason, the Hoosiers retooled their starting lineup. Against the Saints, the group consisted of graduate student guards Chloe Moore-McNeil and Sydney Parrish, junior guards Shay Ciezki and Yarden Garzon alongside junior forward Lilly Meister.
Indiana got out to a quick start in the opening court, holding a 28-8 lead after the first 10 minutes. Meister scored 6 of the Hoosiers’ first 8 points while Parrish added 7 in the first quarter.
The Hoosiers continued with their dominance in the second quarter, outscoring the Saints 22-6 to take a 50-14 lead at halftime.
With just over three minutes gone in the third quarter, Parrish suffered an injury. She was helped off the court by sophomore guard Julianna LaMendola and Garzon. Parrish emerged from the locker room with crutches and did not return to action.
All but Bargesser, Beaumont and Fenn played in the matchup. The Hoosiers finished at 52.9% from the field while holding the Saints to 13.4%. The Cream and Crimson also went 37% from beyond the arc.
Garzon led all scorers with 20 points while Meister finished with 19 points and four rebounds. While Parrish did not play for most of the second half, she still notched a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Indiana begins its regular season at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 against Brown University inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The contest will stream on Big Ten+.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Savannah Slone (@savrivers06) and columnist Ryan Canfield (@RyanCanfieldOnX) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
