Searching for its first win since Jan. 13, Indiana women’s basketball will look to snap its three-game losing streak against Washington in the final game of its West Coast trip.
Monday will mark just the fourth matchup between the Hoosiers and the Huskies — the first since 2001 when Washington defeated Indiana 85-73.
The Hoosiers are coming off a 47-54 loss to Oregon on Jan. 24 when they held the lead for nearly 34 minutes of the contest. Indiana held a 10-point lead over Oregon in the third quarter, but its inability to take care of the ball in the fourth quarter caused its lead to slip as the Hoosiers fell by 7 points.
But the loss to Oregon wasn’t the only instance of the Hoosiers’ offense stalling late in the game and allowing their opponent to seize control. Against No. 4 USC on Jan. 19, the Hoosiers held a 4-point lead over the Trojans in the fourth quarter, but their offense became stagnant while USC went on a 12-0 run to secure a 7-point victory over Indiana.
Junior guard Yarden Garzon has been a key player through the three-game stretch for Indiana. After her 21-point performance against Iowa on Jan. 13, Garzon has been quiet. She scored just one basket against Illinois on Jan. 16 before she shot 17.6% and 28.6% from the field against USC and Oregon, respectively.
“Well, it’s certainly concerning,” head coach Teri Moren said Jan. 24 of Garzon’s last three games. “We rely on her, and she has not shot the ball very well. The last time she shot it well was against Iowa, so we haven't seen that Yarden since then. So, it's concerning because we do need her to generate some points for us, and right now she's having a hard time doing that."
Garzon recorded 8 points and 10 rebounds against Oregon, but as the Hoosiers’ leading scorer with 13.4 points per game, Garzon having a good shooting game — or a poor one — could be the difference maker for Indiana.
The Hoosiers will also have to play strong defense from the 3-point line if they are going to come away with a win over the Huskies, who lead the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (36.6%). Sophomore guard Sayvia Sellers leads the Huskies’ attack from beyond the arc, shooting 44%.
Washington is led by three players who average double-figure scoring: Sellers, junior guard Elle Ladine and graduate student forward Dalayah Daniels. Sellers and Ladine each average just over 16 points per game while Daniels averages 10.8 and leads the team in rebounds with 7.2 per game.
The Huskies have a home record of 10-3 this season but are looking to bounce back after a 24-point home loss to Iowa on Jan. 22.
“Washington is a very, very good team, just lost at home to Iowa, so they’re going to be wanting to get back on track as well,” Moren said. “So, we’re going to have to dig deep in our soul, in our hearts, in our soul and see what we’re made of, because this has been a tough stretch for us. So, I think moving forward, we’ll find out what our group’s made of.”
The contest between the Hoosiers (12-7, 4-4 Big Ten) and the Huskies (13-7, 4-4 Big Ten) is set to tipoff at 9 p.m. Monday inside Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle and 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.
