Indiana women’s basketball returned to the hardwood Friday against Oregon seeking its first victory in nearly two weeks after back-to-back home losses to Illinois on Jan. 16 and No. 4 USC on Jan. 19.
After leading by as many 10 points halfway through the third quarter, the Hoosiers ultimately fell to the Ducks 54-47 inside Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon.
Graduate student guard Sydney Parrish, who made her return to Oregon after playing her first two seasons of college basketball with the Ducks, and senior forward Karoline Striplin began the scoring for the Hoosiers.
After 10 minutes of play, Striplin notched 6 points while Parrish scored 5 as the Hoosiers led 11-8. The two squads combined to go 8 for 27 from the field in the opening period.
The second quarter was evenly matched as both sides scored 14 points over the 10 minutes. After struggling during each of the Hoosiers’ past two contests, junior guard Yarden Garzon earned her first points of the matchup in the second period, scoring 6 as she went 3 for 5 from the field.
At the half, the Hoosiers led 25-22 as Striplin led with 8 points alongside Garzon’s 6.
Indiana’s balanced scoring attack continued into the third quarter, but it scored just 11 points. However, after accumulating eight turnovers in the first half, the Hoosiers gave the ball away just twice in the third.
Entering the final period leading by just 2 points, Indiana’s carelessness with the basketball returned. Junior guard Shay Ciezki’s pass in graduate student guard Chloe Moore-McNeil's direction was intercepted and layed in by sophomore guard Ari Long.
Although the Hoosiers led by 3 points with just over five minutes remaining in the contest, they went on an over four and half minute drought as the Ducks scored 10 consecutive points. Now trailing by 7 with less than half a minute remaining, the Hoosiers couldn’t come back and fell 54-47.
Striplin tied for a game-high 14 points along with five rebounds. Garzon totaled 8 points and 10 rebounds in the 7-point loss.
The Hoosiers (12-7, 4-4 Big Ten) now have lost three-straight games. They have three days until their next matchup, which is slated for 9 p.m. Jan. 27 against Washington (13-7, 4-4 Big Ten) inside Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. 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.
