Winning is hard, but winning on the road is even harder. If teams can only win at home, then they emulate what separates good teams from great ones.
That same statement can be said about the 2024-2025 Indiana women’s basketball team and its season. The Hoosiers are just a different team away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Its last two matchups are perfect evidence that there is no place like home for these Hoosiers.
On Wednesday against Michigan, as if it were a block of ice, the first 32 minutes of solid gameplay melted away in the last eight minutes. The Hoosiers had a steadfast scoring effort down the stretch, but sloppy defense opened the floodgates for a good Michigan offense, averaging over 78 points a game, which outscored Indiana 12-6 in the final two and a half minutes.
In the final period, Michigan scored 31 points, which was too much for Indiana to overcome. Indiana exited the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a 70-67 loss.
This loss didn’t come with a lack of opportunities. But the Hoosiers lacked the ability to take advantage of them.
Much like against Minnesota, Indiana led in many of the offensive statistics: field goal percentage, field goal makes, rebounds, offensive rebounds, second chance points, bench points and paint points. But it seems Indiana just loses its touch when it leaves Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
On Saturday, Indiana took care of a struggling Purdue team at home and proved that statement. Indiana dismantled Purdue early on and kept its foot on the gas — something it typically hasn’t done to teams on the road — en route to a 78-56 victory.
Indiana found its groove early, coming out to a 20-2 run in the first five minutes and 11 seconds of the contest.
That stretch was ignited by the Hoosiers’ shot-making, which continued throughout the contest even after Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds called two timeouts to try to break Indiana’s momentum.
The Boilermakers made it a tad closer from that point on, but the damage was done. The lead was too insurmountable for Purdue.
Graduate student guard Sydney Parrish’s inspired performance led Indiana to victory as she had 19 points and a team-high three 3-pointers.
“We were playing Purdue,” Parrish said postgame. “I think a lot of people know how a kid from Indiana feels about the team up north.”
Parrish mentioned the defensive gameplan was the focal point of practice after the losing to Michigan. She said it is important for Indiana to stick to its defensive fundaments.
As for the Hoosiers as a whole, they shot 50% from both the floor and behind the 3-point line.
Players that did not make a difference at Michigan were seemingly reborn Saturday.
Junior guards Yarden Garzon and Shay Ciezki combined for 4 points at Michigan. On Saturday, Garzon had 18 points on seven field goal makes and Ciezki followed with 16 points on six field goal makes.
While Indiana heads into its next week of practice likely feeling very good about its performance Saturday, the two road losses to start its final stretch still stand. Indiana head coach Teri Moren commented on what her squad must do to find success against No. 9 Ohio State on Thursday.
“We have to take care of the basketball, we have to compete like crazy on the boards, we have to be sound and disciplined defensively,” Moren said. “As elementary as it sounds, we got to hit shots.”
Moren said there’s evidence that when they do what they need to do, they win. The disparity between Wednesday against Michigan and Saturday against Purdue is the perfect example of that. Whether the Hoosiers continue their weekend momentum remains unclear, but their first opportunity comes Thursday against the Buckeyes.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Savannah Slone (@savrivers06) and columnist Ryan Canfield (@RyanCanfieldOnX) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
