COLUMBIA, S.C. — Indiana women’s basketball made its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance Friday as it faced off with the No. 8-seeded University of Utah in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64.
Despite trailing for much of the first half, the Hoosiers seized control in the third quarter and held on in the fourth to secure a 76-68 victory at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
Both teams traded baskets for nearly all of the opening quarter as the game was tied at 17 after the period. Junior forward Lilly Meister led all scorers with 8 points in the quarter as she went a perfect 4 for 4 from the field.
After junior guard Yarden Garzon began the second quarter with first 3-pointer of the contest, the Utes went on a 9-0 run to take a 6-point lead. Each squad notched a 2-point basket before a three-minute scoreless drought ensued for both sides.
The Hoosiers then finished the half on a 9-3 spurt to tie the contest at 31 at halftime. Utah junior guard Gianna Kneepkens led all scorers with 11 points at the half while Meister still led the Cream and Crimson with 8.
Kneepkens notched a pair of buckets at the beginning of the third quarter, but the Hoosiers responded with a 9-0 run to take a 6-point lead. They then went on a 10-2 spurt as they lead by 11 points with just over two and a half minutes remaining in the period.
Both squads then rattled off 4 points of their own before trading baskets to end the quarter as Indiana led by 11 points with just 10 minutes left in the contest.
However, Utah didn’t go away easily.
The Utes went on a 7-0 run early in the fourth to pull within 6. With less than a minute left they trailed by just 4 points, but the Hoosiers maintained control. Garzon and graduate student guard Chloe Moore-McNeil each drained a pair of free throws with in the final 11 seconds to seal the victory.
Kneepkens led all scorers with 24 points while Garzon led the Hoosiers with 17. Ciezki added 16 while Moore-McNeil chipped in 12.
Indiana will face off with the winner of the 4 p.m. contest between No. 1 University of South Carolina and No. 16 Tennessee Tech University in the Round of 32 on Sunday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Savannah Slone (@savrivers06) and columnist Ryan Canfield (@RyanCanfieldOnX) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
