Without Starter Sydney Parrish, No. 16 Indiana Makes Season-High 15 Threes to Beat Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE — Without injured senior starter Sydney Parrish Sunday, No. 16 Indiana women’s basketball senior Chloe Moore-McNeil knew the other starters had to step up.
And they did.
Indiana’s four other regular starters each scored 15 points or more as the Hoosiers came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Purdue, 74-68. The Hoosiers hit a season-high 15 three pointers.
Moore-McNeil posted a career-high 20 points, and Sara Scalia scored 20 and hit six threes. Yarden Garzon scored 17 points and had five made threes. Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana’s leading scorer this season, had 15. Sophomore Lexus Bargesser made her first-career start in place of Parrish and did not score.
Mackey Arena Sunday was nearly full for the Barn Burner Trophy Game, but there were pockets of Indiana fans who kept the arena from boiling over with Purdue pandemonium. It stayed like that — until Boilermaker rookie Rashunda Jones dashed coast-to-coast for the and-1 layup with two minutes left in the third quarter. Not soon after, Jones’ 30-foot hoist beat the buzzer.
That was the loudest boom of the afternoon. It put Purdue up 54-51 and capped a 10 point run after Indiana had its own 10-point run to lead by seven. Jones, who came off the bench, flailed her arms as Mackey erupted.
Indiana women's basketball senior Chloe Moore-McNeil dribbles the ball during Indiana's game with Purdue Sunday, Dec. 21. inside Mackey Arena. Indiana won 74-68. (Photo: Kal Graybill)
Kal Graybill (The Hoosier Network)
“We talked about it very briefly,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame. “That we've been here before, adversity strikes and yeah, it's just gonna require the rest of them to do more, including our bench … whether that might not be offensive, but can they hold the lead and help us defensively … Chloe [Moore-McNeil] said it best. I mean, we've been through it.”
Indiana made five three-pointers in the fourth quarter — Purdue made five in the game — and pulled away for good with Scalia’s wide-open triple in the final minute. Before that, Holmes sank her first three this season, and Garzon and Moore-McNeil each made one.
Purdue took an early lead and scored 29 points in the first quarter, the most first-quarter points Indiana has given up this season. The Boilermakers went 3-for-11 in the second quarter and scored just eight points, the fewest second-quarter points the Hoosiers have given up to any Big Ten team.
Down the stretch, Indiana shot 8-for-10 in the fourth, and five of those makes were threes.
“I credit Indiana, because they never looked rattled,” Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds said.
“You could see the maturity, a championship ballclub … nobody forced a shot, nobody forced a play, they stayed within what they were doing. Mack gets a three. Chloe, step-back hits one. Sara in transition gets one to go. Credit to them for stepping up and knocking down big shots.”
Indiana, 16-2, has beaten Purdue in 10 straight games and is tied for the Big Ten lead at 7-1 after No. 2 Iowa lost in overtime Sunday at No. 18 Ohio State. The Hoosiers have a week off and play Northwestern at home Jan. 28.
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