Indiana Didn't Need Mackenzie Holmes Against Tennessee Tech, Optimistic About Return

Indiana women's basketball was without leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes in its NCAA Tournament first-round game against No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech, but the Hoosiers didn't need her in the 77-47 win. Holmes and Indiana coach Teri Moren sounded optimistic about a return this season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – There’s an understandable adjustment period when any team loses a first-team All-American.

That was certainly true for No. 1 seed Indiana, playing without leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes against No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech during Saturday afternoon’s NCAA Tournament opener at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers eventually blew past the Golden Eagles in the second quarter, then turned on cruise control in the second half of a 77-47 win. 

Indiana has the stars and improved depth to overcome an injury, but Holmes' absence, and possible drop off in production if and when she returns, raises a bit of concern for the big picture.

Before the game, Indiana announced that Holmes, a 6-foot-3 senior, was available to play but limited due to knee soreness. Wearing a brace on her left knee, Holmes was in full uniform and went through warmups with the team, but she did not play on Saturday. Indiana was without a focal point of its offense, a player that commands the paint with 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

During the first quarter, it took some time for Indiana to find its footing without Holmes. Tennessee Tech came out with a full-court press, which kept Indiana uncomfortable. Indiana's offense looked less sharp than usual and unsure of itself early on. 

The Golden Eagles hit a few tough shots, starting the game 4-for-4 from 3-point range, and Indiana found itself tied 18-18 with 16-seed Tennessee Tech at the end of the first quarter.

But Indiana didn’t panic. From the 6:23 mark of the second quarter until the clock read 2:55, five different Hoosiers scored as Indiana went on a 17-0 run to blow the game open. Indiana won the second quarter 21-9 and took a 39-27 lead into halftime thanks to 20 fast break points in the first 20 minutes of action.

Indiana controlled the second half, winning the third quarter 17-12 and 21-8 in the fourth. The end result was never in question, even without Holmes, but her absence comes with some concern moving forward.

With Holmes on the floor, Indiana has close to a sure thing every trip down the court. Holmes ranks third in the nation with a 68.8 field goal percentage and seventh with 22.3 points per game. Dump it down to her on the block, and it's a layup or kick out for an open three almost every time. Her defensive presence can't be understated, either, during a season where she won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

After the game, Holmes and Indiana coach Teri Moren sounded positive about Holmes' potential return. Moren said Holmes was limited throughout the week in practice, but she was available today if Indiana needed her. 

Holmes said she suffered the injury during the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, and she's trying to be cautious and smart before returning, knowing she'll benefit from as much rest and rehab as possible. She's taking it day by day, and will see how she feels on Monday before deciding whether she can play.

"It's just something I know could get re-aggravated at any time when I'm playing," Holmes said. "So it just happened, and luckily we had a couple weeks to kind of rest and rehab. Then this game there wasn't a big necessity for me to play, so we were able to sit out."

As for Monday's game against the winner of No. 8 seed Oklahoma State and No. 9 seed Miami (FL)? 

"Very optimistic," Moren said. "Feel really good about her Monday.” 

6-foot-3 freshman Lilly Meister started in place of Holmes, and she finished with seven points on 3-for-4 shooting with four rebounds, three blocks, one assist, one turnover and a foul in 20 minutes of action. Alyssa Geary, a 6-foot-4 senior, played 17 minutes off the bench, contributing three points, three rebounds, two assists, one block and a steal.

“I thought both of them did a tremendous job," Moren said. "We didn’t need either one of them to do or be anything other than who they are. Lilly has played minutes off the bench for us and has provided us with a spark whether it’s rebounding, whether it’s guarding, whether it’s getting put-backs, whether it’s hitting free throws. As she’s grown inside of our program this year, she’s continued to get better, defensively, and that’s really what we wanted her to focus on, not replacing Mack as far as being a scoring threat. The ball did get to her or found her, she got that offensive rebound put-back that was gonna be great." 

"Then [Geary], the same thing," Moren continued. "We didn’t ask those guys or put any sort of pressure them. These guys get reps every single day in our practices, just as many as Mack did. So for both of them to come in today and be read, I'm not surprised by that, and I'm not surprised by what they were able to do and what they were able to provide and give us. It's March. They've got plenty of reps, and so they showed up today and we're going to continue to need them."

Despite all of Holmes' accomplishments, the fact that Indiana was able to weather an early storm and win by 30 points shows why the team's improved depth still makes a deep run in the NCAA Tournament possible. 

Moren said this team has embraced "sharing the sugar," seen through its balanced scoring on Saturday. Sydney Parrish led Indiana with 19 points, followed by Grace Berger with 17 and freshman Yarden Garzon with 12. 

Holmes is no stranger to injuries after missing eight games last season with a left knee injury, the same knee that's injured now. But as Indiana begins its journey through the NCAA Tournament, Holmes is pushing to return. 

Because in order for Indiana to reach its full potential, it needs the All-American forward anchoring the paint. 

"It's just frustrating, I think that's the best way I can describe it," Holmes said. Some days you're like, 'Damn, I wish things were different,' and then you realize what we have, the opportunity in front of us and that my season's not done and I'm really lucky for that. So I'll just work my butt off to get back on the court."

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• GAME STORY: In the absence of Indiana starting forward Mackenzie Holmes, guard Sydney Parrish led the one-seeded Hoosiers to a 77-47 victory over 16-seed Tennessee Tech in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in Bloomington. CLICK HERE