Indiana Women's Basketball Defeats Rival Purdue, Earns Share of Big Ten Regular Season Title
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Emotions were at an all-time high as No. 2 Indiana women's basketball clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title for the first time since 1983 with an 83-60 win over rival Purdue on Sunday.
"The work that it takes to accomplish something like this is not easy," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said through tears. "You talk about a kid like Grace Berger, and I think one of the greatest gifts you can give somebody is belief."
"She believed in this program, she believed in me and the vision, and for that I'll always be grateful."
Senior guard Berger was one of five starters to score in double figures with 14 points while senior forward Mackenzie Holmes led the team with 20 points. Berger and senior forward Alyssa Geary were honored as part of Senior Day, the last regular season home game each player will ever have.
"I tried not to think about it too much before the game, or else I would have been I think kind of sad," Berger said. "To go out like that, cutting down a net is something I've been working for since my freshman year.
"It's really special, and I realize that now. For me, this moment, I still feel like we have a lot of work to do."
To witness the trophy, hats and net cutting was an Indiana women's basketball record sold-out crowd of 17,222 fans, the third largest crowd in Big Ten women's basketball history and the fourth largest in Division I women's basketball this season.
"Any time you can beat Purdue in front of 17,000 fans, I think that's pretty hard to beat," Berger said.
The Hoosiers shot 53.3 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from beyond the arc while holding Purdue to 42.6 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from three.
In the first quarter, Purdue struck first with a layup off of an Indiana turnover. Hoosier junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil responded with a three as freshman guard Yarden Garzon got in on the action from beyond the arc in the next Hoosier possession.
Purdue then hit a deep three of its own and added a jumper soon after to take the one-point lead.
With just above four minutes to play, senior guard Sara Scalia hit one from downtown to pull the Hoosiers away as Holmes stole and scored getting Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall loud and proud as Indiana finished the frame with a five-point lead.
Purdue chipped away in the second quarter for just a three-point deficit until junior guard Sydney Parrish drove to the basket for the bucket and the foul.
Moments later off a Holmes assist, Moore-McNeil connected on her second three of the night with just above five minutes to go in the second half.
While Indiana kept resorting to shooting threes, Purdue capitalized on a 7-0 run over two minutes to finish the half only down by three points.
"It was a tale of two halves defensively," Moren said. "We were not as good as we needed to be. We lost [Lasha] Petree more than we needed to."
In the third quarter, Berger forced an and-1 play under the eight-minute mark as Holmes continued to go to work in the paint. Her spin move bucket for two gave the Hoosiers a nine-point lead to which the Boilers called a timeout.
Indiana then went on a 8-0 run but was hindered by turnovers. To make up for it, Moore-McNeil hit one three and then another for an 11-point lead as Parrish drew a foul for the complete five-point play.
Purdue remained scoreless from the field for more than three minutes to end the third frame.
"We're the team that makes you work a little bit harder," Moren said. "I thought you got to see that in the second half."
In the last quarter, Garzon connected on her third triple of the night to reach double figures while Indiana then built up a 6-0 run. The bench checked in with just over two minutes to play as the Hall erupted for Berger, who took a seat on the bench.
Up next, Indiana will head to Iowa City on Sunday to face No. 7 Iowa in its final regular season game before Big Ten tournament play starts on March 1.
Related stories on Indiana women's basketball
- INDIANA - PURDUE MATCH NOTES Sunday at noon, the No. 2 Hoosiers will host in-state rival Purdue in front of a sold-out Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for Senior Day and their final regular season home game. CLICK HERE
- CHLOE MOORE-MCNEIL ELITE DEFENDER AND PLAYMAKER Junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil earned her starting spot this season and works to keep it as she's tasked with guarding the opposing team's best players all while tearing it up from beyond the arc just like she did versus Michigan Thursday night. CLICK HERE
- HOOSIERS SWEEP NO. 12 MICHIGAN The No. 2 Hoosiers are looking great as they finished off No. 12 Michigan 68-52 at home for their ninth win over a ranked opponent this season. Forward Mackenzie Holmes and guard Chloe Moore-McNeil combined for 40 points in the victory. CLICK HERE
