Indiana Women's Basketball Earns Fifth Ranked Win of Season After Defeating No. 13 Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Indiana women's basketball is 18-1 for the first time in program history after knocking down No. 13 Michigan 92-83 on the road for its fifth ranked win of the season.
Six Hoosiers scored in double figures led by senior forward Mackenzie Holmes who put up a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double for her ninth one of the season. Senior guard Sara Scalia followed up with a season-high 19 points.
"There's just not a lot to be disappointed about," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.
"I thought our kids followed the game plan. They didn't panic. We knew there was going to be ebbs and flows. We knew (Michigan was) going to make a run. We were going to have runs."
The standout player tonight was certainly Scalia as she went from a shooting slump and scoring 0 points in the Hoosiers' win over Illinois last week to her season-high going 7-for-10 from the floor as part of the Hoosiers' 51.6 percent from the field.
"We just continue to pour into her and give her good juice and tell her to keep shooting," Moren said. "What needs to be written about Sara is in spite of her having a little bit of a shooting drought, she's been able to still impact the game."
Scalia said she knew her teammates were confident in her abilities although it wasn't easy not having the hot hand for a stretch of games. She didn't alter her shot or anything. She just kept getting reps in practice and was told to keep going.
"I got open looks, Scalia said. "That's probably the start, and then I mean just staying confident in my shot and keep shooting, and yeah tonight it paid off."
The Hoosiers also won the battle of the boards 41-24, 14 of which were offensive rebounds.
"We knew that controlling the boards was going to be the number one key," Moren said.
Another key to the game was freshman forward Lilly Meister, who came in off the bench for 11 minutes when Holmes got into foul trouble. Meister ended with four points, six rebounds and a career-high two blocks.
"I'm tickled for her," Moren said. "She was great. Lilly did a great job staying vertical and using her length."
In the first frame, Indiana built up a nice gap with just under four minutes to play as junior guard Sydney Parrish hit a triple, and fellow junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil found Holmes in transition for a 16-10 lead.
"We have no problem pounding the ball inside to her, but she's become a great facilitator as well, someone who's a willing passer," Moren said of Holmes.
Michigan bit back coming within two, but freshman guard Yarden Garzon and Scalia connected from deep as the Hoosiers held a 10-point lead before the second quarter.
In the first half, the Hoosiers were propelled by Holmes' 15 points and Scalia's 12 as she got seven points in the second quarter.
The Hoosiers kept cushioning their score as they led by as much as 17 points off of Scalia's third three-pointer of the night in the third frame with just under four minutes left.
Michigan made a run of its own in the fourth coming within six points, but Indiana didn't panic as senior guard Grace Berger hit two signature jumpers to close the gap to 10 points.
Moren said one of the most special things about her team is they don't freak out when it's a tight game. Their maturity and veteran status has played a role in their wins and definitely won't hurt in the next Big Ten matchup.
Up next, the Hoosiers will return home to face No. 2 Ohio State on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Related stories on Indiana women's basketball
- HOOSIERS - WOLVERINES MATCHUP NOTES Monday, the No. 6-ranked Indiana women's basketball team will head to Ann Arbor to face its fourth ranked opponent of the season in No. 14 Michigan. How to watch and match details are inside the story. CLICK HERE
- WATCH TERI MOREN & TEAM CELEBRATE ALL TIME WINNINGEST COACH Watch several videos of the No. 6 Hoosiers showering Indiana women's basketball head coach Teri Moren with their water bottles and praise as she achieved her 189th Hoosier win as the program's all-time winningest coach. CLICK HERE
- GET MACKENZIE HOLMES THE BALL Wednesday, Indiana women's basketball forward Mackenzie Holmes dropped a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double in the Hoosiers' 83-72 victory over Illinois. Dominant in the post, it's a hard task to shut down this Gorham, Maine native. CLICK HERE
