Indiana Women's Basketball Hands UMass Lowell River Hawks Big 'L'
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana women's basketball played 13 total Hoosiers who helped secure a huge 93-37 win over the UMass Lowell River Hawks to tie the Hoosiers' fourth largest win in team history with a 56-point margin.
"On a night where we got to sit our starters, it was great to see those other kids do some good things," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.
The bench scored 42 points and as a team scored 60 points in the paint, 34 points off turnovers and 25 fast break points. Forward Mackenzie Holmes led the way with 17 points followed by guard Sara Scalia's 15.
However, being a No. 11-ranked team, Moren always pushes her squad for more.
"A little bit disappointed," she said. "We shot the three-ball and it wasn’t what it was the other night. But I thought we still got great looks. They just didn’t go down for us and that will happen inside of a game."
The Hoosiers shot 22.7 percent from beyond the arc and also missed eight free throws, something Moren said bothered her since the team spends time on those shots all the time in practice.
Defensively, the Hoosiers only allowed UMass to score 17 points in the first half after limiting the River Hawks to shooting 18 percent from the field and forcing 10 turnovers.
Scalia said she knew coming to Indiana she needed to improve on that side of the ball and feels like she's gotten much better.
"Sara has fully embraced the challenges our coaches have given her on the defensive side of the ball," Holmes said.
In the first quarter, UMass Lowell got on the board first, but Holmes responded with a pair of free throws and layup to get the Hoosiers rolling.
It took a few minutes for Indiana to find its mojo, but despite some missed shots, Indiana's defense carried the team and even forced a River Hawk shot clock violation.
Indiana missed four consecutive buckets but followed up by going 5-for-6 creating a 10-point lead. With a double-digit cushion, the Hoosiers used this as an opportunity to hit threes but instead missed seven.
In the second quarter, Scalia got things cooking from beyond the arc and swished two back-to-back triples for a solid 16-point lead.
"Having someone like Sara who's such a threat from the perimeter, you can't leave her open," Holmes said. "You can't give her daylight."
Freshman guard Yarden Garzon got in on the action hitting a jumper around the seven-minute mark plus the opportunity for an and-1.
"She's really smart from the court," Scalia said. "She's shown she can shoot a pull up, get to the basket. She's kind of an all-around player for us, and she shows that everyday in practice."
With under three seconds to go, guard Sydney Parrish hit a layup and was fouled for a three-point play opportunity. She missed the mark, but the Hoosiers' offense found it with an 18-1 run and a 49-17 lead over the River Hawks at the half where 11 Hoosiers saw the floor.
To start the second half, Scalia scored a layup off of a fast break soon followed by guard Chloe Moore-McNeil's two triples.
Scalia looked right at home from the three and put another triple on the board with six and a half minutes to go in the third.
"I've gotten more confident with my chemistry on the court just from practice, continuing to rep all our plays," Scalia said. "Being new here, my chemistry is still pretty high with this team.
UMass Lowell was left scoreless for more than five minutes after six missed field goals and superb Hoosiers defense.
The fourth quarter was a bench party as all the starters rested their legs. Freshman forward Lilly Meister got a steal and scored a layup off the fast break to start things off. She finished the night as the leading freshman scorer with 10 points.
Sophomore guard Kaitlin Peterson got scrappy too and had a steal and fast break layup of her own along with freshman Lexus Bargesser who got the assist from Meister.
"The makeup of a great team is everybody buys into their role and serves their role and stars in their role," Moren said. "Our chemistry is off to a really good start early."
Up next, the Hoosiers will hit the road to face No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville on Monday evening.
Stories related to Indiana women's basketball:
- INDIANA TO FACE UMASS LOWELL On Friday night, the Hoosiers will face the UMass Lowell River Hawks inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. How to watch is inside the story. CLICK HERE
- HOOSIERS WELCOME TWO SIGNEES Indiana women's basketball announces the signing of guards Lenee Beaumont and Jules LaMendola for the 2023-24 season. Both players are ranked in ESPN's top 100 and as a class pair come in at No. 20 on ESPN's overall team rankings. CLICK HERE
- SYDNEY PARRISH IS A BALLER Indiana guard Sydney Parrish made her presence known in her first game in the cream and crimson leading the team with four steals. Head coach Teri Moren said Parrish is scrappy, a vocal leader and has been a great option for the Hoosiers, something the team didn't have one or two seasons ago. CLICK HERE
