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Indiana Women's Basketball Heads to Las Vegas Invitational for Auburn and Memphis Matchups
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Indiana women's basketball is in Las Vegas, Nev. ready to take on Auburn and Memphis as part of the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Both games are slated for 8:45 p.m. ET.
The Hoosiers are on a five-game winning streak including a huge road win over Tennessee to give Indiana a No. 6 ranking in this week's Associated Press Poll. Indiana head coach Teri Moren said she's not worried about that though, just scouting the two games in Sin City.
The Indiana women's basketball program arrives in Las Vegas, Nev.
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"Both Memphis and Auburn are sort of a chuck and chase kind of team," Moren said. "They're going to shoot a lot of probably unsolicited shots inside of that shot clock, and then they're going to try and chase them down and get offensive put backs, so we have to be really good on the boards."
This season, Indiana totals 198 rebounds to their opponents' 152. Moren always says the team hangs its hat on the defensive side of the ball, but so does the Friday opponent Auburn.
"This is an Auburn team that's going to get after us," Moren said. "There's no question defensively. They can speed you up. They're going to try and take it from you. They're very physical."
Moren said when you think of physical players, you usually think of post players, but not for the Tigers who have aggressive guard play led by leading scorer Aicha Coulibaly who's averaging 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and also earned preseason All-SEC honors.
Junior forward Romi Levy from Israel also adds nine points and 5.5 rebounds per game in two of Auburn's four games this season. The Tigers are currently 3-1 on the season with just one 6-point loss to Georgia Tech on Nov. 16.
Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris is in her second season at the helm with a 12-19 career record but already instilling a defensive mindset into her players, Moren said.
"We're really going to rely on our upperclassmen to settle us in because unlike some teams where they come out of the gates and they're super aggressive, and some of that dies off as the game goes on, Auburn's not like that," Moren said.
"She literally has kids come off the bench to not just sustain but also take your defense to a whole other level. I would suspect you're going to see a whole lot of (Indiana) vets in there especially in the first half."
The Indiana women's basketball team poses for a photo in Las Vegas, Nev. at the Las Vegas Invitational.
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Moren said if Indiana happens to get up a bit, some of the bench players might step in, but for now, she's comfortable with the rotation the team's been used to in the first five games.
As for Memphis on Saturday, Moren thinks the Hoosiers will see more zone defense from the Tigers — not to be confused with the Auburn Tigers.
Memphis is led by fifth year guard Jamirah Shutes who averages 16.6 points per game followed by senior guard Madison Griggs totaling 15.8 points per game.
The Tigers are on a four-game winning streak and average 85.8 points per game while the Hoosiers average 89.2. Memphis will first face St. John's in their Las Vegas Invitational opener.
The Hoosiers are playing back-to-back games the only time this season unless you include the Big Ten Tournament in March 2023. The staff has been dividing and conquering the scouting for each team and feel ready for neutral court action.
"This isn't unusual for us to have a short turnaround," Moren said. "I think our kids will love it. I feel really good about our preparation."
How to Watch Auburn vs. Indiana
Who: Auburn Tigers (3-1) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (5-0)
When: Friday, Nov. 25 2022 — 8:45 p.m. ET
Where: The Mirage Resort & Casino — Las Vegas, Nev.
Broadcast: FloHoops
Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM
How to Watch Memphis vs. Indiana
Who: Memphis Tigers (4-1) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (5-0)
When: Saturday, Nov. 26 2022 — 8:45 p.m. ET
Where: The Mirage Resort & Casino — Las Vegas, Nev.
Broadcast: FloHoops
Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM
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