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No. 4-Ranked Indiana Women Host Norfolk State on Tuesday Night
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It's been quite the week for the Indiana women's basketball team. First, the Hoosiers rolled past then-No. 13 Kentucky 88-67 in its first home game of the season, and the reward was a big jump in the polls, with Indiana moving from No. 8 to No. 4 in this week's Associated Press poll.
It's the highest ranking for the Hoosiers. While it's a huge accolade, Indiana coach Teri Moren looks at it as just a number. The women still have work to do without getting caught up on all the national attention.
"We're a program that's going to take it one week at a time, and as long as we're doing what we need to do, then all that other stuff will take care of itself," Moren said.
Indiana junior forward Mackenzie Holmes led the pack with a career-high 29 points against Kentucky. She went 11-for-15 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
"I was obviously mad at myself because I missed some shots I shouldn't be missing, but other than that, I knew I didn't have a choice but to bounce back because we knew who we were facing," Holmes said of her performance in the Kentucky game.
Because of her impressive performance in the wins against Butler and Kentucky, Holmes was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday. This is the second time she's earned the honor, the first award coming March of 2021.
During two games, Holmes shot 64% from the field, averaged 20 points per game and shot 6-for-6 from the line.
Indiana guard Grace Berger got off to a slow start against Kentucky, missing her first seven shots, but her half-court shot at the halftime buzzer got the attention of ESPN and made SportsCenter's list of top-10 plays. She checked in at No. 3.
"I don't practice half-court shots, and when I do, I'm usually pretty bad at them," Berger said. "The basketball gods were on my side with that one."
Berger didn't let her seven early misses keep her down, and she credits her coaches and teammates for believing in her to finish strong. She always felt like the next one would go in, and it did.
She ended up finishing with 19 points as the team's second-leading scorer, setting an example for the younger players on what it's like to persevere. She also had nine rebounds and four assists to contribute in other ways when her shots weren't falling.
The Hoosiers are back at home on Tuesday night, taking on the Norfolk State Spartans at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at 7 p.m. ET. It's the last chance to see the Hoosiers at home this month. Their next three games are on the road before returning home to play N.C. State on Dec. 2.
The Spartans play in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference and are 2-1 so far this season. On Sunday, Norfolk State lost to No. 21 Ohio State, 86-48. Spartan Tatiana Jones finished Sunday as the team's leading scorer with 11 points.
How to watch Norfolk State at Indiana
- Who: Norfolk State Spartans (2-1) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (2-0)
- When: 7 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Nov. 16
- Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Ind.
- TV/Streaming: B1G+
- Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM
Related stories on Indiana women's basketball
- INDIANA BEATS NO. 13 KENTUCKY AT HOME: Mackenzie Holmes led the Hoosiers to victory with a career-high 29 points. Grace Berger contributed a buzzer beater before the half catching the eyes of ESPN. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA GETS FIRST TEST VERSUS KENTUCKY: Teri Moren doesn't go for simple. She said she prepares a difficult schedule on purpose to prepare her team for competitive Big Ten games and of course, another NCAA tournament run. CLICK HERE.
- INDIANA GETS ROAD WIN AT BUTLER: The Hoosiers, met with plenty of fans in cream and crimson, brought home its first win of the season with Nicole Cardaño-Hillary leading the pack scoring 29 points. CLICK HERE
