Hoosier Nation Fully Behind Indiana as Team Turns Attention to NC State
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Teri Moren sent out a tweet the morning following her team's monumental win over Belmont that catapulted the Hoosiers into the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history.
It was a tweet of gratitude, thanking Hoosier nation for their support as Indiana continues its historic run. Moren sent out, "Good Morning Hoosier Nation! Just wanted to Thank ALL of you who have sent text messages & warm wishes! Friends, Family, Alum, AAU Coaches and many more! We appreciate you!"
The Hoosier head coach allows a 24-hour rule following a loss or a win. You wallow about the loss for 24 hours before moving on and you celebrate a win for 24 hours before moving on.
Yesterday, Indiana was able to celebrate. Moren was given a postgame shower from her players in the locker room after the 70-48 victory over the Bruins.
She entered her postgame press conference soaked from celebration, and she wanted everyone to know how proud she was of her team for what they accomplished.
The praise and admiration for Indiana didn't stop there. As Moren alluded to in her tweet this morning, so many fans made sure to congratulate the Hoosiers on their milestone.
One of which was Indiana legend Isiah Thomas, tweeting "Hoosiers!!" after the win.
"Indiana basketball is basketball, so we have a tremendous following there in the state with our families and our friends and the alum," Moren said. "Isiah Thomas tweeted 'Hoosiers' yesterday on his social feed, so it's been a really cool experience for us, our staff and our players."
Moren has received so many messages that she hasn't even had the chance to get back to every person.
It's already been an exciting ride for Indiana, one that still has more to offer, and it has provided an important spotlight on a program that has built itself into a powerhouse over the years.
"There's a lot of eyes on Indiana women's basketball right now. It's obviously great for our university," Moren said. "It's so great in a lot of ways. There's so many texts and emails that I haven't even been able to respond to just because of the flood of people reaching out... At the end of the day, it's these kids that are really making this experience and one that we will never forget."
But the 24 hours are up for Indiana. The win is etched into the history books for the Hoosiers, and that's exactly what it is to them right now. Their attention has been turned to NC State, the No. 1 seed in Indiana's region.
The Wolfpack won the ACC Tournament this season, and like Indiana, have won their first two NCAA Tournament games by double digits.
The Sweet Sixteen matchup between No. 1-seeded NC State and No. 4-seeded Indiana is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 27, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
"It's an honor. We've worked so hard for this. When I got at IU, we've been hard at work for this since we started here," senior guard Ali Patberg said. "To reach that is a great feeling. We had a good time yesterday after the game, enjoying the win. But now we're on to the next game, and we're looking to continue to win."
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- HOOSIERS ADVANCE TO SWEET SIXTEEN: To read up on Indiana's Round of 32 victory over Belmont, CLICK HERE
- HOOSIERS ROLL PAST VCU IN FIRST ROUND: Indiana held VCU to just 32 points as the Hoosiers advanced to the second round. CLICK HERE
- SENIORS SHARE SPECIAL BOND: Indiana seniors Ali Patberg and Keyanna Warthen have a special relationship that started three years ago. CLICK HERE
- PATTERSON OPTS OUT OF SEASON: Indiana's Danielle Patterson has opted out for the remainder of the year. CLICK HERE
- BERGER ADDED TO WATCH LIST: Grace Berger joins Ali Patberg on the Wade Trophy Watch List, getting added as a midseason addition. CLICK HERE
- PENN OPTS OUT OF SEASON: Indiana senior guard Jaelynn Penn has opted out for the remainder of the year. CLICK HERE
- CARDANO-HILLARY PROVIDING SPARK: Transfer Nicole Cardaño-Hillary has been a huge lift for IUWBB off the bench this season. CLICK HERE