Indiana Defeats VCU 63-32 to Advance to the Round of 32
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The last time Indiana took the floor, Michigan State started the second half on a 9-0 run to take the lead, setting the tone for what turned into a tough loss for the Hoosiers in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Hoosiers didn't forget about that, and they used that to their advantage in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday. With a five-point lead at halftime, Indiana made sure to start the second half strong.
Head coach Teri Moren always stresses the first four minutes of each quarter, and in the first four minutes of the third quarter, Indiana jumped out to a double-digit lead and never looked back.
It set the tone for the Hoosiers in the second half, allowing them to roll to a 63-32 victory over VCU to advance to the Round of 32.
"The first four minutes sets the tone for the rest of the half," junior guard Grace Berger said. "That was something we didn't do well in the Big Ten Tournament. That was really emphasized going into the game, just going out, getting the momentum on our side and not letting our foot off the petal."
Moren thought her team pressed early, feeling the pressure of the NCAA Tournament and feeling the desire to do everything perfectly.
The Hoosiers struggled to knock down shots from the outside, going just 2-12, and Mackenzie Holmes only had two shot attempts. It was a recipe that wasn't going to work for Indiana, and that was the message from Moren at halftime.
Indiana got Holmes involved early in the second half, and the Hoosiers' offense finally started to settle in.
"I thought we settled too much," Moren said. "We were much better in the second half. It's great to be able to get this first win underneath your belt."
Ali Patberg got herself going in the second half, and Berger continued her onslaught of midrange jumpers that she had going all game long.
Berger, Patberg and Holmes combined for 51 of Indiana's 63 points on the day with Berger leading all scorers with 20. Patberg had 17 and Holmes scored 14.
"The midrange was open, and that's my go-to shot," Berger said. "If I have a midrange that's open, I'm going to take it, and it was falling for me tonight."
Indiana closed the final eight minutes of the game on an 18-1 run.
In the second half, Indiana outscored VCU 41-15. The Hoosiers were 14-of-24 from the field and 3-of-6 from three, while VCU was 5-of-23 and 1-of-3. Indiana finished with 1.050 points per possession for the game, and VCU had .533.
Indiana allowing just 32 points is the fewest points allowed by a Big Ten team in the NCAA Tournament.
"I thought we were doing a great job defensively," Moren said. "We hang our hat on the defensive end. We're going to be very disciplined. I believe in this group so much, and we have some momentum now that I think will carry over."
Up next, the Hoosiers will play No. 12-seeded Belmont on Wednesday. Belmont upset No. 5 Gonzaga on Monday to get its first NCAA Tournament win in program history.
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