The Hoosiers took care of business in their first road game of the season, cruising past Oakland 59-32.
It wasn’t the prettiest game, with 26 turnovers from IU, but once again it was the play of Ali Patberg and Brenna Wise that led this team to their second win. After a nail-biter at home on Wednesday, the Hoosiers left no doubt in Auburn Hills, Michigan Sunday. Here are some takeaways from the road victory.
First Quarter Success
It didn’t take long for the Hoosiers to establish themselves at Oakland. They shot out to a 7-0 start, and it was 23-3 by the end of the first quarter. Five Hoosiers scored in the first quarter, paced by Patberg and Wise, each puttin up five points. IU ended the quarter on a 16-0 run.
“You can start it off, first quarter, no complaints with how quickly we got out of the gates, which is really good,” Head Coach Teri Moren said.
This was contrary to each of the previous starts for Indiana, starting slow in both the exhibition game and the home opener. Northwood led 22-17 after the first in the exhibition matchup, while the Hoosiers had a slim 17-14 lead over Milwaukee after the opening frame at home on Wednesday.
Another notable moment in the first quarter was the starting lineups, which included sophomore Bendu Yeaney. She had previously sat out the exhibition game for precautionary reasons and came in off the bench against Milwaukee. Yeaney finished with three points, two rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes.
Patberg and Wise Continue to Lead the Way
Both Patberg and Wise had to sit out last season after transferring into the Indiana program. It’s safe to say they were both ready to return to the court this season.
Wise led the team in scoring with 14 points and added six rebounds. Patberg was close behind, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds. The duo is averaging 30 points per game combined and are the only two Hoosiers averaging double digits through the first two games.
?️ Highlights from the win at Oakland! #iuwbb ⚪️? pic.twitter.com/u0ib6Mlhln
— Indiana Women’s Basketball (@IndianaWBB) November 11, 2018
“Been really pleased with Brenna and Ali and how they’ve performed so far, Ali having the most difficult job and that’s running our basketball team,” Moren said. “I really like how those two kids are just, maybe they’re not playing perfect, but their mindset is in the right place, which, you know, we appreciate.”
Indiana struggled in the second quarter, only scoring three points to Oakland’s nine. Moren attributes part of the quarter’s struggles to Patberg being forced to sit with two fouls.
This is an Indiana team that needed someone or a group of people to step up and be leaders after the graduation of Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill. So far, Wise and Patberg have filled their shoes quite nicely.
Turnovers Are An Issue
The Hoosiers did not take good care of the basketball Sunday on the road. The starters ended up with 18 turnovers, while the team as a whole finished with 26 turnovers. While Indiana cruised to a 27-point win, this is still a concern that Moren will address with her staff and the team this week.
“The thing as a staff we’re most disappointed with is that turnover [number]. 26 turnovers, you’re not going to beat very many good teams, you know, turning the ball over like that,” Moren said. “We’re still trying to kinda find our way with this group, and we are encouraged by our pieces, but we’re going to have to find a way to put more points on the board.”
After only committing 10 turnovers in the opener, the Hoosiers have found themselves with some issues possibly sharing the ball too much.
“I think our intentions were in the right place as far as trying to share the ball," Moren said. "I think we over-passed today and then I thought there were times we were just overzealous, which created and led to turnovers.”
The Hoosiers will have a full week off to work on some of these turnover issues. They will look to continue their winning ways November 18 against North Florida in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
More
