'She was due': Grace Berger returns to high-scoring ways in Indiana's blowout win over Fairfield

A season-high 91 points from the Hoosiers led them past the Fairfield Stags with ease, as Indiana took its first win back in non-conference action. The Hoosiers shot a very efficient 61 percent from the field thanks to some effective post play from Mackenzie Holmes and Aleksa Gulbe, as they had 23 and 21 respectively. 

But maybe the biggest positive Indiana got out of this game was the offensive resurgence of Grace Berger. After a rough couple of games offensively, Berger was on fire Thursday, as she went 7-for-10 from the field with 19 points and seven rebounds. Head coach Teri Moren said there was never a doubt Berger would find her groove again.

“I think we called it in the locker room tonight that she was due,” Moren said. “She had a couple of games where [the ball] didn’t go in for her. But she took the shots she normally took and they went down, and that’s why you don’t panic on a kid like that. Just because you know she will eventually find it.”

The Hoosiers came out hot offensively in the first few minutes of the first quarter, hitting six of their first eight shots and going on a 15-4 run. Holmes and Gulbe took advantage of the lack of size Fairfield had, combining for eight of those 15 points. The other seven came solely from Berger, as she couldn't miss a jump shot, even with a defender in her face. Slow starts have hurt the Hoosiers in the past, but in these past couple of games, strong first quarters have become the key to these dominant wins. 

Indiana didn’t let up after the hot start, especially Gulbe. As good as her post game was, she stepped out to hit a couple of jump shots to extend Indiana’s lead to as 20. While the Hoosiers stayed hot at a 71 percent clip from the field, the defense started out great as well, holding the Stags to only eight points in the first quarter. Getting new faces in the game as time went on, Indiana hoped to sustain this momentum the rest of the game.

And that they did, as IU went on a quick 10-0 run to start off the second quarter. Berger, Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, and Chloe Moore-McNeil helped IU go up by as much as 27 at one point. Moore-McNeil has been a highlight off the bench in recent games, as her length defensively and ability to shoot the ball has allowed players such as Berger to get more rest without worrying about losing the lead. 

Fairfield eventually figured it out on the offensive end after a slow start, knocking down shots from the outside. Callie Cavanaugh and Sydney Lowry made some big baskets that stopped some Hoosier runs and kept them from extending the lead. However, the Stags’ offense could not keep up with the Hoosiers, as Indiana would end up going up 51-27 to end the first half.

Like it has done all season, Indiana started off the second half strong, going on an 11-2 run to start things off. Moren found a way to get everyone involved during that run, as all five scorers put the ball in the basket. Differently from the first half, the Hoosiers began to find some scoring in transition to try and tire out Fairfield. Cardaño-Hillary and Berger did a great job of getting out in open space and making good passes to Gulbe and Holmes in the post for some easy buckets. 

Fairfield tried to get its offense going, but the Hoosiers just countered that with great play on both sides of the floor. Defensively, Indiana did a much better job of defending the basket, but the Stags were able to get some free points at the line due to some uncharacteristic fouls by the Hoosiers. That, along with some late turnovers, allowed Sydney Lowry to get to the lane and score in the open floor, which is one of her strengths. Indiana led the Stags pretty substantially 71-38, however, Moren said she isn’t happy with the defense the team was playing late in the game

“I was frustrated because I thought we were being too overzealous,” Moren said. “That’s just silly. We didn’t have to do that, we were in complete control of the game. And that’s when you lock your heels in the floor and just be sound, be solid, and don’t do anything extra. And we were guilty of being overaggressive and overzealous.”

Being up by so much going into the fourth, it sure didn’t seem like the Hoosiers were playing like they were leading by 34. Indiana’s energy remained at a high level throughout the fourth quarter, as the players stayed aggressive on the defensive end and kept trying to score as well. Whether it was diving on the floor for a loose ball or getting an offensive rebound on a missed free throw, Moren’s team stayed scrappy the entire 40 minutes of the game. 

As both teams emptied her benches late in the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers didn’t miss a beat offensively. Kaitlin Peterson showed potential to be a great ball handler for this team. Her quickness and high basketball IQ gives Indiana some guard depth if any of the starters were to get in foul trouble. Grace Waggoner also had a nice take to the basket to score, as she was the one to put Indiana over 90 points on the day. As Fairfield hit a wild buzzer beater to end the fourth, Indiana took a 91-58 win back in non-conference play and stayed in the win column. For the team, this home stretch is special and the players thanked the fans for the growing support.

“I think it means so much to all of us,” Berger said. “Every time we get to run out of that tunnel and just see how many fans are there to support us, whether we are playing an out-of-conference opponent, a Big Ten game, or a top-10 matchup, the support is still the same. It’s unbelievable to see how excited people are about women’s basketball, especially coming off a year with no fans, it makes us even more grateful. We just hope they continue to support us because we are going to need them down the stretch.”

IU improves to 7-2 on the season, as yet another big test for this team comes this Sunday. Indiana travels to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday afternoon. Indiana defeated the Buckeyes last year on the road in a thriller, where making shots down the stretch was a key for IU winning the game. If the Hoosiers can do the same, they definitely have a shot of defeating OSU in a primetime Big Ten matchup.