Indiana women’s basketball faced the Bowling Green Falcons and defeated them 96-61 to remain perfect on the early season.
Mackenzie Holmes and Grace Berger didn’t have their most impressive performances, but it didn’t matter. They combined for 15-for-27 shooting from inside the paint, but between what they did to help and the rest of the team around them, the Hoosiers were able to get it done. Sydney Parrish ended the game with a double-double and five other Hoosiers finished the night with double-digit scoring.
Here’s what you need to know from the win:
Scalia’s shot
Sara Scalia really stood out on the court Thursday. Back at Minnesota, she was utilized solely as a shooter, but here, they’re really focusing on developing her into a well-rounded player.
It’s working.
Yes, she can shoot the ball well. She went 2-for-5 from deep and made some really impressive shots to extend the Hoosiers lead, but along with that, her pass game has improved significantly, she’s always active on the floor, and she was able to contribute defensively as well.
Scalia finished with 17 points, four boards, three assists and two steals.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren always speaks to the importance of being a two-way player, and Scalia understands the value in that.
“We know that she can shoot it,” Moren said. “We know that she can facilitate it. Where we really have challenged Sara is on the defensive side of the ball. I think she’s learning — I don’t know if I could say to love quite yet — but I think she’s learning to like prepping and playing scouting report defense the way we ask our kids to.”
Garzon can do it all
Even when Yarden Garzon’s shot wasn’t sinking early on, she was constantly looking for the next opportunity to help her teammates. Whether it was grabbing a board or dishing a pass to Berger for a quick layup, she was able to contribute to the win in a plethora of ways.
And when her shot does go in, it’s dangerous. She started 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, but as soon as she hit her first shot from deep, her energy shifted.
Early in the second half, she took a try at another long shot, but it was another miss. Berger immediately gave her another open look and she sunk it. Her persistence and constant effort will be what really sets her apart from other freshmen in the country.
Garzon ended the game with 11 points, going 2-for-7 from beyond the arc. She also added six rebounds and five assists.
Defensive dominance
While Bowling Green may not be as offensively threatening as Tennessee was, the Hoosiers did a great job of shutting them down all 40 minutes on Thursday night.
They forced 16 turnovers, held them to 35% shooting and everyone put in maximum effort on the Falcons end of the court.
Alyssa Geary in particular is beginning to grow into her role as a rim protector. She ended the game with three boards and added a pair of blocks in limited time.
The Hoosiers were up to a concerning 13 turnovers at the end of the first half, but were able to make adjustments to take more control and end with 18.
“We just need to focus on being more sharp and more careful with the ball moving forward,” Berger said.
Next up:
The Hoosiers stay in Bloomington and host the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Quinnipiac currently holds a 2-1 record, with their lone loss coming to No. 10 NC State on the road.
