No. 16 Indiana started conference play 1-0 by defeating Rutgers 66-56 on Saturday afternoon. The victory inside Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., was Indiana coach Teri Moren’s 100th Big Ten regular-season win.
“I’m proud of our group,” Moren said. “Winning on the road is hard.”
Indiana entered the game allowing opponents to make only 27.6% of its shots from beyond the arc. Rutgers was able to pass that threshold with timely 3-pointers. The Scarlet Knights shot 35.7% from three while Indiana struggled in that category. The Hoosiers shot only 18.8%.
Their bench also didn't produce any points during the game. In non-conference play, the Indiana bench averaged 17.6 points per game. Against the Scarlet Knights, only the starters scored for the Hoosiers. Four starters scored in double figures.
Graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes notched a season-high 25 points after going 12 for 15 from the field.
“Tonight, it was just one of those nights where we had to keep the vets on the floor because our outside shots weren’t going down as easy as we would have liked,” Moren said. “You can’t rely on inexperience when you’re in a tie game like this.”
Indiana limited potential second-chance opportunities by grabbing 24 defensive boards (a 75% defensive rebounding percentage). The Hoosiers won the rebounding battle 33-30. Holmes took away scoring opportunities from Rutgers by grabbing eight rebounds, including seven on defense.
Senior guard Sydney Parrish added 14 points and 10 rebounds. She scored seven consecutive points in a minute-and-34-second span to propel Indiana. Notably for the future of the program, Parrish announced in the postgame press conference that she'll return to Indiana next season as a fifth-year senior. She has one season of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Syd has been a great addition to Indiana and our program,” Moren said. “Syd is a special kid. She represents not just the university but the state of Indiana.”
Now 8-1 on the season, Indiana will take on Evansville at 7 p.m. ET on Dec. 18 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
