Sydney Parrish is a shooter and shooters keep shooting regardless of the results. Before Jan. 4, Parrish had only made 16 3s and was shooting 29 percent from behind the arc.
But after Sunday’s 91-69 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, she has had nine 3s in her last two games.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren said one of her team’s strengths is getting players the ball when they have the hot hand like Parrish.
“She had teammates out there that were trying to feed her and find her because this is what this group has done,” Moren said.
Getting the ball from her teammates and knowing they trust it in her hands has allowed Parrish to shoot fearlessly in the last two games. The mentality of just keeping shooting was what got her through her tougher shooting stretches earlier in the season.
“A lot of shooters just need to see one go in and then it will propel you for the next game,” Parrish said.
Parrish went 4 of 4 from behind the arc in the first quarter helping the team get off to a fast start. The momentum from her many buckets allowed the team to jump on their opponent once again as they did in the Michigan game.
The rest of the team joined the party as well, knocking down a school road record 14 3s and shooting 60.7 percent from the field.
“I think as a team because they are so connected and all about each other that once they see one of those go in, it can be contagious,” Moren said.
Being able to shoot confidently in tough road environments like Pinnacle Bank Arena showed the Hoosiers the level they are capable of playing at. Moren said the large crowds of over 8,000 this season at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall have prepared them well for road games in the Big Ten.
The ability to not let the moment get too big and having poise was what Moren credited the team’s continued success to. A mature team like Indiana used its experience to its advantage in the rout of the Cornhuskers.
“They know what is at stake, what they have to do, and what is required to win games,” Moren said.
Chloe Moore-McNeil continued to show her strength as a two-way player. She not only scored 16 points but took the defensive assignment on one of the Cornhuskers’ best players, Jaz Shelley. Moore-McNeil held Shelly to six points and 1 of 7 shooting from the field.
“Chloe is always up for the challenge of having to guard the other opposing team’s most dynamic guard,” Moren said.
Indiana will travel back home for a matchup with a gritty Penn State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
