Two games into their season, it is clear that Indiana women’s basketball is searching for its identity. The Hoosiers were upset by the Harvard Crimson 72-68, and at times, it looked like Indiana was lost on the floor.
In the first quarter alone, Indiana turned the ball over 11 times, which Harvard converted into 14 points. This trend continued throughout the rest of the game due to the pressure the Crimson put on the Hoosiers.
The biggest problem with Indiana’s 27 turnovers is that the team knew this press was coming, Harvard turned over its first opponent 34 times in their season opener. Head coach Teri Moren said the team prepped for this kind of defense, which has been an Achilles heel for her teams in the past, but mental mistakes ultimately caused many of these giveaways.
“There were moments when we panicked, and when they sped us up,” Moren said. “Those are all hard lessons that we have to learn.”
It was Indiana’s first regular-season loss at home since a 96-91 loss to Iowa on Feb. 19, 2022.
Another lesson learned in this game for the Hoosiers was that they are still searching for a go-to scorer. Last season, in close games, Indiana went to Mackenzie Holmes in the post or to Sara Scalia on the wing when they needed a bucket, but now, with both those players gone, others have to step up.
Junior guard Yarden Garzon looked like she might be a solution to this problem as she tied a team-high in points with 20 (along with Lilly Meister), but in the overtime period, she only attempted one shot. Moren said the lack of execution on the offensive end with staters like Garzon in clutch time comes with a lapse in decision-making.
“I’d have to go back on film, but there is no doubt that there’s probably two people on the side that are wide open,” Moren said. “Those are decisions she’s going to have to improve and get better at.”
With over five days off until their game at Butler, Moren said the team will use their time to chip away at these recurring problems to keep improving and to find themselves.
“This is not the team of last year,” Moren said. “There’s new pieces that we’re trying to still figure out how they all work together.”
