After Washington’s Ellie Ladine hit a clutch layup to tie it at 68 late in the fourth quarter, it looked as though Indiana women’s basketball might be having déjà vu to their collapse at Oregon last Friday.
It had lost a double-digit lead and allowed its opponent to go on long scoring runs. Both can be detrimental to winning a game on the road in the Big Ten.
However, a wide-open 3-pointer by fifth-year captain Sydney Parrish from the left wing with 1:25 left gave the Hoosiers a 71-68 lead. After the Huskies made it a one-point game, a jumper with 53 seconds left by Yarden Garzon secured a resume-building 73-70 win against Washington on Monday night.
“I like how our kids responded,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said. “They hit timely shots, so happy for those guys.”
The biggest reason Indiana was able to prevent a fourth straight loss was Garzon breaking out of her shooting slump. After she went 8-for-34 from the field during IU’s losing streak, Garzon scorched Washington from behind the arc with a career-high eight 3-pointers.
Garzon’s career day was also highlighted by a career-high 35 points, which is the most points scored by a Hoosier in a single game since 2018. Her career night was topped off with Garzon entering the 1,000-point club.
“It felt amazing to see the ball go through the net again and again,” Garzon said. “It’s everything.”
Because of Garzon and Parrish’s hot performance from the 3-point line, Indiana was able to make a season-high 13 3s. This showing is why Moren emphasized her shooters just need to keep on shooting during their slumps.
“You want them to have a short memory and you don’t bring it up,” Moren said. “It’s just the next game you’re going to get back on track.”
Despite the great night offensively, Indiana’s defense in the paint allowed the Huskies to get back in this game. Washington outscored the Hoosiers 42-20 in the paint, which is yet another example of the liability its front court presents.
“There was a little bit of frustration with us trying to make sure our post players understood their coverage,” Moren said.
This is something Indiana will need to work on over the next five days before Alexis Markowski, one of the Big Ten’s best post players, and Nebraska come to Bloomington on Sunday at noon Eastern.
