Indiana Women’s Basketball suffered a 68-54 defeat to Illinois on Thursday evening.
The Fighting Illini, known for their speed and physicality, took control of the game early on. Their fast-paced offense made it a challenging night for the Hoosiers. Despite a late comeback effort in the second half, the Hoosiers could not close the gap.
The game started on the wrong foot for Indiana as they gave up 25 points in the first quarter. Illinois shot well early, outscoring the Hoosiers from every spot on the floor. This would set the tone for the remainder of the game.
“We kicked ourselves in the foot by 25 points in the first quarter,” senior guard Sydney Parrish said. "That led to us being down for the rest of the game. We have to come out a lot harder.”
Offensive struggles against a tough Illinois defense
Indiana also struggled to get their offense going against the Illini’s defense. Illinois locked down the perimeter limiting Indiana to just 12 3-point-attempts — the fewest they’ve had all season.
“I think we’re going to get that a lot this season,” Parrish said.” People know we’re a great 3-point shooting team, and [teams are] going to guard the 3-point line a lot tighter.”
The Hoosiers’ offensive rhythm suffered not only from the Illini defense but also from their turnovers. Illinois capitalized on Indiana’s mistakes, turning them into 14 points off turnovers. Parrish admitted that those turnovers and the missed opportunities at the rim ultimately cost the Hoosiers the game.
“We cut it pretty close, but after turnovers and missed shots, they ran out and hit open threes. That’s the game right there,” Parrish said.
Defensive matchup challenges
Yarden Garzon and Lilly Meister's minutes were notably limited, with Garzon playing just four minutes and Meister only three in the second half.
Head coach Teri Moren attributed the loss to challenging matchups and defensive struggles, highlighting Yarden Garzon's difficulty defending Illinois' guards who aggressively attacked the basket.
Lackluster preparation leads to disappointment.
Moren also pointed to the team’s lackluster practice leading up to the game. “You play how you practice,” Moren said, adding that some players’ low energy and lack of focus carried over into the game.
“There’s going to be upsets every single day of the week in the Big Ten, and we can’t just show up for the big games,” Parrish said. “We have to show up for all of them.”
Looking ahead
With this loss, Indiana has to quickly regroup before their next game against University of Southern California.
"We’re going to watch some film and learn from it, but we’ve got to turn the page quickly," Parrish said. "If we play like this against USC, it’s going to be brutal."
The Hoosiers will need to bring a stronger effort and sharper focus for their upcoming critical matchup against USC on Sunday.
