In a closely contested matchup, the Indiana Hoosiers fell to the Michigan Wolverines 70-67 on Thursday night at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
Despite a standout performance from senior forward Karoline Striplin, who scored 28 points on 12-for-19 shooting, and a strong contribution from junior guard Lexus Bargesser, who added nine points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, the Hoosiers couldn't hold off a late surge by the Wolverines.
From there, the contest became a back-and-forth affair, with both teams exchanging leads throughout the second and third quarters. Neither side managed to build a double-digit lead as they battled it out in an intense, physical contest.
"We knew it was going to be physical, and we knew we had to be aggressive inside," Striplin said. "But credit to Michigan, they kept coming."
Despite the early offensive struggles, the Wolverines stuck with Indiana. The Hoosiers opened the game on a 7-0 run, but Michigan responded and knotted things up after the first quarter.
At the end of the third, the Hoosiers had managed to gain a 46-39 lead, thanks in part to a late 11-0 run.
This was their largest lead of the night, and it seemed as though they might have gained the upper hand heading into the fourth quarter.
But Michigan wasn’t done yet.
The Wolverines came out of the break with renewed energy. Syla Swords, who had been quiet for much of the game, exploded in the fourth quarter. Swords knocked down a pair of key 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, helping to fuel Michigan’s comeback.
Along with Swords, the Wolverines shot an incredible 71% from the field in the final period, outscoring Indiana and erasing their deficit.
Indiana struggled to hold onto the ball in the final minutes, committing 18 turnovers on the night, including several crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter. This proved to be a major factor in the loss as Michigan capitalized on the Hoosiers’ mistakes to grab key possessions and swing the momentum in their favor.
"Turnovers killed us,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren. “You can’t give a team like Michigan extra possessions, especially on the road. We did a lot of good things tonight, but that’s one area that really hurt us when it mattered most.”
Despite the struggles, Indiana had opportunities to pull off a win in the dying moments. With less than 30 seconds remaining, Striplin scored a tough basket inside to bring the Hoosiers within one point.
That set up a dramatic finish, but Michigan’s Jordan Hobbs sank two clutch free throws to seal the victory. Hobbs finished with a career-high 24 points, providing the final blow that put the game out of reach for Indiana.
Even in defeat, the Hoosiers showed resilience. Veterans Sydney Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil contributed significantly, with Parrish adding 14 points and Moore-McNeil playing solid defense while contributing nine points and four assists.
"Nobody wants to win more than Parrish, McNeil, Striplin, (Shay) Ciezki, and Bargesser,” Moren said. “They battled hard, and this loss really bothers them. I wish we could have gotten to the finish line with a win, but we understand what’s ahead and need to get back on track."
The loss drops Indiana to 15-9 overall and 7-6 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers will now return home to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, where they’ll face off against Purdue at noon on Saturday in a crucial in-state rivalry game.
“We’ll take this and move forward,” Striplin said after the game. “We know what we need to fix. We’ve got to stay focused on the next one.”
