Women's basketball dominates boards in 66-56 win

There was no rest for the IU women’s basketball team during Thanksgiving break.

“We practiced on Thanksgiving Day, and we practiced hard. We committed ourselves to this game,” IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.

That extra practice paid off Sunday, as the Hoosiers beat Cleveland State, 66-56, snapping a three-game losing streak.

After heading into halftime with a four-point lead, the Hoosiers’ depth showed as they were able to pull away from the Vikings in the second half. Fueled by senior guard Jori Davis’ 18 second-half points, the Hoosiers gained their largest lead of the game with 5:46 remaining and were able to hold on to record their third victory of the season.

Despite shooting 3-of-16 from the field, Davis was able to drive in the paint and draw fouls from the CSU defenders, ultimately shooting 17-of-18 from the foul line.

“Well, I thought God must be trying to give me my confidence from the free throw line back because the past couple of games I have been shooting terribly from the line,” Davis said. “I just have to keep shooting. The team needed me, I continued to bring energy and I just wanted to continue to play because we needed this win.”

Senior forward Hope Elam continued her strong play, scoring 10 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in her second game in the starting lineup. As a team, the Hoosiers were able to outrebound the Vikings 50-36, succeeding in an area on which Legette-Jack has put emphasis all season.

“They played hard, they played as a team and they played committed,” Legette-Jack said. “I think that we are rejuvenated to go out and represent Indiana women’s basketball and this institution in a fine fashion.”

-- Avi Zaleon