Teamwork, balanced attack brings Hoosiers Big Ten success

It only took the Hoosiers nine conference games to match their Big Ten output from last year.\nOn Thursday night, IU won the same way they have all year - with a balanced offensive attack that doesn’t center on one player. Their 86-62 win over Wisconsin at Assembly Hall illustrated that point colorfully. \nThe Badgers brought in the conference’s leading scorer, Jolene Anderson, who averages 19.9 points per game. The senior guard led all scorers with 23 points – all which came in the second half – but that was it. No other Badger reached double figures.\nIn a stark contrast, the Hoosiers had five different players with 10 or more points and a sixth player just off by one point. Junior forward Whitney Thomas led all IU players with 17 points and added a career-high seven assists. \nAfter the game, Thomas said the Hoosiers see teamwork as a major factor in their success.\n“We’re a well-balanced team,” Thomas said. “(Anderson)’s a great player, but at the same time, you have to have more than just one player to make a team great.”\nWisconsin coach Lisa Stone said after the game that her team struggled to handle the Hoosiers’ ability to score at any position. She named five different Hoosiers – the five Hoosiers that scored in double digits, specifically – when talking about IU’s offensive attack. \n“They got everybody involved,” Stone said. “Everybody scored.” \nThursday night was no aberration for the Hoosiers. IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s squad has four players averaging double figures and the fourth-best scoring offense in the Big Ten. \nLegette-Jack said after the game that she was proud of the Hoosiers’ teamwork.\n“We really don’t care who gets the credit, we all want to be in that locker room celebrating the win,” Legette-Jack said. “We all feel that anybody on this team can step up and be a great scorer.” \nFreshman guard Haylie Linn – a Madison, Wis., native – did her share of scoring early for the Hoosiers, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 14 of her 15 points in the first half. \n“Haylie broke the game wide open coming off the bench,” Legette-Jack said. “It was her time.”\nSophomore Jamie Braun and juniors Amber Jackson and Kim Roberson were the other three Hoosiers to cross the 10-point threshold. \nBut Thursday night, scoring wasn’t the only thing the Hoosiers did as a team. Against Wisconsin, IU had 15 assists to just 12 turnovers, and they forced 23 Wisconsin turnovers, which led directly to 28 points. \nLegette-Jack said after the game that she was proud of her team, an aspect of their play not listed in the box score. \n“Today, I couldn’t be more proud of these young women,” Legette-Jack said. “Together, they all collectively played with passion.”\nStone also recognized the Hoosiers’ intensity after the game, specifically characterizing their defensive effort as “tenacious.” \nAnderson said after the game she expected the Hoosiers to key on her, but she gave credit to their entire defensive effort for her first-half struggles.\n“They were always there with me,” Anderson said.\nLegette-Jack said that teamwork is something that she hopes defines her team and her program in the future.\n“They’re doing everything that I think Indiana stands for,” Legette-Jack said. “Together, we can.”