Women’s basketball defeats Morehead State 77-54

After defeating Morehead State 77-54 Sunday, the IU women’s basketball team (9-0) is 3-for-3 in road games this season. The Hoosiers won a total of two road games last year.

To open the game, Indiana went on a 21-2 run. During that stretch of points, senior forward Tabitha Gerardot, freshman guard Taylor Agler and freshman guard Alexis Gassion made three consecutive 3-pointers to extend IU’s lead to 18-2. Morehead State was held scoreless for the game’s first 7 minutes and 4 seconds.

From there, the Eagles slightly narrowed the lead to 12 points before the Hoosiers went on another scoring run, this time outscoring the Eagles 18-3 in 7 minutes and 53 seconds. At the half, IU led Morehead State 44-18.

On the defensive side of the ball, Indiana limited Morehead State to 18.5 percent shooting from the field and forced the Eagles into nine turnovers in the first half.

IU Coach Curt Miller said he thought his team started the game focused, which was how it built a 26 point halftime lead.

“Focused first-half performance by our players,” Miller said. “Really good defensively, took away the arc, which we thought was the key. We made threes, we moved the basketball around. I thought we had good balance.”

In the second half, Morehead State outscored the Hoosiers 36-33, but Indiana’s dominance in the first half left it with a comfortable victory.

Still, Miller said he thought his team lost some of its competitiveness in the second half.

“Morehead competed, shot the ball tremendously well against us in the second half,” he said. “I thought we lost our edge and lost our focus a little bit against changing defenses.”

For the game, the Hoosiers had 12 players score. Agler and Gerardot tied for the team lead in points with 12, while points-per-game leader freshman guard Larryn Brooks scored 10.

Senior center Sasha Chaplin, sophomore guard/forward Kaila Hulls and Gassion each contributed eight points of their own.

Gassion also finished with a steal, three rebounds, three blocks and a team-high three assists.

For the game, the Hoosiers shot 22-for-56 from the floor, holding the Eagles to 17-for-57 shooting.

The Hoosiers’ victory Sunday marks the first time since the 2008-09 season that the team has won nine consecutive games, and the first time since the 2010-11 season that the team has won at least three road games.

Miller said Sunday’s game was another step in the right direction for his team as it inches closer to the beginning of Big Ten play.

“As I told them, it’s not always about our record and it’s not always about our opponent, but it’s about ourselves,” Miller said. “We did some things tonight to be proud of that were part of the game plan, and then some things got away from us in the second half.

“We’ve got to be a mature team and stay focused and keep our edge for the full 40 minutes because that’s what we’re going to need in Big Ten play.”

Follow women's basketball reporter John Bauernfeind on Twitter @JohnBauernfeind.