Minnesota presented a number of defensive problems for IU women’s basketball on paper.
With a high-scoring backcourt that averages around 35 points per game and a 6-foot-5-inch center that has at least two inches on any Hoosier post player, the ingredients were there for a high-scoring affair.
However, after holding the Golden Gophers to just six points in the first quarter, the Hoosiers were able to maintain a steady lead and successfully stifle Minnesota’s three biggest scoring threats in a 78-62 win Wednesday night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
“Good bounce-back win for us,” IU Coach Teri Moren said. “This was an important game after coming off of a loss against Ohio State. We figured, with Minnesota coming in here 0-2 in the Big Ten, that we were not just going to get a shot but that we were going to get their best shot.”
Sophomore guard Kenisha Bell and junior guard Carlie Wagner combined for a large chunk of the scoring for the Golden Gophers as they usually do, but Wagner was held to just four points through three quarters and just 4-12 shooting in the game.
Likewise, Minnesota’s junior center Bryanna Fernstrom was largely held in check. She was just 2-9 from the field. The backcourt of Bell and Wagner, in conjunction with the size problems posed by the Gopher frontcourt, were the main defensive points of emphasis for IU headed into the game, and Moren said she was pleased with how her team handled them.
Three-point shooting anchored the Hoosiers’ offensive production. Four IU players hit multiple 3-pointers en route to a 10-23 team performance. Senior guard Alexis Gassion scored a career-high 26 points while adding five rebounds and five assists.
A 14-0 run keyed by three consecutive made 3-pointers put the Hoosiers up big early in the first quarter. From there, the Minnesota deficit was never in single digits. By halftime, IU led 42-23, and, despite a rough third quarter, the Hoosiers were able to play with a comfortable lead throughout the fourth. Junior forward Amanda Cahill credited strong defense for the fast start.
“I think just really coming out and playing good defense,” Cahill said of what went right early. “I know we had a couple lapses here and there, but we made up for it by boxing out.”
By the end of the game, IU had forced 22 turnovers and limited the Gophers to just 37-percent shooting as a team. Not only did Gassion score 26 on the offensive end, but, as the primary defender assigned to guard Wagner, she was able to hold the Gophers’ leading scorer to just 11 points.
The Hoosiers are now 12-4 on the season and 2-1 in the Big Ten. With the loss, Minnesota dropped to 9-7 overall and 0-3 in conference play. Up next for IU is a pair of road games at Michigan and at Northwestern. With NCAA Tournament résumés starting to build and a chance to pick up one or two important road wins next week, the Hoosiers know how important each game is. Moren said classes starting back up on Monday will help her team get back in rhythm.
“Nobody’s more excited about school starting than me,” Moren said. “There’s something to be said when these kids get back in a routine and they’re not laying around their apartments or their dorm rooms anticipating or waiting for practice to start.”
Zain Pyarali contributed to reporting
