No. 14 Indiana women’s basketball (16-2, 7-1) was back in action Sunday taking on Northwestern (7-12, 2-6) in what was a dominant performance from the start. The Hoosiers went on to a smooth 100-59 win.
Sunday was also the second game in a row in which senior guard Sydney Parrish was absent with an injury.
The matchup was clear going in: the Hoosiers would simply have no problem with the Wildcats — who have the worst defense in the Big Ten, averaging 81.4 points given up per game. The Wildcats also have the 12th ranked scoring offense in the conference, notching just 67.5 points per game.
There was a reason why those averages are the way they are — bad shooting and careless defense. Both were on display today and Indiana exploited that very well, scoring 50 points in the first half to Northwestern's 24.
As if the Hoosier offense didn’t need more confidence building success, the Hoosiers shot 53% from the field and 19-21 from the free-throw line — a place they’ve struggled this season.
The third quarter was telling to the previously stated dominance. To start the second half, the Hoosiers were dominating the inside. The first nine baskets were layups for points 51 through 68 for Indiana, followed by a 3-pointer to conclude a 21-6 run by sophomore guard Yarden Garzon.
Graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes inched ever so closer to breaking Tyra Buss’ all-time scoring record, needing just 91 entering Sunday. Holmes finished the contest with a stellar 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Adding to the offensive explosion, Garzon arose from her recent struggles to put up 15 points on six-of-nine shooting with three 3-pointers. We saw glimpses of the Garzon of old with shooting, driving and assisting. One instance was a score from Garzon for points 59 and 60 was a hard drive to the basket, resulting in a nice finish for two.
But the main story was the much-needed minutes for the bench players. Going along with the second start for sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser and a confidence building performance from sophomore forward Lilly Meister who had 13 points.
Also, freshman guard Lenée Beaumont had 11 points — a new career high. Beaumont’s showing is an encouraging sign for Indiana because it adds an offensive reinforcement off the bench if Bargesser continues to start in Parrish’s absence. And even if Parrish were to come back, Beaumont finding her stride still helps.
“Beau, I thought was great today, really took advantage of those minutes,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame. “And I think it was so good for her to have the performance that she did. She needed something good like the way she played today for her confidence.”
These games are important because it gives the bench much needed reps, creating mental muscle and game experience for players that don’t see the floor for extended minutes.
With a dominant performance Sunday, the Hoosiers will have two of their biggest games of the season. They’ll travel to College Park on Wednesday to take on Maryland before going to Columbus to take on Ohio State on Sunday. We’ll find out a lot about this Hoosier squad based on how they hold up against two of the best teams in the conference.
Tipoff against the Terrapins is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday with the game streaming on Peacock.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa), columnist Ryan Canfield (@_ryancanfield) and photographer Olivia Bianco (@theoliviabianco) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
