No. 14 Indiana women’s basketball looked unstoppable Sunday afternoon during a 100-59 rout of Northwestern. The Hoosiers did so without the help of a key scorer, with senior guard Sydney Parrish out indefinitely with a foot injury.
“We're still getting used to playing without Syd,” graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes said postgame. “We’re seeing what works and what doesn't work.”
Indiana certainly figured it out versus Northwestern with a barrage of players getting in on the scoring action. Six Hoosiers scored in double-figures against the Wildcats — Holmes leading the way with 27 points. Sophomore forward Lilly Meister and freshman guard Lenée Beaumont stepped up in the absence of Parrish, both scoring career-highs of 13 and 11 respectively.
“I think those players knew they had to step up,” Holmes said. “So, it was great to see them be able to contribute. It's really good for them to get that in-game experience down the stretch.”
With Parrish out and no timetable for her return, Indiana looked to sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser to fill in the starting lineup. Although Bargesser failed to get in on the scoring against Northwestern, she made plays on the floor tallying nine rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in the win.
“She's doing exactly what we need her to do,” Moren said. “Lexi is such a great kid, and she's such a great teammate.”
Free throw shooting is another area of improvement for Indiana. The Hoosiers shot 19-for-21 (90.5%) from the stripe, where they shot a league average of 70% on the season.
“Free throw shooting was exactly where it needs to be,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.
Although Indiana sits in a three-way tie atop the Big Ten, its offense is statistically among league average. The Hoosiers are sixth in the Big Ten with 79.4 points per game, a double-digit margin behind league leader Iowa’s 91.0 points per game.
While Indiana’s triple-digit point performance is certainly representative of its offensive firepower, Northwestern’s defense is one of the worst in the country statistically. The Wildcats are 342nd in Division I allowing 81.1 points per game, so the Hoosiers scoring outburst should likely be taken with a grain of salt.
“We have goals and regardless of what the scoreboard may show, we're all about doing our jobs,” Moren said.
Indiana’s two lowest-scoring games this season were against No. 5 Stanford and No. 6 Iowa — the Hoosiers' sole losses of the season. The cream and crimson have struggled offensively when playing against top-tier teams, something they’ll undoubtedly have to do in March.
What Indiana lacks in pure scoring, though, it makes up for in efficiency. The Hoosiers rank fifth nationally and first in the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 51.5% from the field.
The question remains whether efficiency will be enough against the high-powered offenses of Ohio State and Iowa, the two other programs tied for the conference lead.
Next up for Indiana is a trip to the east coast to College Park as the Hoosiers take on Maryland Wednesday evening. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. 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.
