No. 10 Indiana women’s basketball (18-2, 9-1 Big Ten) rolled past Maryland (12-9, 4-6 Big Ten) on Wednesday night, winning 87-73. Big performances from fifth-year senior guard Sara Scalia and graduate student forward Mackenzie Holmes fueled the Hoosiers past the Terrapins, whose late comeback rally came up short.
Indiana set the scoring tone early when senior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil drilled a 3-pointer 18 seconds into the game. Both teams netted a pair of free throws to make the score 5-2 before the Hoosiers caught fire. The cream and crimson knocked down three straight 3-pointers, bringing the lead to 14-2 and forcing the Terrapins to take an early timeout. Every Hoosier starter was on the scoresheet within the first 4:10 of play.
After the timeout, Maryland’s offense found some rhythm with a 6-0 run, and a back-and-forth first quarter ended 24-14. Indiana went 6-for-14 from beyond the arc in the game’s opening frame.
The Hoosiers' long-range shooting opened the paint early in the second period of play, as Indiana went on an 8-0 run to start the quarter with every point coming from inside the paint or the charity stripe. Although the Terrapins played a solid first half, the two long Indiana scoring runs dug Maryland into a 52-30 deficit entering halftime.
While fast starts were a theme for Indiana in the first two periods, the third quarter offered a different story. The hosting Terrapins pushed the pace early and dashed to a 15-5 run in the first 4:08 of the second half. Indiana showed composure to stop the bleeding, but its once 23-point lead was cut to 9 as the frame came to an end with the Hoosiers leading 68-59.
Maryland pulled within 7 points with 7:34 remaining in the game, but Indiana answered with a crucial 10-0 run which all but sealed the game. Although the Hoosiers were outscored 43-35 in the second half, the final whistle blew with Indiana on top 87-73. Scalia and Holmes combined for 45 points as the Hoosiers took home their first road win over Maryland in program history.
The Hoosiers now turn their attention to a Sunday afternoon showdown with the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes. Tip-off from Columbus is set for 12 p.m., and the game will be televised on FS1.
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.
