Coming off three straight victories in the Big Ten, Indiana women’s basketball felt rejuvenated entering its two-game stretch in Los Angeles. Victories over Northwestern on Feb. 1, Wisconsin on Feb. 4 and rival Purdue on Feb. 8 put the Hoosiers firmly back into the race to claim a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
However, despite dealing with unforeseen circumstances, fouls and turnovers ultimately let an early lead slip through Indiana’s grasp as its winning streak dried up, falling to USC 79-73 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.
Indiana was dealt a major blow earlier in the day when senior guard and Big Ten point leader Shay Ciezki rolled her ankle in practice, leading the Hoosiers’ star to miss the contest versus the Trojans. Ciezki, who earned co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors just days prior, had played all 40 minutes in each of the last two games.
Without its star player, Indiana was forced to spread the offensive production among its other players. The Hoosiers had success in doing so, with four of the five starters reaching double-digit points on the night. Freshman forward Maya Makalusky led Indiana with 29 points and 50% from beyond the arc.
Indiana didn’t skip a beat without Ciezki to start the game, taking a 24-13 lead after one quarter and entering halftime with its advantage still intact. The Hoosiers successfully limited their turnovers in the first half, committing just four.
However, as the second half ticked by and USC kept pressing, Indiana started to tire and make worse decisions with the ball. The Hoosiers had 15 turnovers in the second half, which proved fatal as they took 12 less shots than the Trojans in the 6-point loss.
Redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont and junior forward Edessa Noyan led Indiana in turnovers, committing five a piece. Sophomore guard Phoenix Stotijn, the only bench option to receive more than five minutes on the court, tallied three turnovers.
Indiana also started committing sloppy fouls as the players’ energy levels drained, earning 16 in the second half and 25 for the entire game. All starters had at least three fouls, with three starters having four or more. Three Hoosiers fouled out against the Trojans – Noyan, Stotijn and senior guard Jerni Kiaku, who replaced Ciezki in the starting lineup Thursday.
USC took 35 free throws against Indiana – a stark increase from its average of 11.9 free throws per game.
“We just put them in at the free throw line,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame. “28 for 35 is just too much, too many fouls.”
Turnovers have been an issue Indiana has struggled with all season. The Hoosiers committed a season-high 28 turnovers in just their third game of the season versus Marshall University. They have been forced into 20 or more turnovers against six Big Ten opponents and committed 26 against then-No. 12 Ohio State on Jan. 25.
Full court presses have given Indiana fits all season long, consistently being forced into bad passes that end up going in the other direction or sailing over the head of its intended target. Despite being a known Achilles’ heel of this team, the Hoosiers have been unable to find an answer to the turnover problem.
It will only become tougher to deal with against No. 2 UCLA, which Indiana plays at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. The Bruins employ a full-court press often referred to as the “diamond press,” which forces turnovers by speeding up the opponent’s offense and forcing them to constantly make quick decisions. It’s something that has already proved to be a weakness for the Hoosiers.
“We only had four turnovers in the first half, 15 in the second,” Moren said. “Our kids are really disappointed. They know that they let one slip away.”
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Max Schneider (maxschn@iu.edu) and columnist Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
