I'll have an article in tomorrow's IDS about the team's win last night, but I thought I'd expand upon that in this space a little bit tonight.
-Coach Jack said she liked what she saw from her team, but probably wanted more defensively. The Hoosier Lady Stars absolutely loved the three, and they got more than their share of open looks, especially in the first half. Play got a little sloppy at a couple of different points, but definitely picked up later in the game, and it showed on the stat sheet. The Lady Stars shot 8-20 from beyond the arc in the first half, but just 4-16 in the second half.
-It appears I was wrong on Andrea McGuirt's injury, and not in a good way. Buckey and I got word that it is a problem with her knee, and she could be out for as long as four weeks.
-Jamie Braun said she thought there were some things she could have done better from the point - and perhaps she was right - but she certainly asserted herself well. She shot well from the field, played good defense and looked comfortable both attacking and dishing the ball off on offense. Her play will be a key factor for this young team down the stretch. More nights like Saturday will probably help her team immensely.
-The freshmen mostly impressed, especially with the energy they brought throughout the game. It shouldn't be a surprise, Jack has been touting them for their enthusiasm and energy since day one of practice. Their energy was obvious, and every player brought something. They made contributions in different ways, and certainly made their share of mistakes (Jack joked after the game that they never see a shot they don't like), but through one game, for what it is worth, the five freshmen who played did not disappoint.
-One last note: Lydia Serfling, a junior walk-on who played at Bloomington North, got into the game late in the second half. With about two minutes left, Jack sent her to the scorer's table, then called a timeout right after. Whether it was to ensure Serfling got in the game quickly, I do not know. But after she went in, the 5-foot-3 junior skied for two rebounds and got a round of applause from the sparse crowd.
IU has one more exhibition game - Tuesday night against the an/the (not sure) Australian Touring Team at Assembly Hall before they tip off their season against Albany on Friday night at the same location. This team can go very deep, though their bench is for the time being made up entirely of freshmen. A steep learning curve will be essential if this team wants to improve significantly on its predicted ninth-place finish in the Big Ten. It should be an interesting year.
