A series of story lines unfolded for the Hoosiers in their first two games since finals.
In the first game against Florida International, Coach Legette-Jack saw the return of her starting center Sasha Chaplin and junior transfer Georgie Jones. IU won the game 64-60 thanks to a strong rebounding effort and a career-high 21 points off of 7 three-pointers from Aulani Sinclair. The Hoosiers were able to play 10 players (more depth than their usual injury-plagued lineup), out-rebound FIU 43-31 and shoot 47.8% from the 3-point arc. Similar to the Nebraska game, IU finished down the stretch. With the game tied and two minutes remaining, the Hoosiers went on a 4-0 run to take the victory.
Following their win on Saturday, the Hoosiers faced Florida Gulf Coast (9-0) tonight with a less desirable outcome. IU fell 73-69 to FGCU, evening the Hoosiers record to 6-6 on the season. Although a mid-major, the Eagles have wins now against IU, Seton Hall and Virginia Tech. In yet another tight game, the Hoosiers were not able to overcome a one point deficit with 10 seconds left. A game after her first start of the season, Chaplin re-injured her foot and was taken out of the game, no word yet on her return. Senior Whitney Lindsay led the Hoosiers with 16 points and Sinclair had another strong scoring effort, chipping in 15.
The Hoosiers will return Thursday night at 7 p.m. against Northwestern at home to begin the Big Ten season.
So, what must the Hoosiers continue to do -and what do they have to improve upon- in order to earn an NCAA tournament bid?
Well, IU is sitting at 6-6 with
impressive wins (Nebraska, at Clemson) and some debatably unexpected loses (St.Louis, Miami OH, at Toledo). If the Hoosiers are better than .500 in Big Ten play, they have a chance for their first NCAA tournament of the Legette-Jack era.
What have the Hoosiers been doing well?
- Winning without a post presence. Despite playing without forwards Sasha Chaplin, Georgie Jones and -at times- Christiana Stauere, IU has been able to beat taller teams. Winning the rebounding battle has been an emphasis for coach Legette-Jack all season, but the three point shot and points off turnovers have become crucial for the Hoosiers when they are out-rebounded.
- Simply put, Aulani Sinclair. After begininning the season coming off the bench, Sinclair has asserted herself as a flat-out scorer. With 17 points against Memphis, 15 at Clemson, 17 at Toledo, 21 at FIU and 15 at FGCU, the sophomore from Eminence, Indiana has proven that she can be an offense threat for the Hoosiers. Sinclair's firepower from beyond the arc gives IU an added to dimension to senior Jori Davis' usual scoring efforts.
- Effectively use Sasha Chaplin and Georgie Jones. Granted this is not technically something that applied to the past tense, but cut me a break, I'm a college student during winter break. The arrival of forward transfer Georgie Jones from Marquette and possible return of center Sasha Chaplin (pending an injured foot) could greatly aid the Hoosiers in the post. If IU can use their forwards to win the battle on the boards and create a nice inside-outside game, they have the potential to surprise some teams during Big Ten play.
- Scrappy defense and points off of turnovers. Not too much of a mystery here. Steals lead to transition buckets and limited scoring opportunities. For a group of talented IU guards, these factors lead to Ws.
What do the Hoosiers have to improve on?
- Consistency. Sometimes its hard to tell which group of Hoosiers will step onto the court. Will it be the team who lost at home to a now 5-7 St. Louis Bilikens team by 11? Or will it be the squad that upset then No. 24-ranked Nebraska, ending the Cornhuskers 37-regular season win streak? Coach Legette-Jack will need the Dr. Jekyll of these two to play more often in order to solidify a postseason for the Hoosiers.
- Inside play. As mentioned before, the arrival of one (possibly two) IU forwards will help the Hoosiers down low. Statistically, IU is being out-rebounded by opponents and suffer a lower shooting percentage on the season. Getting easier, high-percentage buckets in the post will benefit the Hoosiers in a half-court offense that has stalled thus far.
- Jori Davis needs her supporting cast. Now, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of players on this team that have contributed throughout the season. Alisha Goodwin as a spark-plug off the bench, Danilsa Andujar as a force down low, Hope Elam as a 3-point threat and Aulani Sinclair as a emerging marksman shooter. However, often times, the success of the team is dictated upon the success of senior Jori Davis. Davis is a dynamic player, but she's still only human. The aforementioned Hoosiers will need to step up and assist Davis (like they did during the Nebraska game) to give coach Legette-Jack her first NCAA game as a Hoosier.
