IU women's basketball beat Kentucky State 77-34 Tuesday in Assembly Hall, but it wasn't always pretty. In "Beyond the Score," Robby Howard and I will bring you the inside scoop about the team with some news and notes that didn't make the initial game recap. Enjoy.
Ussery sees limited action, Bell shines
Making her first collegiate start, freshman point guard Nicole Bell shrugged off any nerves she had and was all business in IU's 77-34 exhibition win over Kentucky State Tuesday night.
Bell scored the team's first five points and finished with nine total (2-of-6 shooting) and a game-high three assists in 27 minutes. She also added five rebounds and made one of her four three-point attempts.
"It was a dream come true just to represent Indiana," Bell said. "I felt very comfortable. There were some moments where I think we got a little shaky, but then we got back into it and we ran it well. But I think definitely there's room for improvement."
IU Coach Curt Miller said Bell has clearly won the starting point guard job for the time being.
"I thought Nicole did a good job against a point guard that was once at the Division I level, is from her hometown," he said. "I think everyone saw tonight she's gonna do a very good job for us as a freshman. She has to become more consistent making open shots. She's capable of shooting the basketball, she's gotta take advantage and make her open shots."
Sophomore guard Candyce Ussery, who backed up injured starting point guard Andrea Newbauer last season, played just seven minutes Tuesday as she works to get back in game shape after missing considerable practice time during the preseason with several nagging injuries.
"She probably will not be happy with her playing time tonight and I hope it motivates her to compete in practice," Miller said of Ussery. "We need her to compete day in and day out. I hope the lack of playing time tonight, even though she's been hampered by some injuries, motivates her to compete day in and day out more."
Ussery finished with one point (1-for-2 on free throws), a rebound, a steal and two turnovers.
On the other end, Bell and her teammates played solid man-to-man defense throughout the night by consistently pressing Kentucky State's guards and forcing contested shots in the lane. The result: 22 Thorobred turnovers to just seven for IU.
Perhaps most impressive for a freshman point guard, Bell did not turn the ball over and produced two steals.
"She's gotta run the show and keep our turnovers low," Miller said of Bell. "For us to go a whole game, despite who we're playing, with only 7 turnovers, is a big step in the right direction compared to last year, leading the Big Ten in turnovers.
"I'm happy with that. I'm pleased with Nicole's start but I want her to even be better."
Rebounding about effort, not size
Coming into Tuesday night's exhibition against Division-II Kentucky State, Indiana figured to dominate the glass. The Thorobreds tallest player is 6-foot-1 sophomore center Brielle Newton, who was matched up against a multitude of Hoosier post players.
IU's Sasha Chaplin (6-foot-4) got the start, and rotated with Quaneisha McCurty (6-foot-6), Simone Deloach (6-foot-3) and Linda Rubene (6-foot-3). All four Hoosier frontcourt players logged at least 14 minutes.
But the Hoosiers finished the game with a slim +5 rebounding margin (55-50) and surrendered 18 offensive rebounds, a troubling statistic considering the size and talent level of the Thorobreds.
"You gotta understand for the last 11 years I've been coaching the undersized, blue collar, hardworking team that didn't care how big people were -- we whipped 'em," IU Coach Curt Miller said. "I don't care who's bigger and who's stronger, who's heavier out there. Rebounding is effort. Rebounding is determination and we wanted to dominate the boards against them and we didn't."
Miller said the Hoosier frontcourt can get pushed around despite its size, but that the issue is correctable.
"We've got great length. We've got a numerous amount of post players. But we've gotta find ways to score with our back to the basket and be a little bit tougher, play with a little bit stronger of a low base," he said. "Giving up 18 offensive rebounds is a really, really scary stat. And we've gotta see how our block outs were, we've gotta see our determination and effort on tape, and we've gotta show them that.
"Frankly, I have to hold myself accountable to put us in more rebounding drills and hold us accountable to not assume that we're gonna be a good rebounding team just because we have great length."
Quick box score: IU team highs
MINUTES...... 30, Aulani Sinclair
POINTS...... 15, Sinclair*
REBOUNDS...... 9, Simone Deloach**
ASSISTS...... 3, Nicole Bell*
STEALS...... 2, Deloach/Bell
TURNOVERS...... 2, Sinclair/Candyce Ussery
TEAM FG%...... 36.5% (23-of-63)
TEAM FT%...... 60.5% (26-of-43)
TEAM 3Fg%...... 26.3% (5-of-19)
*= game high
**= tied for game high
For the full box score, click here.
Quote of the day
"We talk about teamwork and cohesiveness and the 'no drama zone' in the locker room all the time. In women's basketball, the locker room can be a reality TV show in terms of drama. We've gotta stay drama free in that locker room, so we work really hard on chemistry. We preach how important it is to be a family."
--Curt Miller on making sure the team gels on and off the court this season.
