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(02/20/14 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tabitha Gerardot walked into her coach’s office knowing her time playing basketball for Valparaiso was over.Gerardot was sweating. She was nervous. She hates disappointing people.From the moment she woke up after her final game of her junior season in 2013, before she had even opened her eyes, Gerardot was analyzing her options.She wrote everything she was going to say in a notebook over and over again, but practicing and doing were two profoundly different things when a basketball scholarship was at stake.Gerardot was a standout player for Valparaiso, an All-Conference player. She was the star.After about two weeks of scrutinizing, Gerardot composed herself one final time and told her coach she was leaving it all behind.She told her coaches she would not return for her senior season at Valparaiso. Valpariso Coach Tracey Dorow provided her a letter of contact on the spot and told her she could transfer to any team outside of the Horizon League.The next morning, Gerardot received a call from IU Coach Curt Miller.“I knew he was interested right after I got the contract,” Gerardot said. “And I knew I wanted to go there.”She signed her letter of intent just after graduating from Valparaiso in three years.Gerardot would join IU’s women’s basketball team and pursue a master’s degree in linguistics.The match seemed puzzling. Gerardot was transferring to a school she beat last season.In fall 2013, starting as a graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining, Gerardot was committing to a struggling program in the second year of a six-year rebuilding plan.The pairing was unlikely, but Gerardot was determined to make IU her new home.***Her journey to Bloomington was far from typical.She was homeschooled until she started at Canterbury High School in Fort Wayne her freshman year — a college preparatory school known more for rigorous education than producing basketball stars.Gerardot calls herself a homebody. Switching from home school to Canterbury was a leap, but a necessary one if she was serious about playing college ball.As a high school standout at Canterbury, Gerardot led the Cavaliers to three state championships and was named the state tournament’s most valuable player in 2008 and 2010.In her senior season, she was an Indiana All-Star and a First Team All-State selection. She ended her high school career with 1,944 points and graduated as Canterbury’s all-time career leader in rebounds with 1,157. When Gerardot left Canterbury to go to Valparaiso, she left her home and family behind to begin her college career. “It was a big decision to leave,” Gerardot said, “but I realized that if I didn’t do those things that I wouldn’t grow in the areas I really needed to grow in.”***Gerardot is driven by faith.Her parents are both religious people, but Gerardot said she they never pushed her to follow in their footsteps. Her faith and commitment to God was her own decision, she said. It has become a major part of who she is.“I think that’s the biggest thing about me that influences my life,” she said. “To realize that he’s watching all the time and cares what we do — that’s what motivates me.”Miller often talks about needing to build a championship locker room before building a championship team. He said he believes the foundation of a rebuilding process needs to be getting the right types of personalities in the locker room at leadership positions to set the tone for the program and what it means to be a Hoosier.Gerardot has been a carbon copy of the mode Miller wants his players to follow. It’s why he wanted her to be a Hoosier.“It’s not only on the court, intangible things that we believe are very important to our program,” Miller said. “It’s how you carry yourself off the court.”But as Gerardot will tell you, she’s far from a perfect person. She admits sometimes she takes things too seriously. She risks putting too much pressure on herself and her young teammates to perform well. Miller said since coming to IU, Gerardot’s teammates have helped her learn to relax more.“Our team, on the other hand, has allowed Tabitha to lighten up a little bit and to realize you can still be a real Christian kid, you can still do all the right things, but you are allowed to have fun,” he said. “The team has coached Tabitha into letting her guard down and having more fun and not taking everything so serious.”***During a preseason workout, freshman guard Taylor Agler snapped a picture of Gerardot in the training room looking slightly out of place.Gerardot was standing on a piece of training equipment looking down with a thick book in her arms — getting a quick study session in during training.“Sometimes, there’s just not enough hours in the day,” Gerardot said with a laugh. “So yes, I bring my studying into the athletics room often.”Gerardot graduated from Valparaiso a year early with a double major in French and Spanish. One of the major reasons she left Valparaiso in the first place was to pursue a master’s in linguistics at IU.She speaks French, Spanish, Italian and Swahili along with English. She learned Spanish and French in high school and picked up Italian in her spare time. “The rumor is that I’m fluent in Swahili and Italian, but I’m not fluent yet in those,” Gerardot said.She’s starting to take classes in Chinese at IU and wants to learn German. She said language has fascinated her since she started learning Spanish in her freshman year of high school.Her ability to study language and communication has sometimes led to her over-analyzing situations on the court.“Sometimes I pay too close attention to details, and what people say and on the competitive floor what you say isn’t always what people mean,” Gerardot said.***Tabitha Gerardot is a one-and-done player at IU.Despite the Hoosiers’ recent history of struggles — IU was predicted to finish last in the Big Ten in the preseason coaches’ poll — Gerardot said she came to IU hoping to help the Hoosiers have a chance at an NCAA Tournament run. It’s a dream she has had since she was a little kid.“I have wanted to play in the NCAA Tournament forever,” Gerardot said. “When I came here, that was exactly what I wanted to do.”During recruitment, Miller explained the incoming class of freshmen and their potential helped sell Gerardot on joining the team.Her decision to come to IU has resulted in her being a part of the most successful start to a season in IU women’s basketball history. “She’s definitely a key to our team,” senior forward Simone Deloach said. “It’s just been great to have her for this last year. She’s definitely contributed a lot.”With three regular season games remaining before the Big Ten Tournament and a potential NCAA Tournament run begins, Gerardot said the closing stretch of the Big Ten season is crucial. She came to IU for a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, and she said she intends to keep pushing herself in quest for a chance to go to the big dance. “I’m excited about what has happened with our record, but we’re still fighting,” Gerardot said. “We’ve got more games to play and they’re all going to matter, especially towards the NCAA’s and Big Ten.”The perfect ending to her college career would be raising a national championship banner as a Hoosier.“I mean, that’s what everybody’s going for,” Gerardot said. “I don’t want to set the standards any lower, but I also know that takes a tremendous amount of work.” ***During player introductions against Penn State last Thursday, Gerardot’s name was the first to be called.In her lone year at IU, Geardot has become a staple in the Hoosier lineup. She has appeared in all 25 games, 21 of which she has started. She’s second in the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game and second in rebounding with 5.8 rebounds per game.?The lights of Assembly Hall turn off. The spotlight shines down on Gerardot as she is introduced.“At forward, a 6-foot-1 senior from Fort Wayne, Indiana: Tabitha Gerardot.”She jumps up and runs through tunnel of clapping teammates. At the end of the tunnel she’s greeted by another graduate student, Sasha Chaplin. Chaplin, the most experienced Hoosier player, has made Gerardot feel at home at IU. Gerardot said she feels more like a veteran Hoosier than a new kid on the block.Gerardot leaps into the air smiling, arms fully extended to high five Chaplin. She takes her spot awaiting the other starters and wipes the bottoms of her shoes. As freshman guard Larryn Brooks runs by, Gerardot cracks a smile while giving her a high five.Gerardot said she has taken it upon herself to try to work with younger players and give them the senior leadership and perspective they need.“I just think I understand where they’re coming from and the battles and how it goes,” Gerardot said. It’s the exact role Miller brought Gerardot to the team to fill. “The players really look up to Tabitha,” Miller saidGerardot and the rest of the starters huddle for a last-second discussion before taking their spots on the court.She lines up just a few feet away from mid-court where Deloach is preparing to battle for possession on the jump ball.As the referee throws the ball into the air, Gerardot watches Penn State win possession.She begins to backtrack towards the North end of the court, yelling “woah” as she scrambles to matchup with a defender. A Penn State layup attempt gets blocked and the Hoosiers take the ball the other way. Gerardot misses on her first 3-point attempt of the game, but without much reaction she heads back and matches up on defense again.Gerardot will be one of four seniors to be honored on senior night Saturday against Illinois at Assembly Hall.She is only guaranteed four more jump balls — four more opportunities to be an IU women’s basketball player.Four more chances to play for her new home.Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(02/20/14 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s basketball maintained a six-point halftime lead against Michigan with a chance to add a conference win and move one step closer toward clinching a postseason bid, only to see it slip away.Michigan (17-10, 8-6) outscored IU (17-9, 4-9) 44-26 in the second half and handed the Hoosiers their third consecutive loss, 70-58.With only three regular-season games remaining — two of which are on the road — IU Coach Curt Miller said the loss at home was a missed opportunity.“We knew this was a very big week, and we don’t talk about it with the team, but the coaching staff knows that it’s a big week,” Miller said. Senior forward Simone Deloach agreed Michigan was a winnable game, but the Hoosiers lost their resilience during the second half.“It’s a tough loss,” Deloach said. “These last couple months is when the tough teams play, and I just think we need to find our toughness back.”Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot led the Hoosiers during the first half, scoring 16 points off 7-of-10 shooting. She finished with a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds.Gerardot nailed a 3-pointer with two minutes and 10 seconds remaining in the first half to spark an 8-2 run to close the half.Coming out of the locker room, IU’s offense stalled while Michigan’s caught fire.Freshman guard Larryn Brooks turned over the ball during the first possession, and Michigan’s Shannon Smith converted an and-1 on the ensuing fast break. Smith’s layup sparked an 11-2 Michigan run, giving the Wolverines a 37-34 lead with 16 minutes and 37 seconds remaining.“We talked about how important it was to sustain it in that first four minutes of the second half, and we didn’t get them to miss a shot until almost nine minutes into the second half,” Miller said. “Essentially it took over control of the tempo of the game.”Deloach converted on a layup with 15 minutes and 24 seconds remaining to give IU a 38-37 lead, but Michigan outscored the Hoosiers by 13 points during the next seven minutes.IU shot 45 percent from within the arc, but only managed to make one of its 13 3-point attempts.As IU’s offense struggled from beyond the arc, Michigan was able to pull away.“I’m not really sure what happened for us,” Gerardot said. “They were hitting shots and we weren’t.”IU cut the lead to eight points with three minutes and 49 seconds remaining. Michigan’s Siera Thompson responded with a deep 3-pointer to give Michigan a double-digit lead the Wolverines would hold onto the rest of the game.IU has three games remaining, including one final home game Saturday against Illinois, to pick up a résumé-boosting win the team needs to get a tournament bid.Despite their 17 wins, the Hoosiers have struggled throughout conference play. The Hoosiers have only won four Big Ten games.With the season winding down and not much time left to add wins, Miller said IU still has work to do if they want to ensure itself any games after the Big Ten Tournament.“I’d love to send this senior class out with a postseason bid, and we don’t know if we’ve quite secured it yet,” Miller said.
(02/19/14 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite a large piece of metal falling from the Assembly Hall ceiling and damaging seats at Assembly Hall on Thursday afternoon, IU women’s basketball opens its final home stand tonight against Michigan at 7 p.m. with postseason implications on the line.The Hoosiers (17-8, 4-8) have dropped their last two consecutive games, giving up second-half leads to both Penn State and Nebraska. Defeating either team could have gone a long way toward securing a postseason tournament bid.IU looks to hold serve tonight against a Michigan program the Hoosiers lost to three times last season by an average of 20.6 points per game. IU Coach Curt Miller stressed the importance of earning another win at home to inch closer to securing an invitation to a postseason tournament.“I’m not convinced that we’re not one win away from a postseason bid, maybe to a WNIT or WBI,” Miller said. “So this home stand is very important.”Michigan (16-10,7-6) travels to Bloomington having defeated Illinois 70-63 on Sunday.Junior forward Cyesha Goree was named Big Ten Player of the Week after scoring 30 points off 12-of-15 shooting and grabbing a season-high 19 rebounds against the Illini.IU has struggled in limiting opponents’ star players this season. Penn State’s Maggie Lucas and Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper combined to score 63 points during the Hoosiers’ last two games.Both games resulted in a loss.The Hoosiers need to limit Goree’s efficiency from the floor if they want to slow Michigan’s offense down and avoid suffering a similar situation to when Hooper led a comeback against IU on Sunday, Miller said.“You can absorb 32 points from a star player if you make them come over a lot of shots,” Miller said. “But (Hooper) was really efficient that night, and she really hurt us.”Miller said tonight’s matchup against the Wolverines will see both teams in contrasting styles of play.Michigan outrebounds opponents by 8.3 per game, the best in the Big Ten. The Wolverines have found success this season by scoring on second-chance points off rebounding in the painted area.IU, on the other hand, has scored most of its points from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers still lead the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game and will likely get plenty of opportunities to let the ball fly from long range against Michigan’s preferred 2-3 zone defense.The Wolverines zone has resulted in one of the better perimeter defenses in the conference this season. They have allowed opponents to shoot 32.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, sixth among Big Ten teams.The Hoosiers’ 3-point shooting has been inconsistent during their last two games. IU went cold during the second half against Penn State, allowing the Nittany Lions to go on a 17-6 run. Miller said not allowing the opposition to go on a large-scoring run is key to IU being able to stay in games late.“We stayed away from that big run against us for a long time in that game, but it came late, and we were unable to get ourselves back in it,” Miller said. “We just want to stay away from that big run.”IU plays Illinois at home on Saturday before traveling next week to playMinnesota and Michigan State before the Big Ten Tournament begins March 6 in Indianapolis.Miller said a win at home tonight against Michigan could be huge in giving the Hoosiers confidence and momentum heading into the postseason.“Any win is a big win right now for us,” Miller said. “If you would have tried to tell me that we were a win away or two wins away from postseason in year two — we’re ahead of schedule and I’m excited.”Follow reporterSam Beishuizen on Twitter@Sam_Beishuizen.
(02/17/14 4:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jordan Hooper etched her name in the Nebraska record books Sunday, leading the No. 21 Cornhuskers to a 76-61 victory against IU.The senior forward shot 56 percent from the field and finished with a game-high 31 points — two shy of her season best. She set the Nebraska women’s basketball program record with her 271st career-made 3-pointer and controlled the Cornhuskers’ (19-5, 9-3) offense in the second half.The Hoosier (17-8, 4-8) defense simply had no answer for Hooper.“The thing that’s so tough about Nebraska is they exploit every mistake,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “And when you make a defensive assignment mistake they have great players like Hooper and (Rachel) Theriot to step up and hurt you.”Whenever IU made a run, Hooper answered.Just before halftime, freshman guard Alexis Gassion got to the lane and converted on a layup to put the Hoosiers up by four points.Hooper responded to Gassion’s layup by stepping into a 3-pointer on the ensuing Nebraska possession, tying the Nebraska 3-point record and bringing the Cornhuskers back to within one possession.IU started the second half with a four-point lead, but Hooper caught fire and brought the Cornhuskers storming back. Hooper began taking and converting shots from wherever she had the ball.With IU ahead by two during the opening minutes of the second half, Hooper got the ball under the basket and converted on a short jumper while getting fouled to tie the game at 50. Although most of her scoring was done from beyond the arc, Hooper finished an efficient 4-of-6 from within the 3-point line.Two possessions later, Hooper began to catch fire from long-range once again to extend the Nebraska lead.She created space off a dribble step-back combination and nailed a jumper from just within the 3-point line to increase Nebraska’s lead to four. Hooper scored another long jumper two possessions later.Timeout was called with 7:43 remaining and Nebraska up by eight points. There was still enough time left for the Hoosiers to climb back into the game, but as IU struggled to make shots, Hooper continued hitting them.Miller said there wasn’t much else he could do to slow down Hooper.“It’s tough to watch as a coach because you can see it happen,” Miller said.Hooper converted on another 3-pointer from three feet beyond the arc with 7:25 remaining in the game, pulling Nebraska to a 65-54 lead.Her 3-pointer put an end to the Hoosiers’ hopes to come back. With IU’s offense sputtering down the stretch, the double-digit lead was too much for IU to overcome during the closing minutes of the game.Nebraska outscored IU 44-25 during the second half.“They took advantage of a lot more of our mistakes than we could take advantage of their mistakes,” Miller said. “They were terrific in that last eight to 10 minutes against us.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(02/14/14 5:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s basketball gave No. 11 Penn State a scare late Thursday night, but senior guard Maggie Lucas and the Nittany Lions proved to be too much for the Hoosiers, defeating IU 71-63.Lucas started the game on a 7-0 run en route to a game-high 32 points on 10-for-16 shooting. While the Hoosiers struggled to score in the closing minutes, Lucas scored Penn State’s final seven points to squander IU’s hopes of an upset.IU Coach Curt Miller credited Lucas’ performance down the stretch as being the difference in the game.“There’s a lot of good players on that team and without her tonight having a monster game, we may have pulled the upset,” Miller said. “You gotta give her credit. She wanted the ball and she made big, big shots. She did what we weren’t always capable of doing tonight.”IU (17-7, 4-7) stormed out of halftime, rattling off a 10-0 run to claim a 41-37 lead with about 16 minutes remaining in the game.Penn State (19-5, 10-2) had a 10-point lead with two minutes and 38 seconds left in the game, but the Hoosiers began to force turnovers and went on a 6-0 run.Freshman guard Larryn Brooks forced Penn State’s Ariel Edwards into turning the ball over with 53 seconds remaining.Brooks missed a layup attempt, but senior forward Simone Deloach gathered the rebound and converted a layup while getting fouled to bring the Hoosiers within four points.Deloach went to the free throw line with a chance to bring IU within one possession, but failed to convert on the free throw.“If we make that foul shot, it’s a one possession game,” Miller said, “and we all see what can happen in close games in this building.”Lucas went 4-for-4 from the free throw line and freshman guard Alexis Gassion missed a 3-point attempt in the final minute, allowing the Nittany Lions to hold on for the win.Brooks said IU got open looks from beyond the arc all night.Penn State’s length in the frontcourt forced IU to attack from the perimeter, but the Hoosiers could not convert enough. IU shot 8-for-34 from beyond the arc and missed its final nine 3-point attempts.“We didn’t really get to where we needed to be at the end in the closing minutes,” Brooks said. “That’s just on us.”One bright spot for IU was Deloach’s performance. She finished with her second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.Miller said Deloach’s post play and rebounding was what kept IU within striking distance of Penn State despite IU shooting a dismal 29.7 percent from the floor in the first half.“Another great game for Simone,” Miller said. “At halftime she had eight rebounds. I said you can get 15 tonight — she did.”Miller said he was disappointed IU was not able to pull off the upset of Big Ten-leading Penn State because he said it could have gone a long way towards earning an NCAA Tournament berth.At the end of the day, the Achilles’ heel for the Hoosiers ended up being a problem that has haunted the young Hoosier team all season.IU couldn’t score the baskets it needed to make down the stretch.“We didn’t make some of the shots (we) needed to make to beat a team that talented,” Miller said. “We wanted this one. We needed a signature win — we wanted it and we just came up short.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen
(02/13/14 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s basketball will welcome No. 11 Penn State Thursday at Assembly Hall with a chance to pad its résumé with a win against the premier team in the Big Ten.A win against the Nittany Lions (18-5, 9-2) could go a long way in securing an NCAA Tournament bid, but doing so will require knocking off a Penn State team that coasted to a 65-52 win against IU (17-6, 4-6) exactly three weeks ago.“This is why this freshman class came,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “This is why that large senior class probably originally picked Indiana — was the opportunity to go a BCS school and play against the best of the best.”Penn State comes to Bloomington after defeating Ohio State 74-54 on Feb. 9.The Nittany Lions are led by senior guard Maggie Lucas, who scored 23 points against Ohio State in the win. Her 9-of-14 shooting performance helped her reach 2,322 career points, making her the fifth-highest scorer in Big Ten history.Lucas tallied 18 points against the Hoosiers in the teams’ first matchup. Freshman guard Taylor Agler believes it will take a team effort to limit the 2012-13 Big Ten Player of the Year.“I don’t think one person can shut down Maggie Lucas or even guard her,” Agler said. “It’s the whole team that needs to do it and that was kind of what we did last time. Even though one person was technically assigned to her, I think the whole team needs to help out.”Offensively, the Hoosiers will look to improve upon their 27.6 percent shooting effort from the last time IU played Penn State. More than half of IU’s field goal shots were 3-point field goal attempts, where the Hoosiers shot 9-of-30. IU scored 40 of its 76 points in the paint against Wisconsin during the Hoosiers’ most recent victory. IU is 6-0 this season when scoring more than 40 points in the paint.Miller said getting the ball to IU’s forwards and centers will be a point of emphasis against Penn State. IU’s post players will also need to combat Penn State’s rebounding. The Nittany Lions are the best rebounding team in the Big Ten and average 14.9 offensive rebounds per game — 3.18 more than the conference average.“I think the statistic at the end of the game that will be a big deal is, ‘Can we keep them off the offensive glass?’” Miller said. “Even when they can’t get it and they are boxed out, their length allows them to tip balls and keep them alive and they scramble and get those 50-50 balls. We are going to need a great night rebounding if we want to get the upset.”IU enters the game as an underdog against conference-leading Penn State, but Miller said that’s a mentality his team has used before.With only six games left before the Big Ten Tournament, Miller said the Hoosiers are focused on the next game ahead and upsetting Penn State.“I think they really have a good underdog mentality going into this game,” Miller said. “I liked our focus. I liked our prep. Where the game will end up, we’ll see after two hours, but I like their mentality.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen
(02/12/14 3:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At this point in the IU women’s basketball season last year, the Hoosiers were 10-14 with one lone win in conference, en route to finishing last in the Big Ten.What a difference a year can make.ESPN women’s basketball bracketologist Charlie Creame has IU projected as a No. 12 seed in next month’s NCAA Tournament. He has the Hoosiers playing No. 5 California in Lexington, Ky.“The Hoosiers sneak back into the field but have a daunting week with Penn State and Nebraska on tap,” Creame wrote.With six Big Ten regular season games and next month’s Big Ten Tournament left to play, IU has less than one month to pad its résumé and get invited to the big dance. Monday’s RPI update through NCAA.com has IU ranked as the fourth best team in the Big Ten at No. 39.IU Coach Curt Miller said he believes IU will need to finish 4-2 to make the NCAA Tournament, and added he believes IU winning two games would get the Hoosiers an invitation to play in the WNIT.IU has not been to the NCAA Tournament since losing to TCU 55-45 in the opening round in 2002. The Hoosiers are 1-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with the lone win coming in 1983 when IU beat Kentucky 87-76.Because of IU’s youth, Miller said the coaching staff has begun to change practice format in recent weeks in an attempt to ensure the freshness of his players as they make a potential postseason run.By this time of year, the girls basketball high school season is coming to an end for many schools. This is the longest season many of the IU freshmen have played in their careers.“We still have (six) games left, let alone the tournament,” Miller said. “We’re trying not to over-practice. We’re trying to practice with intensity but for shorter durations and never go too long.”IU has relied on heavy scouting throughout the season, because the first-year players are seeing their opponents for the first time.Miller said this part of the schedule has remained the same and will remain crucial down the stretch run of the season.“We’re trying to keep the preparation for scouting reports the same and trying to keep them on their routine,” he said.Miller said upperclassmen like senior forward Simone Delaoch have taken on the duty of helping the younger players stay fresh.Deloach said she remembers what it was like to go through th e long season for the first time, and she said she is doing her part to help the younger players take their minds off basketball when needed.“We’re going to play basketball, but we’re also here to educate ourselves and to learn,” Deloach said. “Taking little trips to the mall or seeing a movie or even having family dinner night definitely helps to keep their mind off the stress of basketball and the stress of school at times.”In just his second season at the helm of the program, Miller said the possibility of playing in the postseason is exciting, but the Hoosiers have a long month ahead of them.“Certainly, on Feb. 10, it’s really, really fun to even be talking about this subject,” Miller said on his radio show Monday. “But I’m trying to preach to our team that it’s still about the process and (taking it) game by game.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(02/12/14 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At this point in the IU women’s basketball season last year, the Hoosiers were 10-14 with one lone win in conference, en route to finishing last in the Big Ten.What a difference a year can make.ESPN women’s basketball bracketologist Charlie Creame has IU projected as a No. 12 seed in next month’s NCAA Tournament. He has the Hoosiers playing No. 5 California in Lexington, Ky.“The Hoosiers sneak back into the field but have a daunting week with Penn State and Nebraska on tap,” Creame wrote.With six Big Ten regular season games and next month’s Big Ten Tournament left to play, IU has less than one month to pad its résumé and get invited to the big dance. Monday’s RPI update through NCAA.com has IU ranked as the fourth best team in the Big Ten at No. 39.IU Coach Curt Miller said he believes IU will need to finish 4-2 to make the NCAA Tournament, and added he believes IU winning two games would get the Hoosiers an invitation to play in the WNIT.IU has not been to the NCAA Tournament since losing to TCU 55-45 in the opening round in 2002. The Hoosiers are 1-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with the lone win coming in 1983 when IU beat Kentucky 87-76.Because of IU’s youth, Miller said the coaching staff has begun to change practice format in recent weeks in an attempt to ensure the freshness of his players as they make a potential postseason run.By this time of year, the girls basketball high school season is coming to an end for many schools. This is the longest season many of the IU freshmen have played in their careers.“We still have (six) games left, let alone the tournament,” Miller said. “We’re trying not to over-practice. We’re trying to practice with intensity but for shorter durations and never go too long.”IU has relied on heavy scouting throughout the season, because the first-year players are seeing their opponents for the first time.Miller said this part of the schedule has remained the same and will remain crucial down the stretch run of the season.“We’re trying to keep the preparation for scouting reports the same and trying to keep them on their routine,” he said.Miller said upperclassmen like senior forward Simone Delaoch have taken on the duty of helping the younger players stay fresh.Deloach said she remembers what it was like to go through th e long season for the first time, and she said she is doing her part to help the younger players take their minds off basketball when needed.“We’re going to play basketball, but we’re also here to educate ourselves and to learn,” Deloach said. “Taking little trips to the mall or seeing a movie or even having family dinner night definitely helps to keep their mind off the stress of basketball and the stress of school at times.”In just his second season at the helm of the program, Miller said the possibility of playing in the postseason is exciting, but the Hoosiers have a long month ahead of them.“Certainly, on Feb. 10, it’s really, really fun to even be talking about this subject,” Miller said on his radio show Monday. “But I’m trying to preach to our team that it’s still about the process and (taking it) game by game.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(02/10/14 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU wrestling lost 18-16 to Michigan State on Saturday during IU’s final regular season Big Ten match of the season before next month’s Big Ten Championship.Freshman Trevor Moody opened the match against the Spartans with a 4-2 decision win against Michigan State’s Brian Gibbs at 141 pounds. The win was Gibbs’ second consecutive Big Ten victory.Junior Taylor Walsh climbed one step closer to becoming IU’s all-time pins leader by pinning Michigan State’s Roger Wildmo. Walsh fell behind to his foe 2-0 early but managed to pin Wildmo at the one minute 40 seconds mark.Walsh’s pin was his 45th during his career, putting up two behind Viktor Sveda’s all-time pins record of 47. The pin was Walsh’s 24th of the season, adding to his school-record for pins in a season.In the heavyweight matchup between IU’s No. 4 Adam Chalfant and Michigan State’s No. 6 Mike McClure, Chalfant defeated McClure 5-1. IU next travels on Saturday to Edwardsville, Ill., for its final matches of the regular season before the Big Ten Tournament.— Sam Beishuizen
(02/10/14 3:31am)
IU Coach Curt Miller had a request for senior forward Simone Deloach on her 22nd birthday.“I asked her for one thing — double-double,” Miller said. She got it.
(02/10/14 1:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU women’s tennis went undefeated in all matches Saturday en route to defeating both Miami (Ohio) and Butler 7-0 at the IU Tennis Center.Against Miami (Ohio), senior No. 2 pair Sophie Garre and Kayla Fujimoto clinched the doubles point with a 6-1 win against the Red Hawks’ Andrea Badileanu and Ana Rajkovic. Junior Katie Klyczek made quick work defeating Miami’s Christiana Raymond 6-0, 6-1 to start the singles matches. Junior Alecia Kauss clinched the match for the Hoosiers with a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Christine Guerrazzi at No. 3 singles.The Hoosiers continued their perfect weekend against Butler. The Hoosiers held the Bulldogs to winning less than four games in every match. Freshman Mary Beth King clinched the victory for IU, defeating Butler’s Jocelyn Koester 6-0, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.The Hoosiers return home to play against Kentucky at 11 a.m. Sunday.— Sam Beishuizen
(02/03/14 5:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Lin Loring became the first coach in women’s tennis history to record 800 match wins as the Hoosiers defeated Western Michigan 5-2 on Friday.In the win against Western Michigan, IU lost the doubles point but one all but one of the singles matches. In the No. 2 singles matchup, junior Carolyn Chupa upset No. 55 ranked Kathleen Hawkins.Loring has accumulated a career record of 800-308 and is now in his 37th season leading the women’s tennis program. Throughout his 37 years at IU, Loring has guided the Hoosiers to 12 undefeated seasons, 28 national tournament appearances and 16 Big Ten titles.Between 1978-1985, Loring was at the helm of a Hoosier program that had 104 consecutive victories against Big Ten opponents. That string was capped in 1982 when IU won the national championship.Under Loring, the Hoosiers have had 71 players named to the All-Big Ten team and 25 of have named All-American.-Sam Beishuizen
(02/03/14 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The streak is over.IU defeated Illinois 77-58 in Champaign, Ill., on Sunday. The win snaps a streak of 22 consecutive Big Ten losses on the road — a string of defeats that extended back to Feb. 10, 2011.It’s the first time that a Hoosier team led by IU Coach Curt Miller has won a Big Ten game away from Assembly Hall. “It’s one of the monkeys we wanted to get off our backs as a program as I’ve taken over,” he said. “We’re proud to finally stop talking about no road wins for a long time for this program in our building stage.”Two days after a six-point loss against Northwestern caused Miller to question his team’s confidence, IU opened with one of their best offensive halves of the season.IU (16-6, 3-6) shot 15-of-29, 51.7 percent, from the field and hit six 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes of play.A layup from senior forward Simone Deloach, followed by a 3-pointer from freshman guard Taylor Agler, sparked a 17-1 run between the 14:45-10:54 marks in the first half. The 16-point swing gave the Hoosiers a commanding 34-15 lead and, more importantly, confidence.“Tonight’s key was our start,” Miller said. “We made shots early after the shooting performance that we had in our last game. For us to start that way in the first five or six minutes really gave us more confidence that we could play with this team.”Both offenses went cold in the closing minutes of the opening half. The Hoosiers and Illini combined to go nearly four minutes without registering a single point in the closing stretch of the first half, but as the second half got underway, the Hoosier offense heated up once again.IU went on a 16-5 run to extend its lead to 59-36 with 12 minutes 13 seconds remaining in the game. Their lead would get as high as 26 points after a 3-pointer from Taylor Agler with just under five minutes remaining.Freshman guard Alexis Gassion shot 8-of-10 from the field — including 4-of-5 from behind the 3-point line — to register a career-high 22 points to lead IU’s offense.Four Hoosiers scored in double-digits against the Illini (9-13, 2-7). Freshman Larryn Brooks had her second career double-double 16 points and 10 assists. Freshman forward Lyndsay Leikem added 10 points and 10 rebounds to record her first career double-double.Illinois’ mixture of man-to-man and “Buzz” defenses led to IU turning the ball over 21 times. Miller said IU struggled at times with holding onto the ball, but said the game was an improvement when compared to the 25 turnovers IU had against Illinois last season.“We weren’t perfect tonight against the ‘Buzz’ defense and their zone,” Miller said. “But we were much better than we were last year.”IU made up for its inability to hold onto the ball on the glass, out-rebounding Illinois 45-26. Ten of IU’s’ 45 rebounds came on the offensive end, leading to a number of second-chance scoring opportunities to make up for the turnovers.IU’s win snaps a three-game losing streak during which the team was beaten by an average of 9.3 points per game. IU will return home to Assembly Hall for four of its next five games.With the Big Ten season far from over, Miller said the win against the Illini gave the Hoosiers a boost of confidence heading down the final stretch of the season. “Tonight, against a team that we view ourselves a lot alike — rebuilding — a team in the rebuilding stage, that’s a big win for us,” Miller said.Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(01/31/14 5:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU will travel to play Illinois Sunday looking to regroup after an abysmal offensive performance in a loss against Northwestern that left IU Coach Curt Miller questioning the poise of his players.Against the Wildcats, the Hoosiers shot 21-of-70 (30 percent) from the field and were 6-20 (30 percent) from the free-throw line. Miller blamed the missed free throws on a lack of confidence, leading to the 58-52 defeat.After the loss, senior forward Simone Deloach said the Hoosiers need to refocus their efforts before squaring off against the Illini at 2 p.m. Sunday. “We have to gather as a team and collectively be determined to bounce back,” Deloach said. “This is a tough loss, but we have to refocus and re-get at it.”Illinois (9-12, 2-6) will test the composure of the Hoosier offense with their unconventional “Buzz” defense. The 2-3 zone-based “Buzz” is designed to force opposing offenses into using lob passes, allowing defenders ample time to shift and match up.Because lob passes have the tendency to hang in the air, Illinois defenders have the chance to jump pass routes and steal the ball. It has led to Illinois forcing a Big Ten-leading 11.3 steals per game.When IU traveled to Illinois last year, the unconventional Illini zone forced the Hoosiers into committing 25 turnovers. Those turnovers led to 24 points in a 73-60 defeat.The Hoosiers (15-6, 2-6) committed only eight turnovers against Northwestern. Freshman forward Lyndsay Leikem said limiting the turnovers is important, but IU needs to be able to take advantage of limiting turnovers by being efficient elsewhere.“I think that (limiting turnovers) was really important for us and I’m glad that we limited those, but we still can work on other things,” Leikem said. “If we keep the turnovers down, we can bounce back and do really well against Illinois.”One of the ways teams typically choose to attack the “Buzz” is from beyond the arc. The best plan of attack may be relying on freshman guards Larryn Brooks and Taylor Agler to dribble-drive and kick the ball out to an awaiting shooter.The Hoosiers have attempted the second-most 3-pointers in the Big Ten and are shooting 34.1 percent from behind the arc this season, but struggled against Northwestern despite open looks. Miller said that needs to change.“This team does not have kids that can make tough shots, so the execution is so vital that you execute to an open shot every time,” Miller said.At the forefront of the Illinois offense is senior Amber Moore. The 5-foot-11 guard leads the Illini in scoring at 15.9 points per game and 3-point field goals made with 65.Moore does most of her damage from behind the arc. Her 272 made 3-pointers makes her the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, shattering the previous record of 215 set by Lori Bjork.Coming off a game where Miller compared his team’s performance against seventh and eighth grade teams he coached in 1986, IU is going to need to turn its offense around if it wants to compete against Illinois.“You gotta get back up,” Miller said. “We haven’t shot the ball well in a long time and we’ve tried so many different things that sooner or later a kids gotta have some gusto and step up and have confidence in themselves.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen
(01/30/14 3:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A sense of normalcy returned to IU women’s basketball practice this week as the Hoosiers prepared to play Northwestern tonight at Assembly Hall.After going through a stretch of five games in 11 days — four of which were on the road — IU Coach Curt Miller said his team was able to focus more on improving this week. The more conventional schedule allowed players to take their first days off in almost two weeks.Miller called the previous two-week stretch the toughest of his career and the compact schedule took a toll on the Hoosiers.“With a young team grinding, it can be really not only physically exhausting, but it can be mentally exhausting,” Miller said. “So they came back, I think, with a little bit fresher mind.”Miller will find out if the break paid off at 7 p.m. against a Northwestern team that comes to Bloomington having just upset No. 21 Nebraska at home on Sunday 63-59.The Wildcats (13-7, 3-4) play an unconventional lineup that can potentially feature five natural guards on the floor at once. Because of the guard-heavy lineup, Northwestern rarely turns the ball over, and it can create high-percentage shots on the offensive end. The Wildcats have a turnover margin of 3.2 — second best in the Big Ten.Contrarily, the Hoosiers (15-6, 2-5) tied a season-worst with 22 turnovers in an 84-75 loss on Jan. 25 against Iowa. The Hawkeyes were able to score 29 points off IU’s 22 turnovers. Limiting that number has been a talking point in practice this week.“I think that you have to realize the value of each possession even more than we have,” senior forward Tabitha Gerardot said. “I think a lot of what we are messing up right now comes with confidence. We just need more confidence and calmness about us so we can play with confidence and play our games.”Northwestern is led by freshman Nia Coffey. The 6-foot-1 forward is averaging 16.1 points per game — second most among freshman in the Big Ten behind IU’s Larryn Brooks.Coffey also leads the Wildcats in rebounding with 8.3 rebounds per game. Her versatility as both a scorer and rebounder makes for a tough matchup for the Hoosiers.“I clearly believe Coffey is the best — single best — freshman in the league and is poised to become one of the best players in all of BCS basketball,” Miller said. “She’s that talented.”IU has lost four of its last five games and is now in a four-way tie for ninth in the Big Ten standings.The Hoosiers were one of four remaining undefeated teams in the nation before beginning to struggle during its last month of play.Gerardot blamed the recent losses on mental mistakes piling up, but she is confident the Hoosiers can regain the winning form they once had.“We went 14-0, we know what we are capable of,” Gerardot said. “The difficulty in the Big Ten is you have to have it every moment. You can’t just have it 80 percent of the game. You need to be at your A-game all the time. I think that some of those things are going to have to come together for us to win.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(01/29/14 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Curt Miller has a six-year plan for rebuilding the IU women’s basketball program. The second-year Hoosier coach is still in the beginning phases of the rebuild, but he already has the program headed in the right direction. IU has won 15 games this season, as many as the program did the two years prior to IU Coach Curt Miller’s hiring combined. A large part of the turnaround can be credited to Miller’s passionate in-game coaching style. On the sidelines, Miller shows his passion for coaching by bringing an energy to Assembly Hall that, at times, is reminiscent of former IU Coach Bob Knight. He will argue calls, scream out plays, stamp his feet — anything to get his point across to either a player or referee. It’s all part of what makes Miller the coach he is.“I’m kind of an old-school guy,” Miller said. “We’re always coaching them hard to get more, and I believe my job as a coach is to get this team to go where they don’t think they can go, or where they never even thought they could be.”Miller said his passionate in-game coaching is never meant to be hard on his players. His job is to make his players better, and his energetic coaching style gets players’ attention.It’s a coaching style that many players are not used to.“Coach Miller is cut from a different cloth, he’s so different,” senior forward Simone Deloach said. “You just have to buy into it because he knows what he is doing.”Miller’s coaching style has shown results. He is 284-116 in his career and was MAC coach of the year six consecutive years as head coach at Bowling Green.Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot said Miller’s commitment to spending so much time on working to get his players better is what makes him a good coach.Gerardot said the coach’s personality can be slightly overwhelming at first. “I think that as girls, it’s sometimes difficult to take right,” Gerardot said. “But that’s something we are pushing and trying to learn. We all try to encourage and be there for each other.”Miller’s intense coaching style has led to unkempt results on the sideline.By the end of IU’s 83-78 overtime win against Minnesota, he was running up and down the sidelines without his suit coat, dress shirt untucked and a tie that struggled to stay around his neck. IU missed layups on back-to-back possessions during the course of 30 seconds with about five minutes remaining. Upset with the misses in a close game, Miller ripped off his sport coat, causing his dress shirt to come untucked in the process.Miller went on to coach the remainder of the game and overtime looking slightly out of place.“The fashion police were probably out on me,” Miller said.Gerardot said Miller’s blind passion and commitment to spending so much time working and studying the game is key for IU.Rubbing officials the wrong way is one risk of Miller’s intense coaching ways, as he sometimes gets too animated for a referee’s liking. During the closing minutes of IU’s 65-52 loss to Penn State, Miller was issued a technical after getting upset with a call.Penn State was awarded a pair of free throws and hit both. At that point, the game was already virtually decided, but the technical was a negative result of Miller’s energetic coaching style.Still, his personality has won over a number of highly touted recruits.His first class of freshmen includes the starting trio of Larryn Brooks, Taylor Agler and Alexis Gassion. Next year, IU has four newcomers committed who have had record-setting high school careers.Tyra Buss from Mount Carmel, Ill., has accumulated an Illinois girls basketball best 4,440 points. Maura Muentsterman, from Mater Dei, Ind., set a new Indiana girls basketball record with 704 assists.Deloach said it can be tough to adjust to Miller as a coach, but the players just need to be patient.“As a young player, it can be tough,” Deloach said. “He’s very animated. You just have to hear the words and be that player that can receive that information. He knows what he’s talking about, you just have to believe in what he’s saying.”Miller often reminds fans the rebuilding process, modeled after IU men’s coach Tom Crean’s rebuilding process, is a marathon and not a sprint. He said the program is still a few years from where he wants it to be.In the meantime, Miller is guiding IU (15-5, 2-5) through the second half of the Big Ten schedule. He’ll be on the sidelines of Assembly Hall again Thursday night, coaching with the same energy and enthusiasm fans and players alike have come to expect out of him.“We’re just pushing them beyond what they think, it’s part of exceeding expectations,” Miller said. “They know during the interview process, and anyone that’s seen me coach in my 13 years knows I’m going to coach each and every possession — up 30, down 30 — and I’m going to coach them hard.” Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(01/28/14 12:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The youth movement in IU women’s basketball has never been more evident than during the past two weeks.IU Coach Curt Miller started an all-freshmen lineup in the Hoosiers’ last three games. The freshmen starters have played in 90 games combined.To put the starting lineup’s youth in perspective, graduate student Sasha Chaplin has appeared in 109 games in her career at IU — 19 more games than the freshmen starting five have combined.The change to the starting lineup came in the aftermath of IU’s three-game losing streak in the Big Ten, capped off by a 33-point loss to Purdue. The stall in IU’s offense during the losing streak prompted the change in lineup.“We wanted a spark,” Miller said.The result of the move has been unprecedented in the Big Ten this season. IU (15-5, 2-5) is the only team in the conference to start five freshmen together this season.Freshmen Larryn Brooks, Taylor Agler, Alexis Gassion, Jenn Anderson and Lyndsay Leikem took the floor together for the first time against Minnesota Jan. 19, and they have started ever since.The shake-up in the lineup paid instant dividends against the Golden Gophers. IU won 83-78 in overtime. The freshmen starting five contributed 69 of IU’s 83 points.“I don’t know when — if ever — a team in the Big Ten has started five freshmen to win a Big Ten game,” Miller said. “(The win) was a big step for this program.”Brooks, Agler and Gassion have been staples in the Hoosier lineup all season.Miller has referred to Brooks as the women’s program’s version of IU point guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell. She leads the team with 17.4 points and 4.25 assists per game.Miller often credits Agler as being a lock-down defender who does all the little things that help teams win. Gassion is the team’s third leading rebounder and she is fifth in points and steals.The major changes in the lineup came from the additions of Anderson and Leikem.Leikem said she was not aware she was starting until just before the game, which meant she needed to adjust quickly. Despite the shift in roles, she recorded 10 points while playing a career-high 37 minutes in the win.“I usually get a chance to watch Tabitha (Gerardot) work the floor and see what I have coming up to play against,” Leikem said. “It was a transition, but you learn really fast.”The move to put in Leikem and Anderson has sent seniors Gerardot and Chaplin to the bench. Miller said the two responded well to being moved out of the starting role and have pushed harder in training.“I think we’re seeing a little bit more focus, a little bit more intensity in practice,” he said.Since the win against Minnesota, IU has lost a pair of road games to Penn State and Iowa while using the all-freshmen lineup, making IU 1-2 when using it.Whether or not IU continues starting five freshmen remains to be seen, but Miller said the lineup change was good for his team.“We have a really neat mixture right now,” he said. “We have five seniors that have a sense of senior urgency combined with talented freshmen with a fearless attitude.”The coaching staff has put emphasis on building chemistry in the locker room. Miller said he believes the younger players have built a strong relationship with one another and the upperclassmen.For now, IU may have to deal with some growing pains that playing a young team brings.Miller said the experience the players are getting now could bode well for the future of the program. “We always talk about building a championship locker room before you can build a championship team,” Miller said. “They believe in each other. They care for each other. Our locker room is really strong right now.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(01/27/14 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder wanted to send a message during Iowa’s rematch against IU.The Hoosiers upset then-No. 22 Iowa at Assembly Hall earlier this month. She thought her team had overlooked IU, a team that had struggled in recent history. All week, Bluder emphasized not overlooking IU again in the rematch, and the added emphasis paid off.Iowa defeated IU 84-75 Saturday night in Iowa City, Iowa, handing IU its fourth loss in five games.“(I’m) disappointed ultimately with the loss tonight because we did a lot to ourselves,” IU Coach Curt Miller said.The Hawkeyes (16-4, 4-3) began the game on a 13-3 run. Nine of those early points came from 3-pointers, including a pair from junior guard Melissa Dixon. Iowa found success on the offensive end through ball movement. The Hawkeyes exploited the Hoosiers’ 2-3 zone early on, allowing the Hawkeyes to make an extra pass to find an open shooter. Iowa ended the game with 16 assists on 29 made field goals.IU (15-5, 2-5) cut Iowa’s lead to 36-34 after a layup from Karlee McBride, but the Hoosiers never found their footing to take the lead. After a pair of potential 3-pointers failed to go in, senior Simone Deloach was fouled and went to the line to shoot a one-and-one with a chance to tie the game.Deloach missed the front end, and Iowa grabbed the rebound. Senior guard Taylor Theirra drew a foul on the other end and hit a pair of free-throws to extend Iowa’s lead to 38-34.“I thought that was a big moment in the game,” Miller said.The Hoosiers would not get within two points again the rest of the night.IU’s offense was plagued by turnovers throughout the 40 minutes. The Hoosiers entered the game averaging 12.2 turnovers per game, a Big Ten best, but committed 22 Saturday. Those 22 turnovers led to 29 points for Iowa.“Turnovers were a big difference in the game,” Miller said. “It’s just so hard to defend turnovers. They are a good transition team, so when you turn the ball over, it’s really difficult to guard that.”The turnover problem was most evident during the opening minutes of the second half. IU trailed by only five points at halftime, but committed three consecutive turnovers within the opening two minutes of the second half.The stall in IU’s offense allowed Iowa to go on a 16-7 run to pull ahead 60-46. Iowa was able to hold the lead for the rest of the game.Miller called a timeout after freshman guard Nicole Bell hit a 3-pointer, cutting Iowa’s lead to 10 points with 1 minutes 57 seconds remaining. Iowa’s Melissa Dixon nailed a 3-pointer after the timeout to put the game away.Freshmen guard Taylor Agler had a standout night for IU, despite the loss. Agler shot six-of-eight from beyond the 3-point line en route to scoring a career-high 21 points.“She hunted for shots tonight and was really aggressive tonight offensively, and we really needed that,” Miller said.Saturday’s game against Iowa was the last of a stretch of five games in 11 days, four of which were losses on the road.Miller said he will give his team a few days off and then welcome back a more routine schedule.“We survived. We got through that stretch,” Miller said. “We’ll get back to work with this young group and attack it, and try not to be discouraged.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen.
(01/26/14 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder wanted to send a message in Iowa’s rematch against IU.The Hoosiers upset then-No.22 Iowa at Assembly Hall earlier this month. All week, Bluder emphasized not overlooking IU again in the rematch.Message received.Iowa defeated IU 84-75 in Iowa City, Iowa Saturday night, handing IU its fourth loss in five games.“(I'm) disappointed ultimately with the loss tonight because we did a lot to ourselves,” IU Coach Curt Miller said.The Hawkeyes (16-4, 4-3) began the game on a 13-3 run. Nine of those early points came from 3-pointers, including a pair from junior guard Melissa Dixon.Iowa found success on the offensive end through ball movement. The Hawkeyes exploited IU’s 2-3 zone early on, allowing the Hawkeyes to make an extra pass to find an open shooter.Iowa ended the game with 15 assists on 28 made field goals.IU (15-5, 2-5) cut Iowa’s lead to 36-34 after a layup from Karlee McBride. Senior Simone Deloach got fouled shortly after and went to the line to shoot a one-and-one with a chance to tie the game.Deloach missed the front end and Iowa grabbed the rebound. Senior guard Taylor Theirra drew a foul on the other end and hit a pair of free-throws to extend Iowa’s lead to 38-34.“I thought that was a big moment in the game,” Miller said.The Hoosiers would not get within two points again the rest of the game.IU’s offense was plagued with turnovers throughout the night. The Hoosiers entered the game averaging a Big Ten best 12 turnovers per game, but committed 22 Saturday. Those 22 turnovers led to 29 Iowa points.“Turnovers were a big difference in the game,” Miller said. “It’s just so hard to defend turnovers. They are a good transition team so when you turn the ball over it’s really difficult to guard that.”Those turnovers were most evident in the opening minutes of the second half. IU trailed by only five points at halftime, but committed three consecutive turnovers within the opening two minutes of the second half.The stall in IU’s offense allowed Iowa to go on a 16-7 run to pull ahead 60-46. Iowa was able to hold the lead out of IU’s grasp for the rest of the game.The Hoosiers called a timeout after cutting Iowa’s lead to ten points with 1:57 remaining, but Iowa’s Melissa Dixon nailed a 3-pointer after the timeout to put the game away.Freshmen guard Taylor Agler had a standout night for IU. She shot six-of-eight from beyond the 3-point line en route to scoring a career-high 21 points.“She hunted for shots tonight and was really aggressive tonight offensively, and we really needed that,” Miller said of Agler.Saturday’s game against Iowa was the last of a stretch of five games in 11 days, four of which were losses on the road.Miller said he will give his team a few days off and then welcome back a more routine schedule.“We survived, we got through that stretch,” Miller said. “We’ll get back to work with this young group and attack it and try not to be discouraged.”
(01/24/14 7:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Karlee McBride provided a spark in the Jan. 2 women's basketball matchup between IU and Iowa. The freshman guard checked into the game with five minutes and 36 seconds remaining in the first half, and IU trailing by three. She proceeded to bury back-to-back 3-pointers, giving IU a 31-28 lead.McBride scored nine points in a stretch of one minute and 29 seconds. She shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the opening half, prompting a 12-4 IU run.McBride finished the game 4-of-5 from 3-point range. She added a pair of free throws to finish with 14 points and three rebounds in only 14 minutes off the bench.IU Coach Curt Miller credited McBride’s ability to provide instant offense in limited minutes as being the difference in the game.“She’s the unsung hero,” Miller said after the game. “She was our X-factor.”Since winning the Big Ten opener, IU has gone 1-4 in conference. McBride was in the first game against Iowa.The Hoosier offense has struggled to find its X-factor. The offense has suffered because of it.Since that matchup three weeks ago, Iowa (15-5, 3-3) remains the top-ranked scoring team in the Big Ten, averaging 81.2 points per game.Contrarily, IU (15-4, 2-4) has since fallen from No. 2 to the No. 6 ranked offense in the conference at 73.8 points per game.Excluding an 83-78 overtime win against Minnesota at Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers have shot 57-of-196 (29.1 percent) from the field in their last three games.Part of the poor shooting could be blamed on tired players from a rescheduling conflict that forced IU to play three games in five days.Part of it could be that IU is in the midst of its Big Ten schedule, in which the defenses are better statistically than teams IU played earlier in the year.Miller credited Penn State’s defensive length for really bothering IU in Wednesday’s 65-52 loss.“You have to credit Penn State,” Miller said after Wednesday’s game. “They did a really good job of keeping us at about 30 feet in the first half offensively, and therefore we never could get in a rhythm.”IU has lost 21 consecutive conference games on the road. If IU continues to struggle shooting, that streak is likely going to continue.Iowa is 10th in the Big Ten in points allowed per game (69.0), which could mean good things for IU’s troubled offense. The Hawkeyes have struggled containing teams this year on the defensive end, which means IU could potentially find its offensive rhythm once again.Miller has played around with his lineup in recent games, trying to get his offense back on track. In the last two, Miller has started five freshmen and had former starters Sasha Chaplin and Tabitha Gerardot come off the bench.The lineup changes could be just what IU needs to find another X-factor to rejuvenate a struggling offensive unit.“We’re challenging them,” Miller said of his lineup. “I think the shuffle in the lineup to start five freshmen the other day motivated some seniors. I think that they see that I am willing to make changes if necessary—it’s good. It’s healthy for a young team in a practice situation that people keep fighting and scratching for playing time.”Follow reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen