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(01/30/14 2:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For Simone Deloach and Milika Taufa, winning was routine during their high school careers.Stepping on campus their freshman year at IU, they had no idea just how tough the beginning of their college careers would be. Now seniors, the former freshman year roommates and their fellow senior teammates are enjoying greater success. The Hoosiers’ 15 wins this season is equal to the total number of wins Deloach and Taufa had experienced between their freshman and sophomore years. “We both came in with the expectation of changing the program and helping it build,” Deloach said. “Seeing that their previous records were doing well and coming in and experiencing that, it was different. Coming from successful high school teams, it was different for us.”The two arrived in Bloomington during fall 2010. The Hoosiers finished 9-20 their first year with the program, The following year, the team regressed and finished 6-24. “Overall, I only lost like 10 games out of my four years in high school,” Taufa said. “Coming here and losing kind of hurt a little bit, but it was a different level. I knew coming here it was more up-tempo and physical.”Being from Texas and Hawaii, attending school in Bloomington meant being far away from home for both players. This common bond drove their motivation.“I think we really helped each other staying motivated, getting each other in the gym, staying on each other academically,” Deloach said. The two realized senior year would arrive before they knew it, so they continued to encourage each other. “Let’s do what we can to change this program for the better,” Deloach said to Taufa. “Let’s stick it out.”Deloach said Taufa would repeat this sentiment back to her.“I think that’s something I respect out of our relationship as seniors now, is that we really stuck it out together,” Deloach said. Following the 6-24 season, IU fired Coach Felisha Legette-Jack and brought in Curt Miller, the Hoosiers’ current head coach. The team improved during Deloach and Taufa’s junior year, going 11-19 in Miller’s first season at the helm. The Hoosiers had only three juniors and four seniors last season. Including senior transfer Tabitha Gerardot, they have four seniors this season. Graduate student Sasha Chaplin was a senior last season and is in her final year of eligibility. “Last year, it felt like everyone was freshmen,” Miller said. “And now your senior class is actually your veterans, and they know your system.”The Hoosiers went undefeated in non-conference play this season, winning all 13 games. Though they sit at 2-5 in Big Ten play, they’re enjoying one of their most successful seasons yet. When IU recorded its 15th win, a Jan. 19 home victory against Minnesota, it guaranteed a winning record in the regular season. The team has recorded many milestones along the way, notably beginning the season 14-0 — the best start in program history. Deloach and Taufa want to add to the accomplishments. Deloach specifically wants the team to gain respect. “I mean, just from our community I think they’ve always been there from us, always,” she said. “And I think we’re building on that, and I really appreciate them 100 percent. And I think they’re going to continue to come.”Deloach also said she hopes to return to a packed Assembly Hall when she comes back five to 10 years later. “I hope down the line — four years, five years, 10 years from now — we can come back and we can see this place packed because of what Coach Miller has instilled in this community and this program,” she said. “I hope that that continues.”When the Hoosiers face Northwestern at home Thursday night, they will try to build on the 15 wins they’ve already achieved and snap a two-game losing streak. Regardless of the outcome of the season, Miller said it’s nice that the seniors will be sent off with a winning record. “They’ll remember their senior season,” he said. “There were a lot of dark days throughout their college career, but they persevered.”Discussing the season made Deloach feel emotional. She described it as “exciting” and “heartwarming.”“I wouldn’t have changed any part of my experience here for anything,” she said. “It was meant to be what it was meant to be. We’re just really enjoying our senior year.”Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(01/27/14 4:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU averaged 12.2 turnovers per game as a team before facing Iowa for the second time this season. Saturday was a different story. The Hoosiers tied their season high for turnovers in a game, committing 22 in an 84-75 loss to the Hawkeyes. IU also had 22 turnovers at Indiana State on Nov. 15 during non-conference play. The turnovers are the most the team has committed in a Big Ten game this season. “Turnovers were a big difference in the game,” IU Coach Curt Miller said.Down just five at halftime, the Hoosiers opened the second half committing turnovers on their first three consecutive possessions. The turnover on the second possession led to a jumper by Iowa junior center Bethany Doolittle. The Hawkeyes responded with a layup by senior guard Theairra Taylor following the third turnover committed by the Hoosiers, and the lead extended quickly to nine.Taylor’s free throws gave Iowa a 38-34 lead at the two minute seven second mark in the first half. Following those free throws, freshman Karlee McBride committed turnovers on back-to-back IU possessions. Iowa converted a pair of free throws to extend its lead to 40-34 with one minute 25 seconds remaining in the first half. IU senior center Simone Deloach hit a jumper on the Hoosiers’ possession following those free throws, but turnovers began again as IU tried to cut the lead. After Iowa senior guard Samantha Logic committed a turnover at the one minute two second mark in the first half, the Hoosiers raced down the court with a 5-on-4 advantage. Freshman guard Larryn Brooks tried to pass at the right wing, but Logic hustled back and stole the errant pass. In the second half, Brooks’ turnover with 14 minutes and 15 seconds remaining led to a 3-pointer by Iowa junior guard Melissa Dixon on the following possession. Dixon’s 3-pointer gave the Hawkeyes their largest lead of the night, 60-46. “It’s so hard to defend turnovers,” Miller said. “They are a good transition team, so when you turn the ball over it’s really difficult to guard that.”The abnormally high amount of turnovers was uncharacteristic for IU, whose record of 12.2 turnovers per game was fewest in the Big Ten and sixth fewest in the country. With five games in 11 days, four of them on the road, the Hoosiers now have a long break before facing Northwestern University at home this Thursday. “I don’t know if that (five games in 11 days) contributed to some our poor decision making and turnovers, that we were fatigued and tired,” Miller said. “But we survived and got through that stretch.” In its previous four games, IU committed 12 turnovers at Wisconsin, 17 at Purdue, nine against Minnesota and 12 at Penn State. “Ultimately, we just gotta do a better job of handling the basketball,” Miller said.Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(01/24/14 7:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When IU defeated then-No. 22 Iowa on Jan. 2, it was the team’s first win this season against a Big Ten team ranked in the top 25.More than three weeks later, the Hoosiers are 2-4 with losses against Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue and most recently Penn State. The only other game it won was against Minnesota at home on Jan. 19.The Hoosiers will face Hawkeyes for the second and final time during the regular season when the team travels to Iowa City, Iowa Saturday for a 7 p.m. rematch. In the first matchup, IU held on at home to defeat Iowa 86-84. The Hawkeyes have found greater success than the Hoosiers since that last game, going 3-2 since. The players had three days to prepare for the game on Jan. 4. However, after the threat of inclement weather forced the Purdue game to be rescheduled, the team was thrust into a stretch of three games in five days, with only one day of preparation for each.The home victory against Iowa showed the Hoosiers they were capable of beating ranked teams when they have an ample amount of preparation. IU Coach Curt Miller has previously said the team prides itself on scouting. “The hardest part is we’re a scout-heavy team,” said Miller, speaking the day before his team’s Jan. 17 game against Purdue. “We really believe in analyzing opponents and opponents’ sets.”Once the compact schedule hit, Miller said players and coaches only had day prep and the two-hour time block each team receives before tip-off to prepare between the Wisconsin and Purdue games. The effects of the schedule are evident. The game against Penn State on Wednesday was the fourth game in seven days. In that stretch, IU shot a combined 87-of-275, or 31.6 percent, from the field. On Saturday, it will face a team that ranks eighth in the Big Ten in field goal percent defense. The Hawkeyes have held opponents to an average field goal percentage of 38.6 percent. Although its defense ranks near the bottom of the Big Ten, Iowa boasts the top scoring offense in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have been averaging 81.2 points per game as a team. The Hoosiers’ 73.8 points per game rank sixth in the conference. Iowa has not been ranked in the AP Top 25 or Coaches Poll since its loss to the Hoosiers in the first week of January. IU hasn’t been in the AP Top 25 poll since it lost to Ohio State. “We’re trying to build something and we’ve got a long way to go,” Miller said. Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1
(01/23/14 5:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second consecutive game, IU Coach Curt Miller began with five freshmen on the floor. The second verse would not be the same as the first.After first-year players contributed 76 of the team’s 83 points Sunday against Minnesota, IU only managed 40 from the same group in a 65-52 loss to Penn State. The defeat marks the Hoosiers’ fourth consecutive loss to the Nittany Lions. “Unfortunately, unlike last game, we couldn’t pull off the upset with our five freshmen,” Miller said. IU fell to 15-4 overall — 2-4 in conference play — while Penn State improved to 14-4 overall, 4-1 in conference play. Nittany Lions senior forward Ariel Edwards and senior guard Maggie Lucas led all scorers with 18 points each. Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot lead the Hoosiers with 12. The Hoosiers appeared to be gaining momentum going into halftime after freshman guard Alexis Gassion hit a buzzer-beating layup, but officials later ruled the basket did not count.Had the basket counted, IU would’ve closed the final three minutes of the first half on a 7-2 run. Instead, the Hoosiers finished with a 5-2 run and faced a 31-24 deficit at halftime. The Nittany Lions opened the second half 5-for-5 from the field and did not miss a shot until the 16 minutes 39 seconds mark in that half. It finished the game shooting 38.5 percent from the field. Penn State’s hot start lead to a 20-7 run from the start of the second half until the nine minutes 22 seconds mark in that same half. Although Penn State shot the ball well in the second half, the same could not be said for IU.After senior forward Tabitha Gerardot hit a mid-range jumper with 18 minutes and 23 seconds, IU did not hit a field goal until the nine minutes 22 seconds mark. Freshman guard Larryn Brooks broke the scoreless streak on a runner from the left baseline, but IU still trailed Penn State 52-33. The Hoosiers missed 11 shots, shooting 2-of-13 in that stretch alone and 8-of-28 in the entire second half. They finished the game shooting a dismal 15-of-58.Shots from behind the arc accounted for over 50 percent of the Hoosiers’ total shot attempts. IU attempted 30 3-pointers, but only made nine. “We knew we had to make a bunch of threes, but we wanted to play a little bit more balanced inside-out,” Miller said. IU didn’t struggle from just the field, either. The Hoosiers could only manage to convert 11 of their 17 attempts. The Nittany Lions were 22-of-31 from the free throw line. Opportunities also presented themselves off of turnovers. Mixing it up between man-to-man and 2-3 zone looks on defense, IU forced 21 Penn State turnovers but failed to capitalize. The zone defense was effective in the first three minutes and 26 seconds of the first half, when the Hoosiers forced four early mistakes. However, they only scored two points off those turnovers during that time span. Miller said the loss was a learning lesson for his team. “I think we’ll be better,” he said. “Ultimately, we lost to a nationally-ranked team by 13 and didn’t play very well.” Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(01/19/14 11:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Fab Five made an appearance in Assembly Hall yesterday. No, not the five freshmen from Ann Arbor, Mich. who took the country by storm in the early to mid-1990s. It was a group of IU's first-year players who made crucial plays down the stretch in an 83-78 overtime victory against Minnesota Sunday. “We wanted a spark,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “We were struggling to score from the field, and we were rewarding our post game that was contributing in different ways.”Miller said he decided to start five freshmen so his starting post players could rest more during the game. Miller used a variety of lineups and combinations to combat the 13 years of combined experience between the Gophers’ starters.Freshman guard Taylor Agler defended Wooden Award nominee and junior guard Rachel Banham almost the entire time she was on the floor. “Taylor Agler not only scored tonight, but guarded one of the premiere players in the country,” Miller said. “Every single possession, she gave her heart and soul out there.”It was her offense, however, that provided a spark for the Hoosiers when Gophers began pressing on defense. After breaking down Minnesota’s full-court press, freshman guard Larryn Brooks found Agler for a left corner 3-pointer to extend IU’s lead to 10. In overtime, Agler converted on a pair of free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give IU a three-point lead. She said that throughout the season, she had always gone 1-of-2 in those moments. “My teammates had confidence in me, and in the last huddle were telling me that I could make them,” Agler said. She was not the only freshman making big plays down the stretch for the Hoosiers. Brooks led all Hoosiers with 25 points, including two free throws that capped off a 16-2 IU run. Together, she and Agler combined for 45 points by the end of the game.Brooks had a number of other key plays for the Hoosiers as well. Her layup with 46 seconds remaining in regulation gave IU a one-point lead. In overtime, she hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds left to give IU its final lead. Freshmen Jenn Anderson and Lyndsay Leikem, on the other hand, made their first career starts. “We felt like Jenn matched with Zahui in the post,” Miller said. “Lyndsey Leikem had been rebounding for us and doing some things with her length defensively. If we weren’t gonna score, we thought we’d give it a try.”Anderson finished with six points and five rebounds while Leikem finished with 10 points and four rebounds. Despite finishing with only four rebounds, Leikem’s work on the boards came at crucial times for IU. Her offensive rebound with four minutes and 57 seconds remaining in regulation led to a layup by Anderson, which extended the lead to seven. Leikem said she’s learned a lot from senior forward Tabitha Gerardot. “It was fun. I usually get a chance to watch Tabitha work the floor and see what I’m up against,” she said. “It was a transition but you learn really fast.”Miller said the freshmen are growing and learning, but he was happy for Leikem and the rest of her teammates. “We brought them here because they’re winners, they’re competitors and they’re great character kids,” Miller said. “That whole locker room has bought in.”Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1
(01/18/14 5:25pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. --- Facing a veteran Purdue team on the road, the young IU women’s basketball team proved to be no match. The Boilermakers put the burner in Barnburner Trophy Friday night with an 86-53 blowout win over the Hoosiers. The defeat was the 20th straight conference road loss for IU. It hasn’t conquered a Big Ten team since beating Illinois in Champaign on Feb. 10, 2011. The 33-point loss is also the largest margin of defeat of the season for IU. “Unfortunately, with young teams, sometimes your lack of offense affects the way you play defense,” Miller said. “At times, I thought our attitude was hurt at the defensive end.”The Hoosiers have lost three straight conference games and fell to 1-3 in Big Ten play, 14-3 overall. Purdue improved to 2-3 in Big Ten play, 12-5 overall. IU struggled from the field and finished the game shooting 25 percent from the field. Miller said the team missed 17 shots attempted less than four feet from the rim. “We didn’t very well in the post offensively at all, and could not get points in the paint,” he said. “And then it just snowballed.”The snowball got rolling when seniors KK Houser and Courtney Moses scored a combined 19 points as part of a 33-9 run in the second half. Houser and Moses combined for 46 points on 52.9 percent shooting from the field by the end of the game. “It was huge,” Purdue junior forward Whitney Bays said. “They’re the leaders of this team and they willed us all the way home to the victory.”The senior guards extended their second-half damage on a combined point total of 38 early, which exceeded the Hoosiers’ team total of 33 with fewer than 16 minutes to play in the second half. Houser had 13 points in the first half on 5-of-12 shooting. “We looked our kids at halftime and said, ‘KK has the ability to shoot some of the shots we’re giving her and she didn’t take them,’ ” he said. “ ‘Please do not be fooled that we are guarding her.’ ”While the Boilermakers showed their seniority on the court, the Hoosiers their displayed youth. Miller said he saw five freshmen out on the floor at times. “It’s a core group to build on, and as we put two or three recruiting classes behind it we’ll continue to get better,” he said.Freshmen guards Taylor Agler and Karlee McBride hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give IU a 25-24 lead with five minutes and 46 seconds remaining in the first half. It would be the Hoosiers’ only lead. Purdue coach Sharon Versyp called a timeout after the Hoosiers took the lead. She said she didn’t need to say anything for her team to respond. Out of the timeout, Purdue closed the final five minutes and 36 seconds remaining in the first half on a 17-3 run. The Boilermakers then opened the second half on a 33-9 run – a combined run of 50-12 from the 5:36 mark in the first half to the 11:36 mark in the second half. The short amount of preparation time between games hurt IU, who Miller said prides itself on preparation. He said he counted 42 of Purdue’s plays he wanted his team to look over coming into the game.“We flew in from Madison basically after midnight on Thursday morning,” he said. “We weren’t going to be able to go over 42 plays in one day for this game.”Miller said the media witnessed what it looks like when a group of talented seniors faces freshmen guards. “Give credit to Purdue, “Miller said. “Obviously they haven’t forgotten about last year.”
(01/17/14 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The last time the IU women’s basketball team won a Big Ten road game was Feb. 10, 2011 against Illinois. Almost three years later, that streak has accumulated into 19 consecutive road losses with Wednesday’s defeat at Wisconsin. The Hoosiers will look to put an end to that streak when it faces Purdue 7 p.m. Friday at West Lafayette.And it won’t get any easier having only one day between games to prepare, in addition to the two-hour time block the team will have before tipoff. “Not only are we going on the road against a team that draws the best in the league, we’re going on the road and have one day prep to prepare for a very veteran and very complex team in Purdue,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. Miller said as a result, the team will enter Friday’s game as the underdog. “Now it’s really a difficult challenge for us,” he said. The Boilermakers have challenges of their own heading into the game. Like the Hoosiers, they also played Wednesday night and consequently have only one day of preparation. IU was on the road, however, while Purdue was at home. The teams were scheduled to play each other on Jan. 6, but the threat of inclement weather forced the game to be rescheduled for Friday night. IU was already practicing and preparing in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 game and will now be preparing a second time because of the reschedule. Miller said having already practiced to play the Boilermakers helps. “It’s almost like you’re getting ready to play them for a second time because you started to prepare,” he said. Had the original game day gone on as scheduled, the Hoosiers would have had three or four days to prepare for Purdue because the team just played Iowa at home on Jan. 2. Having only day prep, though, will limit the Hoosiers to two hours of preparation on game day. “When we were preparing for them earlier, we had all these days of preparing leading up to that game. So you could take and spread it over three or four days how to guard them,” Miller said. “Now you’re crunched in when you’re already practicing on the road, and you crunch all that in a two-hour time block that they give you.”The time crunch is also evident in the Hoosiers’ schedule. Friday’s game is the middle of a stretch of three games in five days. Subsequently, it’s the second of six games in 14 days. In addition to the day between games to prepare, Miller said the two-hour time block presents challenges for a team that relies heavily on scouting like the Hoosiers. “The hardest part is we’re a scout heavy team,” Miller said. “We believe in really analyzing and preparing for opponents plays and opponents sets and Purdue has tons of quick hits.”Miller said the desire to bring back the Barn Burner trophy for the second straight year will provide the team with additional motivation, but it will be difficult on one day of preparation. “It’s a tough challenge for us on a lot of day prep. Now having it on a one-day prep on the road is really difficult for us,” he said. Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @StuartJackson1.
(01/16/14 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Earlier this week, IU Coach Curt Miller emphasized the importance of winning the rebounding battle against Wisconsin. In the end, it was poor rebounding that doomed the Hoosiers in their 65-60 loss to the Badgers.Wisconsin junior forward Jacki Gulczynski gave IU’s post players fits, finishing with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The four IU post players who played Wednesday night — seniors Milika Taufa, Sasha Chaplin, Tabitha Gerardot and Simone Deloach — combined for 26 points and 16 rebounds. Miller complimented Gulcyznski’s game.“She really did a nice job, not only rebounding but blocking shots and being a defensive presence also,” Miller said. “Gulczynski was the difference in the game.”Miller said she has played well in the conference season after a sub-par performance in the non-conference season. “Jacki is a stretch four for Wisconsin and got loose from the 3-point line against us and made some big shots, some difficult shots,” he said. With two minutes and 34 seconds remaining in regulation, freshman guard Larryn Brooks hit a runner to give the Hoosiers a 55-53 lead. Wisconsin junior forward Michala Johnson then drew a foul on IU freshman guard Taylor Agler to give the Badgers a chance to tie. Johnson missed her second free throw, but gave the Badgers the lead for good on a layup. That wouldn’t have been possible without an offensive rebound on the miss by Gulcyznski. After Wisconsin took a 56-55 lead on that offensive series, IU only managed to grab two rebounds during the final two minutes of the game. During those two minutes, the Hoosiers were out-rebounded four to two. Coming into Wednesday night’s game, IU was holding its opponents to 24.8 percent shooting from the perimeter. The Hoosiers struggled from the perimeter, not only from the defensive side of the ball, but the offensive side as well. IU allowed the Badgers to shoot 31.8 percent from 3-point range. Though the Hoosiers kept the Badgers below their season average of 33.6 percent, it still caused problems. Individually, Gulczynski shot 57.1 percent.“You gotta credit the kid for stepping up and staying confident at the arc,” Miller said. “Hats off to Gulczynski.”The best individual performance from the perimeter for the Hoosiers came from senior forward Tabitha Gerardot, who made her only 3-point attempt of the night. The rest of the team, however, shot a combined 2-18 from 3-point range. IU’s season average before the game was 35.7 percent — fourth in the Big Ten. “It’s not always easy to make shots in this league,” Miller said. “So the shooting percentage is going to haunt us.”Miller said the 3-pointer normally energizes the offense.“The 3-ball is a staple of our offense,” he said. “Therefore, we had to go a lot by twos.”Miller said the shot-blocking ability the Badgers’ power forward had length in the center position, which made it difficult to make field goals inside the 3-point line. Not being able to make 3-pointers made it difficult for the offense. “There were stretches tonight where we executed and stretches where we didn’t make enough shots,” Miller said. Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(01/15/14 5:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers won all six non-conference road games. They will be playing in their first road game since Dec. 29 when they face Wisconsin tonight. Tonight’s contest against the Badgers is the first road game of the season. The Hoosiers were originally scheduled to play Purdue on Jan. 6, but the game was rescheduled due to the threat of inclement weather. When the game against Purdue was rescheduled for Friday, it created the most challenging stretch of the season for the IU women’s basketball team. This grueling stretch of three games in five days begins tonight on the road against Wisconsin. They will play six games in the next 15 days with the rescheduled matchup.In total, IU will play 14 true road games this season, which will be the most of any Big Ten team by the end of the regular season. It has eight true road games to play in conference including Wisconsin. The only other Big Ten team with a stretch as tight as IU in Big Ten play is in-state rival Purdue, which will also play three games in five days starting tonight because of the rescheduled game. “You know, we’re a young team,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “We never said it was going to be easy in the Big Ten.”According to Miller, the compacted schedule presents difficulties because the Hoosiers rely heavily on scouting. Having the men’s practice players back will help them with the process of scouting and simulating what their opponents do.Because the Wisconsin game is so close to the Purdue game, the scouting for Purdue will be done in a two-hour time period on the road rather than a time period of three to four days between games mostly at home. “We believe in really analyzing and preparing for opponents’ plays and opponents sets’ and Purdue has tons of quick hits,” Miller said. The Badgers are playing their second game of three in seven days tonight.Despite facing a short week of preparation, Miller said it’s easier for the coaches to get the Hoosiers’ attention after a defeat. “I think they were disappointed with the way they played so we have their focus,” he said. Miller said victories sometimes lead to points of improvement not being heard. “Sometimes after wins, as much as you want to drive points home of things that you didn’t do well even though you won, fall on deaf ears,” he said. “You definitely have the players’ attention after a loss.”
(01/12/14 9:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 4,000 fans filed into Assembly Hall Saturday hoping to see their No. 22 Hoosiers extend a program-best 14-game win streak. Ohio State sent them home disappointed. Their hopes appeared to have been dashed before the halftime whistle, as IU fell behind by as many as 15 points in the first half. A 12-2 run from the Buckeyes less than seven minutes into the game stretched the lead to 11.The Hoosiers were reeling. “I thought it was a little bit quicksand in the first half when we started missing some shots,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. After the halftime break, IU matched Ohio State step-for-step, unable to trim the deficit by much. A steal by senior forward Tabitha Gerardot with eight minutes and 23 seconds freed Larryn Brooks behind the three-point line. The freshman guard buried her three-point attempt. The sequence was the cap on a Hoosier comeback that slashed Ohio State’s lead to eight.It was the closest the Hoosiers would get to the Buckeyes for the remainder of the game. Ohio State junior guard Raven Ferguson responded with back-to-back layups and sparked a 10-0 run for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes (12-7, 2-1 conference) defeated IU (14-1, 1-1 conference) 70-51, handing the Hoosiers their first loss of the season and ending the best start to a season in program history. “Tough game for us tonight but a lot of credit to Ohio State on why it was difficult,” Miller said. “I thought their defense was terrific against us.”The Buckeyes forced 15 turnovers and held the Hoosiers to 28.8 percent (17-of-59) shooting for the game, including 19 percent (6-of-32) shooting in the second half. “We had a lot of good shots in the second half and we just didn’t make them,” senior forward Tabitha Gerardot said. On the other end of the court, the Buckeyes’ shooting percentage prevented the Hoosier comeback from materializing. Ohio State sophomore guard Ameryst Alston led all scorers with 29 points on 61.9 percent (13-of-21) shooting from the field. Ohio State Coach Kevin McGuff said Alston was in attack mode the entire game.“We’re a different team when she is playing with that type of aggressiveness,” McGuff said. The Hoosiers shot better as a team in the first half at 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from the field, 33 percent (1-of-3) from 3-point range. The Buckeyes shot 62.1 percent (18-of-29) from the field in the first half but were held to 45 percent (15-of-29) in the second half. Despite their second half struggles, the Buckeyes finished at 53.4 percent (31-58) from the field as a team. With 13 minutes and 32 seconds remaining in the first half, Ohio State went on its 12-2 run to take a 20-10 lead. Freshman guard Taylor Agler hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to seven. Ferguson responded with a 3-pointer of her own to extend the lead back to 10 for Ohio State. Her three-pointer was part of five-minute stretch in which Ohio State shot 62.5 percent (5-of-8) as a team.After falling behind early, the Hoosiers edged the Buckeyes on an 11-10 run in the final five minutes to cut Ohio State’s lead to 39-29 at the half. When the deficit was cut to eight points in the second half, Miller said he looked out onto the court and saw four freshmen and a first-year transfer player when the team made the run. “We had five newcomers on the floor when we did make a run back at them, and that bodes well for the future,” he said. Miller said he thought the team was a little tentative. “I’m not sure if that’s the long layoff of 9-10 days in between games, or we were just a little tentative from the start and on our heels,” he said. “But a lot of credit, again, to Ohio State.”Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @StuartJackson1
(01/11/14 11:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A steal by senior forward Tabitha Gerardot with about eight minutes remaining led to a Larryn Brooks 3-pointer to bring IU within eight points, cutting Ohio State’s lead to 56-48. It was the closest the Hoosiers would get to the Buckeyes in the second half. Ohio State junior guard Raven Ferguson responded with back-to-back layups and sparked a 10-0 run for the Buckeyes. Ohio State (12-7, 2-1) defeated IU (14-1, 1-1) 70-51, handing the Hoosiers its first loss of the season IU and snapping the program’s 14-game win streak. “Tough game for us tonight but a lot of credit to Ohio State on why it was difficult,” IU coach Curt Miller said. “I thought their defense was terrific against us.”The Buckeyes forced 15 turnovers and held the Hoosiers to 28.8 percent (17-of-59) shooting for the game, including 19 percent (6-of-32) shooting in the second half. “We had a lot of good shots in the second half and we just didn’t make them,” senior forward Tabitha Gerardot said. Miller said he was surprised Ohio State didn’t play zone defense against IU. “Their man (defense) was really good,” he said.Ohio State sophomore guard Ameryst Alston led all scorers with 29 points on 61.9 percent (13-of-21) shooting from the field. Ohio State Coach Kevin McGuff said Alston was in attack mode the entire game.“We’re a different team when she is playing with that type of aggressiveness,” Ohio State Coach Kevin McGuff said. The Hoosiers shot better as a team in the first half at 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from the field, 33 percent (1-of-3) from 3-point range.The Buckeyes shot 62.1 percent (18-of-29) from the field in the first half but were held to 45 percent (15-of-29) in the second half. Despite that, it finished 53.4 percent (31-58) from the field as a team. With 13 minutes and 32 seconds remaining in the first half, Ohio State went on a 12-2 run to give itself a 20-10 lead. Freshman guard Taylor Agler hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to seven. Ferguson responded with a 3-pointer of her own to extend the lead back to 10 for Ohio State. Ferguson’s 3-pointer was part of a stretch from 13 minutes and 32 seconds to eight minutes and 49 seconds in which Ohio State shot 62.5 percent (5-of-8) as a team.The Buckeyes built their early lead on a 12-2 run in the middle of the first half, but the Hoosiers edged the Buckeyes on an 11-10 run in the final five minutes to cut Ohio State’s lead to 39-29 at the half. When the deficit was cut to eight points in the second half, Miller said he looked out onto the court and saw four freshmen and a first-year transfer player when the team made the run. “We had five newcomers on the floor when we did make a run back at them, and that bodes well for the future,” he said. Miller said he thought the team was a little tentative. “I’m not sure if that’s the long layoff of 9-10 days in between games, or we were just a little tentative from the start and on our heels,” he said. “But a lot of credit, again, to Ohio State.”
(01/10/14 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Jan. 4, the IU women’s basketball game against Purdue was cancelled. The inclement weather, which forced the matchup against the Boilermakers to be postponed, gave the team extended time to prepare for Ohio State. Despite concern for the additional time between games his team has, IU Coach Curt Miller said the team has remained focused. “We’re a little bit worried now that we’ve had this much time but our team has been focused in preparation for Ohio State,” he said. The Hoosiers (14-0, 1-0) take on the Buckeyes (11-7, 1-1) at home at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Buckeyes arrive in Bloomington after falling to Michigan at home 64-49 on Jan. 5. Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot said Ohio State will be a tough opponent. “They’ve played some really tough games this year, and we know they’re not gonna be afraid or intimidated when they come here,” she said. Saturday’s matchup will also have a sense of familiarity for some of the IU players. “We have a lot of Ohio kids on our roster that understand these players at Ohio State and how talented that are,” Miller said. Two of those talented players include 6-foot-5 senior center Ashley Adams, who is averaging 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season, and 6-foot-2 senior center Darryce Moore, who is averaging 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. “Adams and Moore are both very talented post players, and Moore’s actually had a great year as starting center,” Miller said. “They both create problems by getting you buried and getting too low of post catches.”He also said the team has to make them work to get their touches in the post and make sure they’re not getting the ball close to the basket. “The higher out they get catches, their percentages of finishing plays and the percentage of us being more successful against them goes up,” Miller said. He also emphasized being aware of limiting easy touches. “We just can’t let them catch the ball at two feet where they’re too talented.”Miller said IU and Ohio State are built similarly because both teams have experienced post players and outstanding point guards. “They’re a tough matchup for us,” Miller said. “Most teams decide to zone them and I’m not sure that’s our M.O. to zone someone for 40 minutes.”Miller said the Hoosiers will have to give the Buckeyes a variety of looks and mix it up on defense. Senior center Sasha Chaplin also said giving different looks was important, as well as constant movement when defending Adams. “If you stay stationary, people can play against you a lot easier,” she said. “We’ll just try to confuse her as much as possible.”Aside from internal team similarities, both programs also share accomplishments externally. Both teams are coming off victories against opponents ranked in the Top 25 nationally. “He (Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff) is getting a lot of out of that team right now,” Miller said. “They have a chance to really exceed expectations just like we do.”Follow women's basketball reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1
(12/16/13 4:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS -- When it seemed as if nothing was going their way, senior center Sasha Chaplin and her teammates kept the same message: stay positive. “We kept talking positive,” Chaplin said. “If someone was struggling, you’d say ‘You got that next time, don’t worry about it.’”Chaplin finished with eight points and four rebounds as IU defeated IUPUI 51-45 to improve to 11-0, matching last season’s win total.“Proud that we stayed gutty down the stretch and found ways to win the game, but you’ve gotta give a lot of credit to IUPUI,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “They got the game they wanted to play.”Most of IU’s points would come from the paint throughout the game due to the stifling perimeter defense of IUPUI, which caused IU to shoot 23.5 percent (4-for-17) from 3-point range.The Jaguars also applied pressure away from the 3-point line. Early and often IUPUI was pressing in the backcourt, forcing three turnovers in the first 6 minutes. The Hoosiers committed 13 turnovers in the first half and finished with 19.IU’s season average coming into the game was 10.8 turnovers per game.Freshman guard Larryn Brooks said the pressure was unlike anything the team had seen this season.“That was one of the best defensive teams we’ve played so far,” she said.IU’s 51 total points was the team’s lowest output of the season. The Hoosiers finished the game shooting 25 percent (16-for-64) from the field.Despite her early struggles, Brooks was able to make key plays down the stretch for IU. She led all scorers with 15 points, 10 of them from free throws. The Hoosiers were 6-for-6 on free throws in the final two minutes. “Free throws won us the game tonight,” she said.IU’s 26 points in the first half was the team’s second lowest first-half total of the season. The Hoosiers’ lowest came against Indiana State with 22. The Jaguars outrebounded the Hoosiers 46-37, 24 of which were offensive rebounds. Miller said those rebounds led to 23 more shot attempts for the Jaguars.“They destroyed us on the boards and, therefore, got all those extra possessions,” Miller said.Brooks’ finger roll with six minutes and 25 seconds remaining cut the lead to one at 41-40. She scored what would have been the go-ahead bucket with five minutes and 30 seconds remaining, but the basket did not count because she was called for a charge.With four minutes and 42 seconds remaining, Jaguars forward Nevena Markovic picked up her fifth foul and was disqualified. Chaplin drew the foul, and her free throws gave IU a 42-41 lead. After tying the game off a Dee-Dee Bellamy free throw with 4 minutes and 5 seconds remaining, Akilah Sims’ jumper with three minutes and 40 seconds remaining gave the Jaguars a 44-42 lead. With the Hoosiers leading 47-45, Bellamy missed a go-ahead layup with one minute and 22 seconds remaining. The Jaguars had another chance to tie on a Bellamy jumper with 34 seconds left in regulation, but she missed.“To our kids’ credit,” Miller said, “they fought and were gutty all the way to the finish line and made just enough plays in the final few minutes to win.”Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(12/12/13 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s basketball team’s most prolific players were at it again in Assembly Hall. Freshmen guards Taylor Agler and Larryn Brooks commanded offense and defense in IU’s home 87-68 victory over Milwaukee. “It’s a luxury,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “We recruited Taylor to be our point guard. To have two point guards on at the same time, you have a lot of creativity.”Brooks was 4-4 from 3-point range in the first half, scoring 16 points in the half.“Larryn was terrific,” Miller said. “We never switched her off (Milwaukee’s Angela) Rodriguez, who’s one of the premier mid-major scorers in the country, and she guarded her the whole game. For her to expend a lot of energy at the defensive end and do what she did offensively is pretty impressive for a young freshman.”Brooks’ first three baskets were 3-pointers, which prompted a 12-2 run for the Hoosiers. She finished with 27 points on 10-18 shooting from the field, 7-9 from 3-point range. Her seven 3-pointers were tied for third for most 3-pointers made in a game in program history. In addition, her 27 points were 9th best for points in a game for a freshman. Her 25th point in the game put her at 12th initially. “It was definitely my team getting me the ball,” Brooks said. “It was just working that inside-out game. The balance from the team was great.”It was Brooks who got the offense going after halftime, opening the second half by scoring five points. Her points were the first field goals of the second half for the Hoosiers. Meanwhile, Agler was disruptive on defense. She would finish with four steals, a team high.“I just try to do what I can to go out and help the team when, whether that’s play really hard on defense and try get steals or score when I can,” she said. “I’m just trying to be a part of the team.”Her four steals single-handedly outnumbered the Panthers, which finished with three total steals. “I think the ball bounced my way a little more tonight,” Agler said. “I try to go for those steals other games and I don’t get them, so I think I was just really lucky tonight.”She also contributed eight points on 3-4 shooting. With only four shot attempts, Miller said he was frustrated at times that she passed up some shots.“She kept on creatively penetrating and leading to other peoples’ easy baskets,” Miller said. He said she will have to find a balance. “She’s gotta find that happy medium offensively of when to take shots,” Miller said. “But she was doing a great job of play making.”Miller said both freshmen guards are dynamic players in their own ways.“Those two were the catalyst for what we’re trying to accomplish, and they were terrific tonight,” Miller said. Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(12/06/13 2:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming off of a gutty performance against Virginia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the IU women’s basketball team looks to accomplish something it was unable to do last year when it faces Morehead State this Sunday: win more than two road games.“We’re 2-0 on the road this year and we want to keep that momentum going,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “We have a chance to surpass our road win total in early December if we can come away with the win.”Miller said the Eagles’ style of play is unique and a great matchup for the Hoosiers. “They play a five-out offense, where every single player on the floor can shoot threes,” Miller said.With every player able to shoot threes, Miller said this takes the post players away from the basket. This shooting and style of play is something the IU players also recognize. “They’re all shooters,” freshman guard Larryn Brooks said. “That’s something we’re going to have to take pride in, making them go two (rather than three).”Miller said he likes the swagger and confidence his team is playing with heading into Sunday’s game, but he knows the matchup will have its challenges.“It is not an easy matchup for us, compounded by the fact that some of their strengths are our weaknesses,” he said.Brooks said the competition is even with every game.“As a team, no team is better than the other. On any given night, they (Morehead State) could beat us,” Brooks said. “We’re just gonna keep that confidence and keep that hype from the Virginia Tech game and take it over to Morehead (State).”Morehead State (4-6) is shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from 3-point range. Senior guard Terrice Robinson leads the team in field goal and 3-point shooting at 38.5 percent and 38.3 percent, respectively. Miller said Robinson’s shooting ability makes her hard to guard.“If you try to play off of her to take away the outstanding penetrator that she is, she’s a great 3-point shooter,” Miller said. “If you try to take the 3-point shot away, she’s a terrific one-on-one player that can get you in foul trouble with the new hand-checking emphasis or can get herself to the basket.”Brooks said it will be fun to be on the road again coming off a five-game homestand. “We’ll see how we do to bounce back not at home going up against another home crowd,” she said.Miller said this will be a game within a game for the Hoosiers because of the potential to exceed last year’s road win total. “We talked about a young program learning to win on the road was going to be a big difference for us,” Miller said. “For us to pass our road win total in December would be a big deal.”Follow women's basketball reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(12/05/13 5:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Curt Miller said Virginia Tech came into its Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup with a game plan specifically for Larryn Brooks. The freshman guard sent the Hokies back to the drawing board.Brooks scored a career-high 37 points, setting a freshmen record as IU defeated Virginia Tech 71-65 to improve to 8-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 season. “It’s definitely confidence from my teammates,” Brooks said. “Coach Miller, he was out there telling me to make plays. Them just trusting me, it means the world.”Both teams shot the ball poorly at the start, shooting 25 percent from the field four minutes into the first half. Freshman forward Lindsey Leikem’s 3-pointer with eight minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the half broke a streak of nearly five minutes without IU making a field goal.As a team, the Hoosiers shot 31 percent (11-for-35) from the field and 31 percent (4-for-13) from 3-point range in the first half. IU also dealt with foul trouble throughout the first half. Freshman guard Taylor Agler picked up two fouls in the first 10 minutes of the first half, while senior center Sasha Chaplin picked up two fouls in the last 10 minutes of the first half. “She (Agler) never got into a groove offensively because of the foul trouble, but she battled when she was out there,” Miller said. Senior forward Milika Taufa’s free throws with two minutes and 45 seconds remaining in the half gave IU a 26-25 lead. Brooks extended it to three with two free throws with two minutes and 10 seconds remaining. Taufa and Brooks’ points were part of a 14-0 run to close out the half. Of Brooks’ 17 first half points, 10 came from the run. “Late in that first half, when we made a run, it was a big deal,” Miller said. “We could just take a deep breath.” The second half was more of the same. Freshman guard Alexis Gassion hit a 3-pointer to make it 17 straight points. Virginia Tech’s Monet Tellier broke the streak with a layup and drew a foul but was unable to convert at the line. The Hoosiers led by as many as 19 points in the second half, outscoring Virginia Tech 12-6 in the first five minutes of the half. The Hokies trimmed the lead to three points with two minutes and four seconds remaining off of a Uju Ugoka lay-up and free throw. Ugoka, who was originally an IU commit according Miller, led the Hokies with 32 points. Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot struggled from the field, shooting just nine percent (1-for-11), but made key plays down the stretch. With one minute and 38 seconds remaining in regulation, Gerardot forced in a lay-up and drew a foul. She missed the free throw, but grabbed the rebound and later forced a jump-ball. “As much as I rode her all game, she stepped up with big offensive rebounds, big put-back late in the game to allow us to win,” Miller said. “We don’t win without her plays down the stretch.”Miller also said IU would not have won the game without the crowd. “The fans we had here tonight were terrific,” he said. “We couldn’t have won without their loud support.”Miller said the victory is a big win because it’s an ACC win that brings the team credibility. “There will be the naysayers about the schedule that we’ve played so far, but we’ve gone out and risen to every occasion with a very young team and won games,” he said. Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(12/04/13 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Big Ten/ACC Challenge will have some distinct opponents for the IU women’s basketball team when it faces Virginia Tech tonight at Assembly Hall. “Five of their top six kids are international players,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “It’s not often that you see a team that has such a dominant international flair to it.”Miller said what also stood out about the Hokies was their balance. “They have surrounded (their post players) with really quality 3-point shooters,” he said. “Their balance to beat you both ways has been impressive.” Virginia Tech (6-1) finished at the bottom of the ACC last season with a 4-14 conference record and 10-20 overall record. It comes into tonight’s game averaging 71.9 points per game as a team. “To have a good ACC team come in here and challenge us, it’s going to be a good test to see where we are,” senior center Sasha Chaplin said. Miller said the Hokies’ athleticism stands out. “Their athleticism jumps off the page at you,” Miller said. “Their size in the wing position is great wing size.”Chaplin said their athleticism and height will provide a challenge for the Hoosiers, but allow IU to get a sense of what it will see day-in-and-day-out in the conference season. “They’re all athletic, they all have size, they all have height, so right now this is giving us an early test of what we’re doing and our progress heading to Big Ten season,” she said. Though the Hoosiers and Hokies have their differences, both share the goal of expanding their programs. “It’s fun to watch what (Virginia Tech Coach Dennis Wolff) has done, because we’re trying to do the same thing,” Miller said. “We’re trying to build and grow a program.” The Hoosiers will have freshman center Jenn Anderson back for the third consecutive game. Anderson sustained a wrist injury in the Hoosiers’ exhibition victory against Georgetown College Oct. 29. “She’s getting comfortable catching the ball again, she’s getting comfortable playing with that injury,” Miller said. Freshman guard Taylor Agler said playing Virginia Tech could give the Hoosiers confidence for the conference season.“If we can beat Virginia Tech, we know we can beat Big Ten schools and hang in there with them,” she said.Agler also said the Big Ten/ACC Challenge will give the Hoosiers a chance to prove themselves. “I think it’s really important, not only to prove to ourselves that we can play with big-time schools, but to prove to other people that we’re here and things are changing around here,” she said.Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(12/02/13 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At first, Larryn Brooks and Taylor Agler alternated between having the best performance for the IU women’s basketball team’s backcourt. Both were equally impressive after the Hoosiers’ victory against USC Upstate.“It used to be one was hot and one was not when we talked about it,” Brooks said. “Now it’s like both of us are hot, so we’re just looking for each other all the time. “Right now we’re on, and it’s been great.”Agler averages more minutes per game at 32 while Brooks averages more points per game at 18. It was Agler, however, who was on the court longer and scoring more points. Agler finished with 16 points on 5-5 shooting, including 2-2 from 3-point range. “We shot really well, and this gives us confidence going into our next game,” she said. “Especially Virginia Tech, we know what’s working and we also found out what we need to work on as well.”Agler said there are areas the team can improve in defensively.“Guarding dribble penetration, we still have to keep working on that,” she said. Agler admitted the team let up in the second half. “We did let up,” she said. “We have to learn to come out in the second half and not let up no matter what the score is.”The freshman guard scored 13 of her 16 points in the first half. The Hoosiers opened the game with a 21-0 run; 10 of those points were scored by Agler. “Taylor Agler was more aggressive offensively tonight, which we really need her to be,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “She had a great first half.”Agler also contributed five rebounds and two assists. “She’s such an unselfish kid and she continues to get people involved,” Miller said.He also had more praise for Agler’s performance.“If we can get point production out of her with how hard she plays, it’s just a really big bonus for us,” he said.Brooks finished with 14 points on 55 percent (5-9) shooting from the field, 67 percent (4-6) from 3-point range as well as three steals and four assists. All of her points were scored in the first half. “How good was Larryn Brooks in that first half?” Miller said. “She was just outstanding, I can’t say enough about her.” Miller has been pleased with how Brooks and Agler have begun their IU career. “It’s a dynamic young backcourt, and certainly we have some big time players that they’re gonna play against throughout the year, but gotta be pleased the start of their career,” Miller said. “Really happy with what they’re doing.”Follow women's basketball reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(11/19/13 4:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With IU’s 80-53 victory against Central Arkansas on Monday night at Assembly Hall, the IU women’s basketball team improved to 4-0, its first 4-0 start since the 2006 season. “Good team win for the Hoosiers against a quality opponent that unfortunately had a lot of travel problems getting here and didn’t play certainly as they’re capable,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. It’s the third time this season IU has scored at least 80 points. Miller emphasized setting the tempo for this game and said he was pleased with the team’s effort. “I thought we did a really good job in the first half of creating the tempo we wanted to play at,” he said.Senior center Sasha Chaplin scored six points in the first five minutes of the game and finished with 10. She said setting an early tempo is the team’s main goal. “As long as I can help bring the tempo and bring the energy, that’s what we need and that’s what we’re going for,” Chaplin said. With less than nine minutes remaining in the first half, IU hit four straight 3-pointers to go on a 12-6 run. “Our coaches kept pushing us to find our rhythm,” senior forward Tabitha Gerardot said. “We kept getting stops on the defensive end, and I think that’s what helped us.”Sophomore guard Nicole Bell hit back-to-back 3-pointers after entering the game with under 12 minutes remaining in the first half, providing an offensive spark for the Hoosiers. She finished the game with 11 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Senior center Simone Deloach provided a defensive spark for the Hoosiers with two blocks in the same defensive possession after entering the game in the first half. She also contributed six points and nine rebounds.“Simone Deloach rebounded the ball and was a presence inside against a smaller team,” Miller said. Freshman guard Alexis Gassion started in place of sophomore forward Kaila Hulls for the second consecutive game. Gassion finished with nine points and two rebounds. “It’s crazy because I’m coming in as a freshman, but it’s very exciting,” Gassion said. Miller said Hulls’ injury status remains day-to-day. Hulls did not see any minute against Indiana State on Friday or against Central Arkansas on Monday night.The Hoosiers shot 47.6 percent from 3-point range and 46.2 from the field. Freshman guard Karlee McBride chipped in eight points off the bench, six of which came from shooting 2-for-2 from 3-point range. “Karlee McBride is an instant offense kid and is continuing to make shots,” Miller said.After committing 22 turnovers at Indiana State last Friday, IU only committed seven against Central Arkansas. Courtney Duever had 10 points for the Sugar Bears (3-1). She was the only player to reach double digits in points. “She (Duever) was the National Player of the Week the first week of the season,” Miller said. “We tried a lot of people on her and did a nice job in the post.”The Hoosiers’ next game will be at 2 p.m. Saturday against Butler at home. Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.
(11/15/13 3:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After the first home game of the regular season, IU Coach Curt Miller emphasized how important it was for a team as young as his to learn to win on the road. The Hoosiers rose to the occasion last Tuesday night. “We only won two road games all last year, so for us to step up and win our first one out of the gate was big for us with a young team,” Miller said.The IU women’s basketball team will be faced with another challenge on the road as they take on the Indiana State Sycamores at 7:05 p.m. today in Terre Haute.“Another veteran group coming off a really successful season,” Miller said. “They were predicted to win the Missouri Valley in the preseason, which is always one of the best mid-major conferences in the country.”The Sycamores, like the Hoosiers, earned their first road win of the season Tuesday night. They defeated Eastern Illinois 65-53 in Charleston, Ill., and head into Friday night’s game 2-0.Through three games, the Sycamores average 62.3 points per game as a team.Miller said what stands out about Indiana State is its competitiveness. “They hang their hat on defense,” he said. “They’re a tremendous pressure team.”Miller also said the Hoosiers have yet to play a team that’s going to get in all the passing lanes. “They’re averaging 13.5 steals a game,” he said. “That’s not the turnovers they’re forcing; they’re getting 13.5 steals a game.”Senior forward Tabitha Gerardot and freshman guard Larryn Brooks shared similar thoughts on the Sycamores. Gerardot said their intensity on defensive comes from being aggressive. “What stands out the most is probably their intense defense,” she said. “They’re really aggressive and they anticipate.”Brooks said the Sycamores’ pressure will get the Hoosiers more used to Big Ten play.“They pressure the ball really well,” she said.Brooks also said the Sycamores had a solid starting five. “We just gotta get down and play defense,” she said.The NCAA implemented new hand-checking rules this season, and the Hoosiers have had to adjust as a result. “We’ve put teams on the foul line a little bit more than we want, but it’s also benefitted us when we stay aggressive and stay attacking that we’re getting ourselves to the foul line,” Miller said.In addition, Miller thinks it will benefit the game as a whole. “Players and coaches gotta make the adjustment and, in the long run, I think it’s going to bring excitement back into the women’s game,” he said.Sophomore forward Kaila Hulls sustained a knee injury during IU’s victory against IPFW Tuesday night. Hulls was also held out of practice Thursday. “It’s been confirmed it’s not an ACL (injury), but it is a knee injury, and therefore she is day-to-day,” Miller said.Miller said Indiana State is very physical and aggressive on defense. “This is going to be a huge challenge, on the road, in front of a big crowd, to handle their pressure defense,” he said.Follow reporter Stuart Jackson on Twitter @Stuart_Jackson1.