IU Ends Non-Conference Play With 72-68 Win At Yale

Thursday, December 21

New Haven, CT

1 p.m.

Indiana University

7-6

Yale

7-4

Indiana

Yale

IU Ends Non-Conference Play With 72-68 Win At Yale

12/21/2017 4:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A big third quarter and bonus shots down the stretch helped Indiana Women's Basketball to a 72-68 victory in its final non-conference game of the season at Yale on Thursday afternoon.

Senior guard Tyra Buss posted her ninth 20-point performance of the season with a team-high 20 points and six assists. Buss knocked off another school record in the win, surpassing Jenny DeMuth in free throws attempted (690). She paced four Hoosiers who scored in double figures as senior forward Amanda Cahill scored 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists and junior forward Kym Royster poured in 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting to go along six rebounds. Freshman guard Bendu Yeaney added 14 points and a team-high eight and season-high eight rebounds.

Collectively, IU shot 46.7 percent in the win, which helped snap a two-game skid heading into Big Ten play. They also outrebounded Yale, 37-29, and dished out 20 assists on 28 made baskets.

Indiana (7-6) came out hot to start the game, going up 6-0 just 50 seconds in before the Bulldogs called a timeout. From there, Yale chipped away at the lead, hitting a 3-pointer with 5:10 to play to take its first lead as it went on an 8-0 run. A Buss left-handed layup in transition ended the run with 4:36 to play but IU wouldn't get another field goal from that point as it trailed 21-13 after one complete.

Royster opened up the second quarter with back-to-back buckets as IU cut it to five. But Yale (7-4) would take its largest lead of the half midway through the quarter, going up 29-19 with 5:52 remaining. Buss's transition layup and a jumper inside the paint from Yeaney brought the deficit back down to six. Back-to-back buckets by Yeaney and Cahill cut it to four, but the Bulldogs had the final say in the half and take a 35-29 lead.

The third quarter is where the Hoosiers made up ground, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-10 in the frame. Regaining the lead with 6:52 to play in the third off a Cahill triple, the game would be tied at 39-all before Yeaney sank all three at the line after being fouled from long range. Yale's Tamara Simpson, who scored a game-high 31 points, countered with a 3-pointer but freshman guard Jaelynn Penn answered with her own to push the lead back to four. A three by freshman guard Keyanna Warthen from the right baseline with just seven seconds left in the quarter gave IU a 51-45 lead.

The Bulldogs would take the lead with 6:21 with one of their six 3-pointers and a bucket out of a called IU timeout. Seven-straight points from Royster including a completed and-one kept a four-point lead, 62-58, with 3:13 to go. Simpson's drive to the bucket got her team back within three with just over a minute to play as Yeaney made two at the line in the bonus with 20 ticks remaining. Simpson's three with two seconds left forced and IU timeout as Yeaney once again stepped to the line and hit a pair to help ice the win.

NOTABLE

Senior guard Tyra Buss led Indiana with 20 points and moves into third place on the all-time scoring list, surpassing Jill Chapman (1,865). Buss has scored 1,872 points and is 46 points from breaking the school record in points scored.
Buss also set the record for free throw attempts (690), passing Jenny DeMuth (688). She also owns the record for free throws made (516). She is also on pace to break records in points, steals and assists.
Senior forward Amanda Cahill posted her 11^th double figure scoring game of the season with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
Freshman guard Bendu Yeaney was one-point away from her season-high with 14 points and a grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.
Indiana improves to 3-0 in the all-time series against Yale.
Indiana and Yale both shot 28-for-60 from the floor in Thursday's contest (46.7 percent) with the difference coming at the free throw line where IU went 10-for-15 and Yale went 6-for-7.

UP NEXT
The Hoosiers begin Big Ten play at home against Michigan State on Thursday, Dec. 28. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The first 300 fans will receive an Amanda Cahill commemorative poster.

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