Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Fall to Islanders (2-17-05)
2/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
"Our intensity level and heart were very poor," said head coach Kathi Bennett. "We didn't bring any energy and we deserved what we got. We did not play a complete game which really hurt us in the long run."
The Hoosiers controlled the tempo of the game right from tip-off, jumping out to a 7-2 lead after senior guard LeeAnn Stephenson nailed a three-pointer from the corner. Junior forward Angela Hawkins provided an aggressive spark for Indiana as she scored four points, grabbed two rebounds and registered two blocked shots in the first five minutes on the floor.
Leading 16-11, IU let up a little on the defensive end and allowed TAMUCC to score the next four points to bring them within one, 16-15 at the 9:45 mark. The Islanders kept fighting and went on to take their first lead of the game, 19-18, with just under 12 minutes left in the first half. Their lead, however, would be short lived as Valentin put Indiana back on top after she notched a three-pointer to put IU up, 21-19.
The Islanders then went on a 7-4 run to move ahead, 26-25, with 2:24 remaining in the stanza, but the Hoosiers battled back and regained the lead after a jumper from Valentin to take a, 27-26, lead with them heading into the break.
The second half proved to be an all-out battle on both ends of the floor, as the Hoosiers and Islanders traded basket for basket the first few trips down the court in the beginning of the second half. Neither team could hold on to its lead for too long as the lead changed five times in a three-minute span. A three pointer from junior forward Lindsey Van Dorn at the 12:26 mark would give TAMUCC a four-point advantage, 39-35, en route to sparking a 6-1 run. From this point on, the Islanders had an advantage over IU the rest of the way, with their largest lead growing to 10, 50-40 at the 3:11 mark. Valentin hit a tre with 33 seconds remaining, to bring the score to, 52-47, but this would be the closest the Hoosiers would get the rest of the way as the Islanders went on to seal the 59-49 victory.
Senior center Jackie Ododa was dominant on the boards as she recorded a game-high and career-high 19 rebounds, 11 of which came in the first half. She also pitched in with 12 points. Two other Islanders scored in double-figures as sophomore guard Kirbria Lewis and junior forward Terra Andrews contributed 14 points and 12 points, respectively.
Senior forward Jamie Gathing finished the night with 10 points and a season-high eight rebounds.
The Cream and Crimson return to action on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. when they take on in-state rival Purdue. Sunday's contest will feature the third annual "Pack the Hall" in which Vera Bradley Design will donate $10,000 to breast cancer research if 10,000 fans show up to watch the Hoosiers and Boilermakers. The match-up will air live on Bloomington's local station, WTIU with John McGuire providing the play-by-play and Jennifer Forney serving as the color analyst. The game will also air on WHCC (105.1) Jeremy Gray calling all of the action on a tape delay basis.
When talking about IU's upcoming game on Sunday, Bennett said, "This is our National Championship game. We need to prepare like this is the biggest game of the year."
