#IUWBB Game 18 Preview: at Minnesota

THE OPENING TIP
Indiana hits the road for the fourth time in six Big Ten games to battle Minnesota inside Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. ET. The contest can be heard on the state-wide IU Radio Network with Greg Murray on the call. The game is also available to view via live stream on BTN Plus.

Indiana (10-7, 2-3) at Minnesota (10-6, 2-3)
Sunday, Jan. 17 • 3 p.m. ET
Williams Arena • Minneapolis, Minn.
Live Video: BTN Plus
Radio: IU Radio Network (Greg Murray)

DID YOU KNOW?
• With Indiana's win over No. 18 Michigan State on Jan. 13, it marked the first time an IU team had defeated two ranked opponents in the same year since 2009-10.
• The Hoosiers shot 54.5 percent from the field in the MSU win, the program's best shooting percentage in a win over a ranked opponent since Feb. 23, 1996 vs. No. 13/14 Wisconsin.
• IU forced 24 MSU turnovers on Wednesday, the most turnovers forced by a Hoosier team in a Big Ten game since Indiana caused 27 turnovers against Michigan State on Jan. 20, 2011.
• Indiana has made more free throws (276) than opponents have attempted (222) this season and has outscored the opposition 276-147 (+129) from the charity stripe while shooting 73.0 percent from the line.
• IU leads the Big Ten and is in the top 15 nationally in free throw makes (7th) and attempts (13th).
• Sunday's game at Minnesota will wrap up a stretch where Indiana has played 11 out of 16 contests away from Bloomington. IU opened Big Ten play with three out of the first four conference games on the road and Sunday will make it four out of six.
• Sophomore Tyra Buss scored 24 points in the MSU win and has tallied double figures in every game this season and 21 straight dating back to last year for the longest such streak since Quacy Barnes scored double digit points in 37-straight games to end the 1996-97 season and to begin 1997-98.
• Buss leads the team in scoring (18.9 ppg), assists (4.1 apg) and steals (1.9 spg) while ranking fourth in the country in free throws made (115) and second nationally in attempts (150).
• In Big Ten games only, Buss is shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
• Sophomore Amanda Cahill has achieved four double-doubles in the last six games to total five on the year and 11 in her career.
• In Big Ten play, Cahill is averaging 15.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, making her one of five players in the conference with those totals in league play.
• In her first career start, Karlee McBride shined with 17 points while hitting 5-of-5 field goals with three 3-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws.

• Sophomore Amanda Cahill has achieved four double-doubles in her last five games. The only game she did not record a double-double during that stretch was a 19-point, nine-rebound performance against Michigan on Jan. 3.
• Cahill has five double-doubles on the year and 11 in her career.
• In Big Ten games only, Cahill is averaging 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, making her one of only six players in the conference to average a double-double in league play so far this year.
• Tyra Buss has scored in double figures in every game this year and in 20-straight games dating back to last season. She leads the team in scoring (18.6 ppg), assists (4.1 apg), steals (1.8 spg) and free throw percentage (77.4 percent).
• With her 20-straight games of double figure scoring, Buss is the first IU player with such a streak since Quacy Barnes scored in double digits in 37 consecutive games between the end of 1996-97 season and the start of 1997-98.

THE COACHES
Indiana
Teri Moren
Career Record: 224-153 (13th year)
Indiana Record: 25-23 (2nd year)

Minnesota
Marlene Stollings
Career Record: 84-58 (5th year)
Minnesota Record: 33-16 (2nd year)

MINNESOTA AT A GLANCE
Minnesota enters Sunday's game trying to bounce back from consecutive losses to Michigan and Purdue. The Gophers light it up from the outside as they've hit more 3-point field goals than anyone in the Big Ten and rank seventh in the country in 3-pointers made per game (9.3). Rachel Banham leads the Minnesota attack as she averages 23.6 points per game, ranking sixth in the country in that category. She is also in the top 10 nationally in 3-point field goals made (51), attempted (143) and per game (3.2). She has high-scoring backcourt mate in Carlie Wagner as she pours in 19.8 points per contest with 5.4 rebounds each game.

TWO RANKED WINS FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS
With Indiana's 81-65 triumph over No. 18 Michigan State in Assembly Hall on Jan. 13, it gave IU its second victory over a ranked opponent this season, a feat that has not been accomplished by a Hoosier team since 2009-10. Indiana defeated then-No. 24 Chattanooga in the second round of the Preseason WNIT on Nov. 17. Six years ago, the Hoosiers both defeated No. 21/22 Michigan State and No. 4/6 Ohio State in 2009-10

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF ASSEMBLY HALL
Indiana holds an unblemished 7-0 record so far this year in games played inside Assembly Hall, making the Hoosiers the only the team in the Big Ten that has yet to lose at home this season. Home wins this year have been highlighted by knocking off two ranked opponents, winning two games in the Preseason WNIT and defeating Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

CASHING IN ON THE FREE ONES
Indiana leads the Big Ten in free throws made (276) and attempted (378) and ranks seventh nationally in free throw makes and 13th in attempts. IU is outscoring opponents 276-147 (+129) from the charity stripe so far this season. The Hoosiers have made more free throws than opponents have attempted (222) while shooting 73 percent as a team from the line.

Against No. 18 Michigan State, the Hoosiers hit 27-of-34 free throws as Indiana is now 5-0 when it gets to the free throw line 30 or more times in a game this year.

In the overtime win against Michigan on Jan. 3, Indiana nailed 32-of-42 free throws, marking the most free throws made and attempted ever in a Big Ten game in program history. Those free throws were the most makes and attempts from the line for an IU team since the Hoosiers shot 34-of-50 from the charity stripe against UAB on March 21, 1991.

CLIMBING TO THE CA-HILL TOP
Amanda Cahill is turning into a double-double machine as the sophomore has achieved double-doubles in four of the last six games to total five on the year and 11 for her career. Her last double-double performance came at Purdue on Jan. 10 when she tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds. In the two games she did not get a double-doubles in the last six, she just missed the mark as she had 19 points and nine boards vs. Michigan on Jan. 3 and 17 points and eight rebounds last time out against No. 18 Michigan State.

In Big Ten games only (five games), Cahill is averaging 15.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, making her one of only five players in the conference to average those numbers in league play so far. For the year, she is averaging 13.9 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game (9th in B1G) with 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest.

Cahill has scored in double figures in all but two games this year, including the last 10 consecutively, and has had seven or more rebounds in every game but three. She was one of six players named to the All-Preseason WNIT Team at the conclusion of the tournament on Nov. 22. Cahill scored in double figures in all three games for the Hoosiers in the tournament and led IU in rebounding in every contest.

SHOTS FELL, DEFENSE SHINED IN WIN OVER NO. 18 MICHIGAN STATE
Indiana shined on both ends of the court in the win over No. 18 Michigan State on Jan. 13. IU shot its best percentage in a win against a ranked opponent in 20 years as Indiana shot 54.5 percent against the Spartans, marking the sixth time this year that IU has shot 50 percent or better from the field in a game. It was the program's best shooting percentage in a win over a ranked foe since Indiana defeated No. 13/14 Wisconsin on Feb. 23, 1996.

On the defensive end, Indiana forced a season-best 24 MSU turnovers and converted those miscues into 41 points. The 24 turnovers forced are the most miscues caused by an Indiana team in a Big Ten game since the Hoosiers forced 27 turnovers against Michigan State on Jan. 20, 2011.

GET ON THE BUSS
With her 24 points in the win over No. 18 Michigan State, Tyra Buss has scored in double figures in every game this season and in 21 games consecutively dating back to last year, making her the first IU player with such a streak since Quacy Barnes scored in double digits in 37 consecutive games between the end of 1996-97 season and the start of 1997-98. Buss leads Indiana in scoring (18.9 ppg), assists (4.1 apg) and steals (1.9 spg) while playing 36.7 minutes per game (2nd in B1G, 25th nationally) and a Big Ten leading 624 minutes played total (12th nationally).

Buss currently ranks fourth in the country and leads the Big Ten in free throws made (115). She also paces the conference in free throws attempted (150) to rank second nationally in that category. She needs just 10 more attempts from the line to crack the top in IU History for most free throws attempted in a single season and 32 made free throws to enter the top six in makes from the charity stripe in a single year in program history.

Buss has scored 20 or more points in eight games this year. Buss was named to the All-Tournament Team of the Florida Sunshine Classic after tallying 28 points against then-No. 23/21 Miami and 23 points vs. West Virginia. During IU's two games in Orlando, Buss shot 15-of-19 from the field (51.7 percent), 5-of-9 from 3-point range (55.6 percent) and 16-of-19 from the charity stripe (84.2 percent).

KARLEE MCBUCKETS
Karlee McBride earned her first career start against No. 18 Michigan State on Jan. 13, and she did not disappoint. The junior scored a season-high 17 points without missing a shot, going 5-of-5 from the field, 3-of-3 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. It marked the first time an IU player had a perfect night shooting from the field since McBride herself went 6-of-6 from the field with three 3-pointers for 15 points as a sophomore against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 15, 2014.

McBride has now scored in double figures in four games this season and is shooting 42.1 percent from 3-point range.

ROAD WARRIORS
After Sunday's game at Minnesota, Indiana will have completed a stretch of games where it will have played 11 out of 16 contests away from Bloomington. IU played three of its first four Big Ten contests on the road and will play four of its first six away from Assembly Hall with the trip to Minneapolis.

For the first time since 2008, Indiana played four-consecutive games away from Bloomington early this year. The Hoosiers were sent to DePaul in Chicago for the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT on Nov. 19 and played at IPFW on Nov. 24. IU then played a pair of games in the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. on Nov. 27-28.

Players Mentioned

Tyra Buss

Amanda Cahill

Karlee McBride

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