Hoosiers Storm Back Against Hawkeyes

Thursday, February 4

Bloomington, Ind.

7 pm

Indiana University

14-9, 6-5

IOWA

15-8, 5-6

Iowa

Indiana

2/4/2016 9:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Teri Moren wasn't going to yell. That wasn't going to make a 15-point halftime deficit any easier.

Moren's Hoosiers were down 38-23 after two quarters against Iowa and playing "uninspired" basketball. Watching her team get outscored in the second quarter 22-8 was "painful," Moren said, but anger wasn't going to solve anything.

"You need to just be real with them," Moren said. "I honest to goodness did not raise my voice. I challenged them to figure out how we were going to get back in the game and how we were going to win the game."

Not much later, Moren's challenge was answered.

Indiana (14-9, 6-5) rallied from down 17 points with 3:38 left in the third quarter to defeat Iowa 79-74 to extend its Assembly Hall unbeaten streak to 10 games. It's believed to be the longest such streak in program history, which dates back to 1971.

"We kind of dug a hole in the first half," sophomore guard Tyra Buss said. "Just the fact that we can come back like that and win a game on our home court and stay undefeated, just stick together as a team, it was good for us and it was a big win."

Buss had reason to be excited after scoring 18 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing seven assists in the Hoosiers' win that keeps them in seventh in the Big Ten standings after 11 games. She connected on what proved to be the game-winning basket with 29 seconds left with a right-handed layup around traffic off an inbounds pass from junior forward Alexis Gassion.

Iowa's Ally Disterhoft traveled on the other end before junior center Jenn Anderson hit a pair of free throws to seal the game en route to a season-high 18 points. The 17-point comeback marks the fifth time this season the Hoosiers have overcome a fourth-quarter deficit and walk away with a win.

"They never think they're out of the game," Moren said. "That's what makes this group so special."

Ironically, the climax of the comeback came without the player responsible for keeping Indiana afloat to begin with.

Sophomore forward Amanda Cahill fouled out of the game with 3:48 left in the fourth quarter with a career-high 24 points and eight rebounds to her credit. She was forced to sit on the bench and watch as her teammates grinded out a win that wouldn't have been possible had it not been for her 10-for-14 shooting performance.

"I was just trying to attack," Cahill said. "My teammates were just finding me, and we were having good motion against the zone and good flashes. I think that was really what contributed to it."

Indiana connected on 10-of-12 field goal attempts to outscore Iowa 32-16 in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes couldn't do much against the Hoosiers' man-to-man defense late and missed four of their final five shots.

"Get stops, try to get scores and stick together," Cahill said. "I think it's our defense and just making plays down the stretch that won us the game."

But after the final buzzer sounded, Buss ran into Cahill's open arms for a hug to celebrate. Then walking away from her postgame press conference, Buss whispered "let's go."

"I'm really proud of my teammates for getting this win today," Buss said. "I'm just really happy."