Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Excited for Home Stretch
2/4/2016 10:48:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By: Tori Ziege, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Coming off a loss at No. 5 Maryland, it was time for Indiana to reset and recharge.
The Hoosiers saw their three-game win streak snapped against the Big Ten's top team Saturday, with several players taking a Z-Pak on the plane home from College Park.
With five full days between games, they enjoyed ancillary rest, allowing those players who were under the weather to return to full strength before a critical stretch in conference play.
"That meant a lot," sophomore guard Tyra Buss said. "We got a little run down. Just having those couple days to rest — and I know a lot of us still got in the gym and got some shots up — but just having that time to just relax and rest our legs, especially for the people that get a lot of minutes."
The layover is the first of many benefits from IU's upcoming schedule. The Hoosiers play four of their next five games in Assembly Hal, where they are 9-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
It shakes out to almost the exact opposite of the situation Indiana faced a year ago, when four of its last five games were on the road. The Hoosiers dropped all five, ending the conference season on a 0-5 run to finish 12th in the Big Ten standings.
This time around, with IU currently sitting at eighth in the Big Ten, head coach Teri Moren is hoping for a different outcome.
"The Big Ten is a jumbled mess right there in the middle, and we're right in the thick of things," Moren said on Monday. "This is a good time for us to be at home."
Indiana is .500 through 10 games of conference play, with its next two opponents easily within catching distance.
Iowa, who the Hoosiers will see tonight, is also 5-5 and just one spot ahead of them in the standings. Nebraska, who they will see Sunday, is just 1.5 games up.
If IU can take care of business as it has to-date at home, it will set itself up nicely before going to face Iowa and Nebraska again a few weeks later, on the road, to close out the away season.
"It's always good to get a look at them on your home floor first," Moren. "It's a benefit for us as a coaching staff, for our players… because every game you make adjustments. There's no question there's a benefit."
But being the only team in the Big Ten that's undefeated at home also means there's a target on IU's back, junior guard Alexis Gassion said.
Opponents want to come into Assembly Hall and manage to do what no team — women's or men's — has been able to this season.
"Who wouldn't want to ruin the streak for a team at home?" Gassion said. "We have a lot of confidence right now, but we just have to stay humble with it and keep working hard."
Iowa, the first of back-to-back competitors at home for Indiana, is also coming in with a lot of confidence. The Hawkeyes are on a two-game win streak since falling to Purdue on Jan. 24, when Moren said they hit the refresh button on their season.
"Any team that's coming off of two back-to-back victories always has a dose of confidence," she said. "They had a moment where they really challenged each other to say — okay we have 10 games left. What are we going to do with it?"
With eight games remaining in the regular season, it's the same question the Hoosiers must answer themselves.
They'll start tonight, with the familiarity of routine, the energy of the fans and the motivation of a streak to protect in Assembly Hall.
"To say that we're really happy to be home for the next two games is an understatement," Moren said. "But we still have to take care of business. The goals are the same height, the floor's the same size.
"You've got to show up every day — especially in the Big Ten."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Coming off a loss at No. 5 Maryland, it was time for Indiana to reset and recharge.
The Hoosiers saw their three-game win streak snapped against the Big Ten's top team Saturday, with several players taking a Z-Pak on the plane home from College Park.
With five full days between games, they enjoyed ancillary rest, allowing those players who were under the weather to return to full strength before a critical stretch in conference play.
"That meant a lot," sophomore guard Tyra Buss said. "We got a little run down. Just having those couple days to rest — and I know a lot of us still got in the gym and got some shots up — but just having that time to just relax and rest our legs, especially for the people that get a lot of minutes."
The layover is the first of many benefits from IU's upcoming schedule. The Hoosiers play four of their next five games in Assembly Hal, where they are 9-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
It shakes out to almost the exact opposite of the situation Indiana faced a year ago, when four of its last five games were on the road. The Hoosiers dropped all five, ending the conference season on a 0-5 run to finish 12th in the Big Ten standings.
This time around, with IU currently sitting at eighth in the Big Ten, head coach Teri Moren is hoping for a different outcome.
"The Big Ten is a jumbled mess right there in the middle, and we're right in the thick of things," Moren said on Monday. "This is a good time for us to be at home."
Indiana is .500 through 10 games of conference play, with its next two opponents easily within catching distance.
Iowa, who the Hoosiers will see tonight, is also 5-5 and just one spot ahead of them in the standings. Nebraska, who they will see Sunday, is just 1.5 games up.
If IU can take care of business as it has to-date at home, it will set itself up nicely before going to face Iowa and Nebraska again a few weeks later, on the road, to close out the away season.
"It's always good to get a look at them on your home floor first," Moren. "It's a benefit for us as a coaching staff, for our players… because every game you make adjustments. There's no question there's a benefit."
But being the only team in the Big Ten that's undefeated at home also means there's a target on IU's back, junior guard Alexis Gassion said.
Opponents want to come into Assembly Hall and manage to do what no team — women's or men's — has been able to this season.
"Who wouldn't want to ruin the streak for a team at home?" Gassion said. "We have a lot of confidence right now, but we just have to stay humble with it and keep working hard."
Iowa, the first of back-to-back competitors at home for Indiana, is also coming in with a lot of confidence. The Hawkeyes are on a two-game win streak since falling to Purdue on Jan. 24, when Moren said they hit the refresh button on their season.
"Any team that's coming off of two back-to-back victories always has a dose of confidence," she said. "They had a moment where they really challenged each other to say — okay we have 10 games left. What are we going to do with it?"
With eight games remaining in the regular season, it's the same question the Hoosiers must answer themselves.
They'll start tonight, with the familiarity of routine, the energy of the fans and the motivation of a streak to protect in Assembly Hall.
"To say that we're really happy to be home for the next two games is an understatement," Moren said. "But we still have to take care of business. The goals are the same height, the floor's the same size.
"You've got to show up every day — especially in the Big Ten."
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