Gassion Scores New Career-High To Lead IU To 78-62 Win over Minnesota

Wednesday, January 4

Bloomington, Ind.

7 PM

Indiana University

12-4, 2-1B1G

Minnesota

9-7, 0-3B1G

Minnesota

Indiana

Gassion Scores New Career-High To Lead IU To 78-62 Win over Minnesota

1/4/2017 10:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana capitalized off turnovers and got big production from the 3-point line as it picked up the 78-62 win over Minnesota inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Wednesday night. With the win, Indiana improves to 12-4 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play.

Senior guard Alexis Gassion led all scorers with a new career-high 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting to go along with five rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal. She was joined in double figures by junior guard Tyra Buss who dropped 13 points and had a game-high seven assists and junior forward Amanda Cahill who added 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists.

Indiana was fueled by 3-point shooting as it notched 10 triples on the night and shot 43.5 percent from long range. It marked the third time in five games IU has hit double-digit 3-pointers as it also capitalized on turnovers. The Hoosiers turned 22 Gopher miscues into 25 points in the second-straight win in the series – the first since 2006-07.

As a team, IU finished the night with a 42.5 field goal percentage and also combined for 22 assists – the second-most in a game this season - on 31 made shots.

Indiana opened up its lead 17-6 after the first quarter as it was sparked by a 14-0 run midway through the opening period. A Buss drive on the baseline led to a Gulley three with 5:43 led to a Minnesota timeout and 11-3 IU lead. Anderson got the ball back for IU by drawing the charge that led to a Buss triple from the right corner to complete the 14-0 run.

Minnesota (9-7, 0-3 B1G) got back on the board with one at the line but IU held the Gophers without a field goal over six minutes to close out the first quarter. The Hoosiers continued to pour it on in the second, scoring 25 points in the frame and used 14 of their 25 points off turnovers to help gain a 42-23 lead at half.

Neither team shot particularly well in the third quarter, both going under 40 percent as Minnesota won the quarter 20-15. In the fourth, the Golden Gophers pulled within as few as 11 on a 7-0 run before a three by senior guard Karlee McBride and pick-and-dish by Buss to Cahill stopped the run and increased the Hoosier lead back up to 71-55 and holding on for the win.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Teri Moren
It was a good bounce back win for us. This was an important game, they all are for us. But you know after coming off a loss against Ohio State on New Year's night, we figured in Minnesota coming in here 0-2; we were not just going to get a shot, but we were going to get there best shot. I thought that Alexis Gassion and the job she did on Carlie Wagner was obviously key. Transition defense was certainly important, not that they had a lot of fast break points, we didn't either. I thought that Kenisha Bell was really good at times and I thought, especially in the fourth quarter I got a little disappointed in the way that Tyra was guarding and really just challenged her to be better. I thought she did a much better job, especially in the fourth of trying to level her off she's really fast going downhill. But, Alexis (Gassion) shows up big offensively on a night where (Amanda) Cahill couldn't stay on the floor and having her be on the floor when teams play a zone is really important to the flow of what we try to do offensively. I liked Bre (Wickare) even though she didn't hit a shot, I liked her activity. I thought Bre, Darby (Foresman) and Kim Royster came in and provided really, really good minutes in the post. That was the challenge going in was transitions defense, and the second key was that our post presence on both ends show up tonight.

NOTES

Indiana improves to 2-1 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2010-11 and wins back-to-back games in the series with Minnesota for the first time since 2006-07.
Senior guard Alexis Gassion paced Indiana with a new career-high 26 points on a 10-for-18 shooting as she notched the 61^st game of her career in double figures. She also added five rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.
Junior guard Tyra Buss completed her 53^rd-straight double figure scoring game on Wednesday night as she scored 13 points to extend her school record performance. She has scored in double figures in 71 of 80 career games.
Buss also dished out a game-high seven assists – the 33^rd time she's dished out five or more assists in a game in her career. Buss also added two steals and two rebounds.
IU hit double figures in 3-pointers hitting 10 on the night – the third time this season it has hit 10 or more triples and the third time in five games.
The Hoosiers pick up another top RPI win with the victory over Minnesota – who held a No. 24 RPI coming into the game.
All-time scoring update
- Tyra Buss (1,291 – 14^th)
- Alexis Gassion (1,156 - 18^th)
- Amanda Cahill (1,060 – 21^st)

UP NEXT
The Hoosiers hit the road for the next two league games beginning at Michigan on Tuesday, January 10. Tipoff inside the Crisler Center is set for 6 p.m. ET live on the Big Ten Network.

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