Hoosiers Falter In Loss to Auburn

Sunday, December 3

Bloomington, IN

2 p.m.

Indiana University

4-4

Auburn

5-3

Auburn

Indiana

12/3/2017 4:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Final Box Photo Gallery

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Women's Basketball couldn't overcome a sloppy first half as it fell to Auburn, 65-53, on Sunday afternoon inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Four players scored in double figures led by freshman guard Jaelynn Penn who notched her second career double-double, scoring 16 points, going 5-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-8 from 3-point range to go along with 10 rebounds. Senior forward Amanda Cahill added 12 points and was one shy of a double-double with nine rebounds and seven assists.

The Hoosiers (4-4) shot a season-low 37.5 percent and 30.4 percent from 3-point range (30.4 percent). They were able to outrebound the Tigers (5-3), 33-23 including a 12-6 advantage on the glass but the dagger for the Hoosiers would be 25 points scored off their 23 turnovers on the day.

Junior forward Kym Royster (11 points, six rebounds) and senior guard Tyra Buss (10 points, four steals) also contributed to IU's double figure scorers.

IU struggled in the opening quarter, finding troubles with the Auburn press attack. They would commit 12 turnovers in the first ten minutes which led to 10 points for the Tigers in the opening frame. IU would be held to without a field goal until under three minutes to play and trailed 18-4 after one.

Limiting its turnovers in the second half, Indiana was able to chip at the deficit a bit and came to within as few as nine on one in the bonus from Bendu Yeaney. However, the Tigers would have the last second drive to the bucket to in right before the break, pushing its halftime lead to 31-20.

Finding a spark in the third quarter, the Hoosiers would go on a 10-0 run starting with a 3-pointer by Buss. An offensive board and putback by Cahill along with a corner 3-pointer from Penn with 5:14 to play. Royster took a pass from Cahill to the bucket and shaved it the lead down to five, 35-30, coming out of an Auburn timeout. Indiana would come within four with 1:18 left in the third quarter and trailed 42-38 going into the final quarter.

Pushing it up the court, Buss would make it a one-point game, 44-43, with less than two minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. It, however, would be as close as Indiana could get sending the Tigers into the bonus with 5:50 remaining and going without a field goal for the final 3:52 of the ball game.

QUOTABLE
Head coach Teri Moren
"I'm very disappointed in how we handled ourselves this afternoon as far as offensively, taking care of the basketball. It wasn't just one kid. I thought it was all of us collectively especially that first quarter we dug ourselves quite a hole. Then we were playing behind and we never could get over the hump. I know we pulled, I think within one, and then could never get over the hump. We turned it over twice, and then they had a couple run outs. We fouled them, and they got a little bit of cushion from an offensive standpoint. They regained the lead and had a little bit of breathing room, so we didn't put enough pressure on them. The first quarter really hurt us today and 25 points of our turnovers. We won't win very many games when you do that. I thought that was really the game right there in a nutshell. I'm disappointed, but I think it's another great experience for our young players in terms of learning something from this game and being able to take away how we have to handle ourselves under pressure. The turnovers will always kill you, they are possessions that you don't have. I don't want to take anything away from Auburn, I think they did a pretty good job. We knew exactly what they were going to come in and do to us defensively. We just didn't handle ourselves in the way we needed too in order to get the win. "

NOTABLE

Indiana had four players score in double figures, led by freshman Jaelynn Penn with 16 points.
Penn has scored in double figures in three straight games and is averaging 18 points per game over that stretch.
Penn added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
Tyra Buss scored in double figures for the 95^th game of her career with 10 points. Buss now has 1,759 points and is seventh on the Hoosiers all-time scoring list. Buss is 10 points from moving into a tie for sixth on the all-time scoring list.
Buss tallied four steals for a current career total of 235. She is two steals from moving into a tie for second on the Hoosiers all-time list for career steals.
Amanda Cahill scored 12 points and now has 1,418 points for her career. She ranks 14^th on the Hoosiers all-time scoring list and is 10 points from moving into a tie for 13^th on the list.
Cahill added nine rebounds and now has 895 rebounds for her career.
Cahill recorded a new career-high of seven assists in the game.
Indiana outrebounded Auburn 33-23.

UP NEXT
A three-game homestand wraps up on Tuesday when it hosts North Texas. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Follow Indiana Women's Basketball on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

#GoIU