Hoosiers Host UT Martin In First Round Of WNIT On Thursday

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana opens up postseason play on Thursday night when it hosts UT Martin in the opening round of the WNIT. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Indiana (17-14) vs. UT Martin (19-14)
Thursday, March 15, 2018 • 7 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall • Bloomington, Ind.
Broadcast: BTN Plus
Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM (Greg Murray)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Tickets: $6 adults | $4 youth (all fans must have a ticket to enter)
Promotion: Fans who purchase a youth ticket will receive a voucher for a free drink at the concession stand

ABOUT THE COACHES
Indiana
Teri Moren
Career Record: 276-182 (15th Season)
Indiana Record: 77-52 (4th Season)

UT Martin
Kevin McMillian
Career Record: 175-115 (9th Season)
UT Martin Record: Same

ABOUT THE SKYHAWKS
The Skyhawks earned the Ohio Valley Conference automatic bid after finishing second to Belmont and also an overtime loss to the Bruins in the league tournament championship game. They are led by one of the nation's top 3-point shooters in Kendall Spray who leads with 16.6 points per game while shooting 42.2 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Chelsey Perry (11.4 ppg., 5.8 rpg.) and junior guard Emanye Robertson (11.2 ppg.) also add double figures for UTM, who won nine of 10 games to close out the regular season.

SERIES HISTORY
Indiana leads 4-0

LAST MEETING
12/9/09 - W, 80-46 (Bloomington, IN)

HOOSIERS IN THE WNIT
Indiana is making its fourth appearance in the postseason in the last five seasons and third-straight postseason bid since joining the NCAA in 1981-82. The Hoosiers received the automatic bid into the WNIT for the Big Ten. IU makes its ninth appearance overall in the WNIT, holding a 12-8 overall record (9-3 at home) as it advanced to the quarterfinals in 2016-17. Indiana has made 15 appearances in a postseason with WNIT appearances (1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018) and five NCAA Tournament berths (1983, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2016) and one NWIT appearance (1991). Prior to the NCAA, IU made an AIAW Final Four appearance in 1973 and two AIAW Elite Eight appearances in 1972 and 1974.

CAHILL NAMED COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Senior forward Amanda Cahill repeated to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team, announced by the organization on Monday. Cahill, who holds a 3.92 GPA in Elementary education, repeats as an Academic All-American joining Terri Friedman (1981-82) and the sixth selection in school history. Fifteen Division I women's college basketball players earn Academic All-American distinction each year, and Cahill is one of two Big Ten selections (Carlie Wagner, Minnesota) and one of four repeat Academic All-Americans from last season.

HOOSIERS AT HOME
Indiana will get the chance to play in front of its home crowd again on Thursday night after another winning regular season in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers finished 10-5 overall, its sixth-consecutive winning season in Bloomington. Their 10 wins mark the fifth-consecutive season IU has won double digit games at home, including all four under head coach Teri Moren.

QUADRUPLE OVERTIME
It took 60 total minutes, but free throws by senior forward Amanda Cahill proved to be the game winner as IU got past No. 10 seed Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament second round, 111-109. Cahill set a new career-high 38 points which also tied the fourth-best single game performance in school history. It also set a new IU Big Ten Tournament single game performance, beating out the previous mark of 31 points set by Jill Chapman in 1999 also against Michigan State. The four overtime game was the longest Big Ten Tournament game in history (men's or women's) and was the second quadruple overtime game this season in women's college basketball (Creighton defeated Drake, 108-100, on Dec. 3, 2017). The Hoosiers would advance to the quarterfinal round where it fell to No. 2 seed Maryland, 67-54.

BUSS, CAHILL AND PENN HONORED BY BIG TEN
Senior guard Tyra Buss, senior forward Amanda Cahill and freshman guard Jaelynn Penn were all honored by the Big Ten in the annual postseason awards announced on Monday. Buss earned her third-straight All-Big Ten first team selection while Cahill also earned her third-straight All-Big Ten second team distinction. Both earned nods from the coaches and the media, with Buss coming in as a unanimous selection on the first team by the coaches. Penn earned All-Freshman team honors, the first IU freshman since 2014 to earn a spot on the team.

MORE RECORDS TO BREAK
With six school records already broken, senior guard Tyra Buss still has potential to break one more record before her career is over. She broke the school record for assists and 3-pointers attempted in the regular season finale at Iowa while also holding records in points scored, free throws made, free throws attempted and steals. The seventh school record in her sights in the 3-pointers made record as she has scored 195 in her career. She is second all-time currently in the category and needs 11 to break the all-time record held by Kris McGrade (206).

Category (Number To Break Record)
3-pointers made - 11

600 X 3
Buss also became the first player in school history on Saturday to score 600 points in three-straight seasons. She has now scored 640 points this season after she combined for 37 points in the Big Ten Tournament. It surpasses her personal best of 620 points set in 2015-16 and is two shy of breaking the single season record for points scored (642, Karna Abram).

CAHILL MAKES HER MARK
Senior Amanda Cahill has also etched name into IU's record books in her final season in Cream and Crimson. She became the third player to record 1,000 rebounds along with Denise Jackson (1,273) and Whitney Thomas (1,090) to reach the career milestone. She's just the second-ever player to record over 1,800 points and 1,000 rebounds. She ranks seventh all-time in scoring (1,801), third all-time in rebounds (1,071), third in all-time double-doubles (39) and tied for fifth in blocks (127). She is also seventh amongst all active Division I players in career rebounds.

PENN PUTS UP POINTS
Freshman guard Jaelynn Penn continues to put up solid numbers for Indiana in her freshman season. She has posted 12 games in double digits this season including 16 points in the 4OT win over Michigan State. The Louisville, Ky. native is averaging 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in her freshman season. She ranks sixth in points per game amongst all Big Ten freshmen, tied for third in steals (1.1), sixth in rebounding and tied for sixth in assists (2.2). She is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week selection as she picked up honors in back-to-back weeks on Jan. 22 and Jan. 29 while starting every game for Indiana this season.

BUSS NAMED FINALIST FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Senior guard Tyra Buss is one of ten finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, announced by the organization on Feb. 8. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Fans can make up 1/3 of the final voting by visiting seniorclassaward.com to cast their vote daily until March 19.

UP NEXT
The winner of Thursday's game faces the winner of Northern Iowa and Milwaukee in the second round which will take place March 17-20.

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Hoosiers Host UT Martin In First Round Of WNIT On Thursday

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Players Mentioned

Tyra Buss

Amanda Cahill

Jaelynn Penn