Indiana’s WNIT Surge Too Much For Purdue

Thursday, March 22

Bloomington, IN

7 p.m.

Indiana University

20-14

Purdue

20-14

Purdue

Indiana

3/22/2018 9:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Final Box Photo Gallery Postgame Notes

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Basketball sweep arrived with smiles, chest bumps and no sign of satisfaction.

Indiana has too much to do for that.

Thursday night's 73-51 WNIT win over rival Purdue was the latest step in a quest for a program-defining championship … and beyond.

"Hopefully the tides are turning," coach Teri Moren said. "We're excited about the kids who are joining the program Our sights are set on a winning a Big Ten championship. We're working toward that."

In front of a rocking Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowd of 5,564, the largest women's basketball home crowd since 2012, the Hoosiers (20-14) showed this is an in-state program to fear -- for now and for years to come.

"That was one of the loudest and best crowds we've had in the Hall in a while," Moren said. "That was special."

And then …

"The rivalry is great," she added. "It helps with recruiting. We want to be a place where the best kids in the state come. We want to be an option for top prospects coming out of state of Indiana."

Indiana throttled with defense. This was the norm against Purdue (in three games against the Hoosiers the Boilers averaged 49.7 points, well below their season average of 65.8 points), and it was no time to change.

"We said when we got here we want to hang our hat on something," Moren said, "and that's on the defensive end. What we're trying to instill a toughness that you have to have to play on that end, have a discipline about you that puts you in position to win."

Rivalry morphed into third-quarter blowout faster than you could say junior forward Kym Royster is a force of offensive nature.

IU won that quarter 21-8.

"The third quarter was huge for us," Moren said. "From then on, our defense was sound."

Of course, Royster had help beyond her 6-for-6 shooting and 12 points. This has never been a one-person team. The Hoosiers are building into a postseason juggernaut in large part because of collective excellence. Difference makers are everywhere you look … and where you don't.

Take senior forward Amanda Cahill, who has become the second-most prolific rebounder in school history with 1,094. Only Denise Jackson (1,273) had more in a Cream & Crimson uniform.

Foul trouble limited Cahill to seven rebounds and seven points on this night – and didn't limit the Hoosiers at all.

Then there was rapidly improving freshman guard Jaelynn Penn, who had 16 points to follow her previous WNIT totals of 25 and 16.

Early on the Hoosiers couldn't miss. Wouldn't miss. Consider the twisting buzzer beater by senior guard Tyra Buss, followed soon enough by some friendly rim bounces and are-you-kidding-me three-point baskets that you'd expect from Indiana's greatest-ever female scorer -- 2,296 career points and counting.

IU built an early 11-point lead and appeared headed for a blowout win.

It didn't happen.

Not at first.

Still, every time Purdue (20-14) presented a question, IU countered with answers.

"IU played well," Boiler coach Sharon Versyp said. "We want somebody from the Big Ten to win the WNIT. Buss carried them. The third quarter hurt us. They took off. That was a big part of the struggle."

IU swept Purdue in the regular season with ruthless defense. The Boilers shot 34 percent in the first meeting, 29.8 percent in the second.

On Thursday night, it was 33.9 percent.

Beyond that, the Hoosiers had gone 2-0 against Purdue four previous times. They'd never gone 3-0.

So history was at stake. More importantly, so was a quarterfinal opportunity.

IU made the most of it.

Purdue opened with a pair of baskets from Dominique Oden on her way to 20 points. The Hoosiers countered with baskets from Penn and Royster, a three-pointer by Penn, and two free throws by Buss.

After five minutes, IU led 15-6 and the Boilers were reeling. Versyp called a timeout to stop the surge.

"We knew we had to have a great start," Buss said, "and we did. It started with our defensive energy."

Still, the Boiler timeout worked -- briefly. The lead slipped to three before the Hoosiers pushed ahead 23-16 after the first quarter.

IU completed a 9-0 run for a 28-16 advantage. Offensive rebounding helped the Boilers cut the gap to five points before the Hoosiers settled for a 38-31 halftime lead.

Buss and Penn led with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Purdue stayed within range behind Oden's 13 points and a 10-2 edge in second-chance points from eight offensive rebounds.

"We were doing some good things," Moren said, "but we were allowing them to be in the game because of our mistakes, our lack of keeping them off the offensive boards and our turnovers. We kept them within striking range."

Still, this was Indiana's game to lose and it wasn't about to let that happen.

The Hoosiers surged ahead 46-34 midway through the third quarter.

The blowout was on.

IU will host again Sunday against the Friday night winner between Kansas State and UC Davis.

As far as the key to sustaining postseason success, Moren said, "We've got to rest and stay healthy. Make sure we do what we've done to put ourselves in this position, and that's defense. We have to hit shots, but on nights when we struggle (shooting), defense keeps us in the game."

But that's for later. On this night, it was a time to celebrate.

"It was a lot of fun," Buss said. "Winning is always fun, especially the way we played together and fought together."