Depth Showing Up At Right Time For No. 12 Indiana
12/16/2019 10:23:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Jared Rigdon
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 3,573 people in attendance at Assembly Hall on Sunday afternoon rose to their feet after Youngstown State head coach John Barnes called his first timeout of the second half at the 5:56 mark in the third quarter.
That time out came after a 14-2 Indiana run to open the second half, an immediate answer to a lethargic first 20 minutes for IU.
IU led by just three at the break but found some much needed energy in the locker room. Junior guard Jaelynn Penn had an old-fashioned three-point play after getting fouled going up for a layup. Redshirt junior guard Ali Patberg buried a pair of three-point baskets to turn around her day offensively.
Sunday's second half featured the offensive effort that IU showed in the early part of the season but had struggled to find since the game against Washington State in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It all culminated in a 93-56 win over Youngstown State to push IU to 10-1 on the season.
"The message at half was to be more aggressive," Patberg said. "Whether that be taking the open shot or making the better pass. We shared the ball and made the right plays. We were decisive in what we did."
With the returns of junior guard Bendu Yeaney and sophomore guard Grace Berger, IU has finally returned to full strength.
IU can now run a rotation of 10 players while balancing the workloads of Patberg and senior forward Brenna Wise. This comes right as IU heads into one of the most crucial parts of the season.
While it hasn't produced a performance nearly up to IU head coach Teri Moren's standards, IU is making the crucial plays when it matters.
There's Yeaney's performance on the defensive end where she knocked the ball away and forced a steal late in the third quarter. And freshman forward Jorie Allen's tip and finish on the offensive glass to halt a scoring drought.
IU outscored Youngstown State by 34 points in the second half Sunday afternoon. It made the adjustments at the right times and found a systematic and balanced offense to eventually cruise to victory.
IU got 18 points from Patberg and 17 from Penn. All 10 of IU's rotation players found the scoresheet. Even freshman forward Hannah Noveroske added a basket of her own as well.
"It shows the depth on our team," Penn said. "You've got to be ready at all times. Give credit to the bench because they come in and do their jobs."
It once again proved that IU knows how to finish and has what it takes to win close ballgames. With an impending top-15 matchup with UCLA next Sunday in Bloomington, IU knows how crucial that will be.
"We just take it one game at a time," Patberg said. "The message today was to focus on Youngstown State. Now it's on to UCLA and we want to finish the non-conference out as strong as possible. Our coaches will have us more than prepared.
IU has three true road wins, two neutral site wins, two ranked wins and its highest ever ranking to date on its resume right now. But a victory over UCLA would strengthen that even more.
It would also serve as a separating factor to the tournament committee later in the season when determining who gets to host in the first two rounds.
With a full week off for final exams, IU's got the chance to work out some ebbs and flows in its offense. IU also understands that it has another chance to pad the resume on the horizon.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 3,573 people in attendance at Assembly Hall on Sunday afternoon rose to their feet after Youngstown State head coach John Barnes called his first timeout of the second half at the 5:56 mark in the third quarter.
That time out came after a 14-2 Indiana run to open the second half, an immediate answer to a lethargic first 20 minutes for IU.
IU led by just three at the break but found some much needed energy in the locker room. Junior guard Jaelynn Penn had an old-fashioned three-point play after getting fouled going up for a layup. Redshirt junior guard Ali Patberg buried a pair of three-point baskets to turn around her day offensively.
Sunday's second half featured the offensive effort that IU showed in the early part of the season but had struggled to find since the game against Washington State in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It all culminated in a 93-56 win over Youngstown State to push IU to 10-1 on the season.
"The message at half was to be more aggressive," Patberg said. "Whether that be taking the open shot or making the better pass. We shared the ball and made the right plays. We were decisive in what we did."
With the returns of junior guard Bendu Yeaney and sophomore guard Grace Berger, IU has finally returned to full strength.
IU can now run a rotation of 10 players while balancing the workloads of Patberg and senior forward Brenna Wise. This comes right as IU heads into one of the most crucial parts of the season.
While it hasn't produced a performance nearly up to IU head coach Teri Moren's standards, IU is making the crucial plays when it matters.
There's Yeaney's performance on the defensive end where she knocked the ball away and forced a steal late in the third quarter. And freshman forward Jorie Allen's tip and finish on the offensive glass to halt a scoring drought.
IU outscored Youngstown State by 34 points in the second half Sunday afternoon. It made the adjustments at the right times and found a systematic and balanced offense to eventually cruise to victory.
IU got 18 points from Patberg and 17 from Penn. All 10 of IU's rotation players found the scoresheet. Even freshman forward Hannah Noveroske added a basket of her own as well.
"It shows the depth on our team," Penn said. "You've got to be ready at all times. Give credit to the bench because they come in and do their jobs."
It once again proved that IU knows how to finish and has what it takes to win close ballgames. With an impending top-15 matchup with UCLA next Sunday in Bloomington, IU knows how crucial that will be.
"We just take it one game at a time," Patberg said. "The message today was to focus on Youngstown State. Now it's on to UCLA and we want to finish the non-conference out as strong as possible. Our coaches will have us more than prepared.
IU has three true road wins, two neutral site wins, two ranked wins and its highest ever ranking to date on its resume right now. But a victory over UCLA would strengthen that even more.
It would also serve as a separating factor to the tournament committee later in the season when determining who gets to host in the first two rounds.
With a full week off for final exams, IU's got the chance to work out some ebbs and flows in its offense. IU also understands that it has another chance to pad the resume on the horizon.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Center
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballFB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 4 (Illinois)
Wednesday, September 17
FB: Kellan Wyatt Media Availability (9/16/25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB: Mikail Kamara Media Availability (9/16/25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB: Curt Cignetti Media Availability (9/15/25)
Monday, September 15