Indiana University Athletics
Keep Going - Hoosiers Not Stopping With Win Over No. 1 NC State
3/28/2021 12:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
If you didn't know the name Nicole Cardaño-Hillary before Saturday night, you do now.
The 5-6 senior, a Hoosier via Spain and then George Mason, was a defensive force of nature who harassed ruthlessly, inspired relentlessly.
And then buried two of the biggest free throws in program history.
The result -- fourth-seeded Indiana (21-5) earned its first-ever Elite Eight appearance with a 73-70 victory over top-seed North Carolina State at San Antonio's Alamodome.
Next up -- a Monday matchup against Arizona (19-5) with a Final Four berth at stake.
"We want to keep going," Patberg said. "We're not here just to make the Elite Eight."
Forget talk of 50-percent free-throw shooting for the season. When it mattered most, when a 10-point lead was down to two, when North Carolina State (22-3) was surging and pressure rose to the breaking point, Cardaño-Hillary was money.
Her two free throws with 21 seconds remaining provided just enough separation. That gave her 14 points along with four steals.
"I have been struggling from the free-throw line," Cardaño-Hillary said during a post-game ESPN interview, "but when it's game time, you've got to be ready to step up. That's what we needed for the team, and I got it done."
Did she ever.
Cardaño-Hillary came to Bloomington after scoring a George Mason record 1,766 points in three years. But that scoring role was replaced by defense under coach Teri Moren. Her average dropped from 18.3 to 8.5 even as team success soared.
Her response -- let's keep it going.
"I am so excited I get to celebrate with these amazing people," she said. "They deserve it all."
Deserving Hoosiers were everywhere you looked. There was forward Aleksa Gulbe's 11-point, 10-rebound effort that had Moren offering post-game MVP praise. There were 16 points from Mackenzie Holmes; 17 points, five assists and four rebounds from Patberg; and 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists from Grace Berger.
Don't forget two points and two rebounds from freshman Kiandra Browne, who played the final three-plus minutes after Holmes fouled out.
"She was so ready for that moment," Moren said. "She thanked me for believing in her. She is all about her team.
"She's playing on a bad hip and she tells me, 'Whatever you need me to do, I will do.' She's a great example of a kid who stayed ready. She gives you every ounce of fight."
Consider IU turned an early 11-point deficit into a 14-point second-half advantage, a 25-point turnaround you rarely see against a top seed. It reflected the kind of toughness and poise championships are made of.
Yes, the Hoosiers are thinking it, because unless you do, it will never happen.
"If you do the work and ask these kids to do the work, our expectations have to be high," Moren said. "Why wouldn't they be?
"We wanted to build this brick by brick, not skip steps. Our players would have peaks and valleys along the way and we'd be there with them. Our expectations for each other are high. I'm not surprised we're talking about the Elite Eight."
IU won all the numbers that mattered -- an 18-4 edge in fast-break points, 20-10 in points off turnovers, 9-4 in second-chance points. They had 10 steals and forced 10 turnovers.
"We are so well coached," Patberg said. "We were prepared for every out-of-bounds play. We knew we had to get stops. We knew it would be one possession, one stop, one basket at a time. We did that."
A double-digit deficit was no problem for a group that defends like no team in program history. IU forced 11 first-half turnovers and found enough offense for a one-point halftime lead.
That was just the sixth time North Carolina State had trailed at halftime all season.
"We've played from behind a lot of times," Moren said. "We are used to be in those scenarios. It's a long game. You have to keep chipping away."
When North Carolina State threatened to ruin everything with its late rally, the Hoosiers delivered key stops and free throws (Patberg added one for the final victory margin).
"We knew they would make runs," Patberg said. "There's a different toughness in our locker room. We're here to win."
The Hoosiers also are here to work, Patberg added.
"I know nobody worked harder than us. Nobody. I say that with a lot of confidence.
"I'm thankful that all this work we put in all coming to fruition. I'm so happy for Coach Moren. She deserves this. She believed in so many of us."
IU spotted North Carolina State a 7-0 lead then ratcheted up the defense. Cardaño-Hillary had a steal and layup. Gulbe completed a three-point play. Holmes scored, then scored again to put the Hoosiers up 9-7.
At that point, they had forced five Wolfpack turnovers while not committing any. The big problem – their 3-for-13 shooting.
North Carolina State surged to an 11-point lead before Patberg's quarter-ending three-pointer made it a 22-14 score.
The Hoosiers closed to 22-18, then got a 24-24 tie on a Berger basket.
The Wolfpack pushed ahead by five. IU pushed back for a 34-33 halftime lead on a Holmes' inside basket. That gave her eight points and a brief nationally televised halftime interview.
Her message -- the Hoosiers would play better.
Did they ever.
IU pushed ahead 47-35 thanks to 6-for-6 second-half-opening shooting and more attack defense. A reeling North Carolina State had no offensive flow and rapidly dwindling time to find it.
The Hoosiers built a series of 14-point leads before entering the fourth quarter up 58-48.
Patberg and Browne hit big shots to maintain a double-digit lead, the last at 70-60 with less than three minutes remaining.
North Carolina State responded with eight-straight points. Cardona-Hillary countered with those pair of free throws. Patberg added one.
The Hoosiers had survived and advanced.
"If I had to pick one word about this group, it's toughness," Moren said. "We were so resilient. We played from behind and never blinked. We held true to who we are. We were tremendous defensively.
"We're built for this, that blue-collar mentality. You reap what you sew."
IUHoosiers.com
If you didn't know the name Nicole Cardaño-Hillary before Saturday night, you do now.
The 5-6 senior, a Hoosier via Spain and then George Mason, was a defensive force of nature who harassed ruthlessly, inspired relentlessly.
And then buried two of the biggest free throws in program history.
The result -- fourth-seeded Indiana (21-5) earned its first-ever Elite Eight appearance with a 73-70 victory over top-seed North Carolina State at San Antonio's Alamodome.
Next up -- a Monday matchup against Arizona (19-5) with a Final Four berth at stake.
"We want to keep going," Patberg said. "We're not here just to make the Elite Eight."
Forget talk of 50-percent free-throw shooting for the season. When it mattered most, when a 10-point lead was down to two, when North Carolina State (22-3) was surging and pressure rose to the breaking point, Cardaño-Hillary was money.
Her two free throws with 21 seconds remaining provided just enough separation. That gave her 14 points along with four steals.
"I have been struggling from the free-throw line," Cardaño-Hillary said during a post-game ESPN interview, "but when it's game time, you've got to be ready to step up. That's what we needed for the team, and I got it done."
Did she ever.
Cardaño-Hillary came to Bloomington after scoring a George Mason record 1,766 points in three years. But that scoring role was replaced by defense under coach Teri Moren. Her average dropped from 18.3 to 8.5 even as team success soared.
Her response -- let's keep it going.
"I am so excited I get to celebrate with these amazing people," she said. "They deserve it all."
Deserving Hoosiers were everywhere you looked. There was forward Aleksa Gulbe's 11-point, 10-rebound effort that had Moren offering post-game MVP praise. There were 16 points from Mackenzie Holmes; 17 points, five assists and four rebounds from Patberg; and 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists from Grace Berger.
Don't forget two points and two rebounds from freshman Kiandra Browne, who played the final three-plus minutes after Holmes fouled out.
"She was so ready for that moment," Moren said. "She thanked me for believing in her. She is all about her team.
"She's playing on a bad hip and she tells me, 'Whatever you need me to do, I will do.' She's a great example of a kid who stayed ready. She gives you every ounce of fight."
Consider IU turned an early 11-point deficit into a 14-point second-half advantage, a 25-point turnaround you rarely see against a top seed. It reflected the kind of toughness and poise championships are made of.
Yes, the Hoosiers are thinking it, because unless you do, it will never happen.
"If you do the work and ask these kids to do the work, our expectations have to be high," Moren said. "Why wouldn't they be?
"We wanted to build this brick by brick, not skip steps. Our players would have peaks and valleys along the way and we'd be there with them. Our expectations for each other are high. I'm not surprised we're talking about the Elite Eight."
IU won all the numbers that mattered -- an 18-4 edge in fast-break points, 20-10 in points off turnovers, 9-4 in second-chance points. They had 10 steals and forced 10 turnovers.
"We are so well coached," Patberg said. "We were prepared for every out-of-bounds play. We knew we had to get stops. We knew it would be one possession, one stop, one basket at a time. We did that."
A double-digit deficit was no problem for a group that defends like no team in program history. IU forced 11 first-half turnovers and found enough offense for a one-point halftime lead.
That was just the sixth time North Carolina State had trailed at halftime all season.
"We've played from behind a lot of times," Moren said. "We are used to be in those scenarios. It's a long game. You have to keep chipping away."
When North Carolina State threatened to ruin everything with its late rally, the Hoosiers delivered key stops and free throws (Patberg added one for the final victory margin).
"We knew they would make runs," Patberg said. "There's a different toughness in our locker room. We're here to win."
The Hoosiers also are here to work, Patberg added.
"I know nobody worked harder than us. Nobody. I say that with a lot of confidence.
"I'm thankful that all this work we put in all coming to fruition. I'm so happy for Coach Moren. She deserves this. She believed in so many of us."
IU spotted North Carolina State a 7-0 lead then ratcheted up the defense. Cardaño-Hillary had a steal and layup. Gulbe completed a three-point play. Holmes scored, then scored again to put the Hoosiers up 9-7.
At that point, they had forced five Wolfpack turnovers while not committing any. The big problem – their 3-for-13 shooting.
North Carolina State surged to an 11-point lead before Patberg's quarter-ending three-pointer made it a 22-14 score.
The Hoosiers closed to 22-18, then got a 24-24 tie on a Berger basket.
The Wolfpack pushed ahead by five. IU pushed back for a 34-33 halftime lead on a Holmes' inside basket. That gave her eight points and a brief nationally televised halftime interview.
Her message -- the Hoosiers would play better.
Did they ever.
IU pushed ahead 47-35 thanks to 6-for-6 second-half-opening shooting and more attack defense. A reeling North Carolina State had no offensive flow and rapidly dwindling time to find it.
The Hoosiers built a series of 14-point leads before entering the fourth quarter up 58-48.
Patberg and Browne hit big shots to maintain a double-digit lead, the last at 70-60 with less than three minutes remaining.
North Carolina State responded with eight-straight points. Cardona-Hillary countered with those pair of free throws. Patberg added one.
The Hoosiers had survived and advanced.
"If I had to pick one word about this group, it's toughness," Moren said. "We were so resilient. We played from behind and never blinked. We held true to who we are. We were tremendous defensively.
"We're built for this, that blue-collar mentality. You reap what you sew."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's BasketballFB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Big Ten Championship (Ohio State)
Thursday, December 04
IUWBB Highlights vs. Western Michigan
Wednesday, December 03
WBB: Postgame Press Conference - Western Michigan (12/3/25)
Wednesday, December 03
FB: Isaiah Jones Media Availability (12/2/25)
Wednesday, December 03