Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Dominate at All Levels in Win over No. 2/5 Ohio State
1/27/2023 12:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Yarden Garzon as stoic as a monk during 40 minutes of basketball fury, finally let out it out.
The smile. The celebration. The joy.
Can you blame her?
Indiana had just completed second-half domination of Ohio State, the nation's No. 2 team, for a 78-65 victory Thursday night in front of a regular-season record crowd of 10,455 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. That pushed the No. 6 Hoosiers, at least for two days, into sole passion of the Big Ten lead.
They are 19-1 overall, 9-1 in the Big Ten, half-a-game ahead of No. 10 Iowa (16-4, 8-1 B1G), a game clear of Ohio State (19-2, 8-2 B1G).
"It was crucial we got this win," senior forward Mackenzie Holmes said.
Garzon had done her part with some remarkable third-quarter shooting – three-straight three-pointers, 11 total points -- and all-around excellence. The freshman guard finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 37 minutes. She also played shut-down defense.
That complemented Holmes' inside dominance. She had 26 points on 11-for-13 shooting.
As the buzzer sounded, Garzon released the passion that has fueled an impressive debut season. It reflected a fierce competitiveness honed during her formative playing years in Israel.
"It has always been part of me to be competitive," she said. "I love to be on the court playing for my teammates, my university and my coaches."
The Hoosiers share that love.
"She is as cool and poised as they come," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.
Yarden has totaled as many as 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. She averages 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds.
"She stepped up, made plays and knocked down shots," Holmes said. "She has a level of maturity that's unlike any I've seen from a freshman. She has this knack for stepping up in big moments."
Yarden also defends beyond her years, which is why Moren put her on Cotie McMahon, Ohio State's leading scorer, in the second half to stop the right-hand-dominant drives and spins to the left that had hurt IU so much in the first half.
"Yarden is so good when it comes to specifics," Moren said. "We needed to take away (McMahon's) right hand in second half. She did. It was about who gives us the best chance."
Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff was impressed.
"She's very talented. She has a rare combination of length and skill. It seems like she has a high basketball IQ."
IU rocked the Buckeyes with a 27-6 third quarter, then withstood a fourth-quarter Ohio State surge to beat its sixth ranked team of the season, one better than last year.
"We were special in the third quarter," Moren said.
Added McGuff: "Indiana played well through that stretch. We got good shots early that didn't go in. They turned us over and it snowballed on us."
During that quarter, the cheering hit decibel levels to rival that of the loudest men's games.
"Hoosier Nation showed up in a big way," said Moren, who before the game was honored as the program's winningest coach (191 wins and counting). "The energy in the building was incredible.
"It was a great night for us and for women's basketball."
Added Holmes: "It's so special. They are giving us energy and momentum. It's like having an extra teammate. It was so loud, you couldn't hear the whistle, so loud Ohio State couldn't hear when they called their plays."
Even in defeat, McGuff appreciated the passion and bigger-picture significance.
"Indiana has been building on its fan base. Each time we've come here in the last couple of years, it's gotten bigger. That's awesome for them and our league. "
Ohio State was coming off its first loss of the season, an 83-72 home setback to No. 10 Iowa behind Hawkeye standout Caitlin Clark's eighth career triple double.
IU couldn't match that, instead relying on inside-outside versatility from Garzon, Holmes, Sydney Parrish (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Grace Berger (12 points).
"This group has so much composure and poise," Moren said. "They have such a maturity level. They understand flow and rhythm and what's needed."
Ohio State, the third-best team in the country in forcing turnovers, attacked with full-court pressure. IU attacked back to beat it. Indiana only gave up 11 points on its 12 turnovers, while scoring 17 points off the Buckeyes' 13 turnovers.
"We handled the press very well," Moren said. "We were ready for that. We wanted to be aggressive yet poised. We did both well."
The Buckeyes used eight in-the-paint points to take a quick 16-8 lead.
The Hoosiers solution -- get Holmes the ball. The result was a 9-0, quarter-ending run.
Holmes finished the quarter 5-for-6 from the field for 11 points. The rest of the Hoosiers were 2-for-10, but the last basket, a Berger layup, put IU ahead 17-16.
IU punished the press to take a 23-20, second-quarter lead. Ohio State countered with a 7-0 run to push ahead 31-25 lead. It finished with a 36-32 halftime advantage.
After the Buckeyes made the first basket of the second half, the Hoosiers surged. Berger made two free throws. Garzon hit a three-pointer. Chloe Moore-McNeil completed a three-point play. Parrish hit a three-pointer. Garzon made two more three-pointers. The 17-0 run gave the Hoosiers a 49-38 lead.
They kept pushing, ending the quarter with a perfectly executed Berger-to-Holmes pass for a layup, a foul, a three-point play and a 59-42 lead.
Ohio State scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter. Berger ended that with a three-pointer.
The Buckeyes eventually got within eight points, but no closer.
IU won its seventh straight game, the last three against ranked opponents, all by double figures.
"These kids are uber competitive," Moren said. "They are always doing extra. They have a real commitment to being better.
"If you want more, you have to care more. This is what we see every day. It's a team that cares. They care about winning. They don't care about who gets the credit."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Yarden Garzon as stoic as a monk during 40 minutes of basketball fury, finally let out it out.
The smile. The celebration. The joy.
Can you blame her?
Indiana had just completed second-half domination of Ohio State, the nation's No. 2 team, for a 78-65 victory Thursday night in front of a regular-season record crowd of 10,455 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. That pushed the No. 6 Hoosiers, at least for two days, into sole passion of the Big Ten lead.
They are 19-1 overall, 9-1 in the Big Ten, half-a-game ahead of No. 10 Iowa (16-4, 8-1 B1G), a game clear of Ohio State (19-2, 8-2 B1G).
"It was crucial we got this win," senior forward Mackenzie Holmes said.
Garzon had done her part with some remarkable third-quarter shooting – three-straight three-pointers, 11 total points -- and all-around excellence. The freshman guard finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 37 minutes. She also played shut-down defense.
That complemented Holmes' inside dominance. She had 26 points on 11-for-13 shooting.
As the buzzer sounded, Garzon released the passion that has fueled an impressive debut season. It reflected a fierce competitiveness honed during her formative playing years in Israel.
"It has always been part of me to be competitive," she said. "I love to be on the court playing for my teammates, my university and my coaches."
The Hoosiers share that love.
"She is as cool and poised as they come," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.
Yarden has totaled as many as 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. She averages 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds.
"She stepped up, made plays and knocked down shots," Holmes said. "She has a level of maturity that's unlike any I've seen from a freshman. She has this knack for stepping up in big moments."
Yarden also defends beyond her years, which is why Moren put her on Cotie McMahon, Ohio State's leading scorer, in the second half to stop the right-hand-dominant drives and spins to the left that had hurt IU so much in the first half.
"Yarden is so good when it comes to specifics," Moren said. "We needed to take away (McMahon's) right hand in second half. She did. It was about who gives us the best chance."
Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff was impressed.
"She's very talented. She has a rare combination of length and skill. It seems like she has a high basketball IQ."
IU rocked the Buckeyes with a 27-6 third quarter, then withstood a fourth-quarter Ohio State surge to beat its sixth ranked team of the season, one better than last year.
"We were special in the third quarter," Moren said.
Added McGuff: "Indiana played well through that stretch. We got good shots early that didn't go in. They turned us over and it snowballed on us."
During that quarter, the cheering hit decibel levels to rival that of the loudest men's games.
"Hoosier Nation showed up in a big way," said Moren, who before the game was honored as the program's winningest coach (191 wins and counting). "The energy in the building was incredible.
"It was a great night for us and for women's basketball."
Added Holmes: "It's so special. They are giving us energy and momentum. It's like having an extra teammate. It was so loud, you couldn't hear the whistle, so loud Ohio State couldn't hear when they called their plays."
Even in defeat, McGuff appreciated the passion and bigger-picture significance.
"Indiana has been building on its fan base. Each time we've come here in the last couple of years, it's gotten bigger. That's awesome for them and our league. "
Ohio State was coming off its first loss of the season, an 83-72 home setback to No. 10 Iowa behind Hawkeye standout Caitlin Clark's eighth career triple double.
IU couldn't match that, instead relying on inside-outside versatility from Garzon, Holmes, Sydney Parrish (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Grace Berger (12 points).
"This group has so much composure and poise," Moren said. "They have such a maturity level. They understand flow and rhythm and what's needed."
Ohio State, the third-best team in the country in forcing turnovers, attacked with full-court pressure. IU attacked back to beat it. Indiana only gave up 11 points on its 12 turnovers, while scoring 17 points off the Buckeyes' 13 turnovers.
"We handled the press very well," Moren said. "We were ready for that. We wanted to be aggressive yet poised. We did both well."
The Buckeyes used eight in-the-paint points to take a quick 16-8 lead.
The Hoosiers solution -- get Holmes the ball. The result was a 9-0, quarter-ending run.
Holmes finished the quarter 5-for-6 from the field for 11 points. The rest of the Hoosiers were 2-for-10, but the last basket, a Berger layup, put IU ahead 17-16.
IU punished the press to take a 23-20, second-quarter lead. Ohio State countered with a 7-0 run to push ahead 31-25 lead. It finished with a 36-32 halftime advantage.
After the Buckeyes made the first basket of the second half, the Hoosiers surged. Berger made two free throws. Garzon hit a three-pointer. Chloe Moore-McNeil completed a three-point play. Parrish hit a three-pointer. Garzon made two more three-pointers. The 17-0 run gave the Hoosiers a 49-38 lead.
They kept pushing, ending the quarter with a perfectly executed Berger-to-Holmes pass for a layup, a foul, a three-point play and a 59-42 lead.
Ohio State scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter. Berger ended that with a three-pointer.
The Buckeyes eventually got within eight points, but no closer.
IU won its seventh straight game, the last three against ranked opponents, all by double figures.
"These kids are uber competitive," Moren said. "They are always doing extra. They have a real commitment to being better.
"If you want more, you have to care more. This is what we see every day. It's a team that cares. They care about winning. They don't care about who gets the credit."
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballThursday, August 13
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