Indiana University Athletics
Belief Is The Key Ingredient For IU’s First Big Ten Regular Season Title in 40 Years
2/19/2023 4:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A game was won, a rival beaten, a Big Ten co-championship (at least) achieved.
Here came the hugs.
Senior do-it-all guard Grace Berger got the first one, as you'd expect on a Senior Game stage, with plenty to follow.
Welcome to the celebration of No. 2 Indiana's 83-60 victory over Purdue Sunday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall that secured the program's first Big Ten title since the 1983 15-3 Big Ten champions. It came in front of a sellout crowd of 17,222, the largest in program history and the third biggest ever in Big Ten play.
"To go out like that -- and it's not done -- is something I've been working for since my freshman year," Berger said. "You couldn't ask for a better ending."
An emotional coach Teri Moren reflected on what it all meant.
"Grace believed -- in this program and in me and the vision. For that, I'll always be grateful.
"This group believes. It continues to believe. You have to have that. That's what it's supposed to be about."
How much did the Hoosiers (26-1 overall, 16-1 overall) want this? Forward Mackenzie Holmes dived on the floor in a first-quarter bid for a loose ball. Guard Sara Scalia did the same in the second quarter. Neither got it, but a message was sent, and delivered.
No way would IU lose.
"It's being the hardest working team in the Big Ten and the country," Berger said.
A 24-point fourth-quarter lead didn't diminish Moren's intensity. She smacked the scorer's table after a Hoosier mistake because you can never stop coaching and demanding with championships at stake.
"As long as they feel there's room to improve, we'll be okay," Moren said. "We want to be the best, but we don't want anybody to know it. We have to get a little better every day. Film tells us a lot. They know it. They believe it."
Berger certainly does. She constantly tells her coach the Hoosiers haven't won anything yet, although that is no longer accurate.
"Our coaches push us to get the best out of us," Berger said. "They expect our best every day. Since June we've been getting better. We're not where we need to be. We still have a lot of work to do."
IU's dominating season continued with a third straight victory by at least 17 points – two on the road against top-15 teams Ohio State and Michigan. It has won seven straight in the Barn Burner Trophy series with Purdue, and has won 14 straight victories overall, one shy of the school record set in 1971.
"There's not a lot of weakness on this Indiana team," Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said. "It's pick your poison. If you make one mistake, they'll burn you."
Berger's do-it-all accomplishments during her five Hoosier seasons include three triple doubles (no other Hoosier has even one), 1,763 points, 545 assists and a record 117 IU victories.
"I've coached some good players," Moren said, "but as far as overall skill, I don't know if I will ever coach another player like Grace."
Moren knew that from the moment she started recruiting her.
"The only thing she hadn't done was lift weights," Moren said with a smile, "and now everybody wants Grace Berger arms."
On Sunday, Berger was as much facilitator as scorer with 14 points and 10 assists. It was her ninth career double-double.
"She's a special player," forward Sydney Parrish said. "You see what she does on the court, but it's also the off-court, her work ethic. I'm super grateful to play with her."
Berger and forward Alyssa Geary, who has played in 19 games in her only Cream 'n Crimson season after playing the previous four seasons at Providence, were honored during a pre-game Senior Game ceremony.
Before that the high-energy crowd was pumped up even more by country music singer Clayton Anderson singing his original song "Indiana."
Also, members of IU's 1983 Big Ten title team were honored after the first quarter.
"It takes the women who were here before to build a foundation and do some of the heavy lifting to get to this point," Moren said.
Forward Mackenzie Holmes led five double-figure Hoosier scorers with 20 points. Guard Chloe Moore-McNeil had 14 points. Parrish had 13 and 10 rebounds. Guard Yarden Garzon had 12 points.
It was a combination of inside and outside dominance few teams can match.
"Not only are they talented and have tremendous chemistry," Moren said, "but what separates them is the maturity. They don't freak out or push the panic button. They settle down and figure it out. They're a bright team. You can do a lot with them because they're smart."
Added Gearlds: "They can go as far as they want to. There's a good chance we'll see this group in Dallas (for the Final Four)."
Purdue (17-8, 8-7 B1G) opened with a packed-in defense designed to keep the ball away from Holmes. The result -- Moore-McNeil and Garzon hit three-pointers for a quick 6-2 lead.
The first quarter ended with IU ahead 20-15. Holmes and Garzon each had six points. Three Purdue three-pointers kept it close.
Behind a three-point play from Parrish and a second three-pointer from Moore-McNeil and Scalia, IU pushed to leads as large as 10. Purdue ended the half on a 7-0 run for a 37-34 score.
Holmes led with 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting. The Boilers got 17 points from Lasha Petree and her 4-for-6 three-point shooting. She finished with 23 points.
Then Holmes and Berger went to work. They scored IU's first 13 points of the third quarter, seven from Berger. The Hoosiers also limited Purdue's three-point opportunities. The result -- a 52-39 Hoosier lead.
Then IU ran consecutive plays that freed up Moore-McNeil for three-pointers at the top of the key. She hit them both. Parrish made four straight free throws, then scored off a rebound for a 64-46 lead after three quarters.
"They blitzed us," Gearlds said about the 27-12 disparity that, essentially, clinched the Hoosier victory.
IU's final regular-season game comes next Sunday at No. 7 Iowa for an ESPN College GameDay event. The outright Big Ten title will be at stake if the Hawkeyes (22-5, 14-2) win at No. 8 Maryland on Tuesday night.
"This is special," Berger said, "but we still have a lot of work to do. We finish with a big game next Sunday. Then we play a tough Big Ten tourney. We'll celebrate today, and tomorrow we'll focus on winning."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A game was won, a rival beaten, a Big Ten co-championship (at least) achieved.
Here came the hugs.
Senior do-it-all guard Grace Berger got the first one, as you'd expect on a Senior Game stage, with plenty to follow.
Welcome to the celebration of No. 2 Indiana's 83-60 victory over Purdue Sunday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall that secured the program's first Big Ten title since the 1983 15-3 Big Ten champions. It came in front of a sellout crowd of 17,222, the largest in program history and the third biggest ever in Big Ten play.
"To go out like that -- and it's not done -- is something I've been working for since my freshman year," Berger said. "You couldn't ask for a better ending."
An emotional coach Teri Moren reflected on what it all meant.
"Grace believed -- in this program and in me and the vision. For that, I'll always be grateful.
"This group believes. It continues to believe. You have to have that. That's what it's supposed to be about."
How much did the Hoosiers (26-1 overall, 16-1 overall) want this? Forward Mackenzie Holmes dived on the floor in a first-quarter bid for a loose ball. Guard Sara Scalia did the same in the second quarter. Neither got it, but a message was sent, and delivered.
No way would IU lose.
"It's being the hardest working team in the Big Ten and the country," Berger said.
A 24-point fourth-quarter lead didn't diminish Moren's intensity. She smacked the scorer's table after a Hoosier mistake because you can never stop coaching and demanding with championships at stake.
"As long as they feel there's room to improve, we'll be okay," Moren said. "We want to be the best, but we don't want anybody to know it. We have to get a little better every day. Film tells us a lot. They know it. They believe it."
Berger certainly does. She constantly tells her coach the Hoosiers haven't won anything yet, although that is no longer accurate.
"Our coaches push us to get the best out of us," Berger said. "They expect our best every day. Since June we've been getting better. We're not where we need to be. We still have a lot of work to do."
IU's dominating season continued with a third straight victory by at least 17 points – two on the road against top-15 teams Ohio State and Michigan. It has won seven straight in the Barn Burner Trophy series with Purdue, and has won 14 straight victories overall, one shy of the school record set in 1971.
"There's not a lot of weakness on this Indiana team," Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said. "It's pick your poison. If you make one mistake, they'll burn you."
Berger's do-it-all accomplishments during her five Hoosier seasons include three triple doubles (no other Hoosier has even one), 1,763 points, 545 assists and a record 117 IU victories.
"I've coached some good players," Moren said, "but as far as overall skill, I don't know if I will ever coach another player like Grace."
Moren knew that from the moment she started recruiting her.
"The only thing she hadn't done was lift weights," Moren said with a smile, "and now everybody wants Grace Berger arms."
On Sunday, Berger was as much facilitator as scorer with 14 points and 10 assists. It was her ninth career double-double.
"She's a special player," forward Sydney Parrish said. "You see what she does on the court, but it's also the off-court, her work ethic. I'm super grateful to play with her."
Berger and forward Alyssa Geary, who has played in 19 games in her only Cream 'n Crimson season after playing the previous four seasons at Providence, were honored during a pre-game Senior Game ceremony.
Before that the high-energy crowd was pumped up even more by country music singer Clayton Anderson singing his original song "Indiana."
Also, members of IU's 1983 Big Ten title team were honored after the first quarter.
"It takes the women who were here before to build a foundation and do some of the heavy lifting to get to this point," Moren said.
Forward Mackenzie Holmes led five double-figure Hoosier scorers with 20 points. Guard Chloe Moore-McNeil had 14 points. Parrish had 13 and 10 rebounds. Guard Yarden Garzon had 12 points.
It was a combination of inside and outside dominance few teams can match.
"Not only are they talented and have tremendous chemistry," Moren said, "but what separates them is the maturity. They don't freak out or push the panic button. They settle down and figure it out. They're a bright team. You can do a lot with them because they're smart."
Added Gearlds: "They can go as far as they want to. There's a good chance we'll see this group in Dallas (for the Final Four)."
Purdue (17-8, 8-7 B1G) opened with a packed-in defense designed to keep the ball away from Holmes. The result -- Moore-McNeil and Garzon hit three-pointers for a quick 6-2 lead.
The first quarter ended with IU ahead 20-15. Holmes and Garzon each had six points. Three Purdue three-pointers kept it close.
Behind a three-point play from Parrish and a second three-pointer from Moore-McNeil and Scalia, IU pushed to leads as large as 10. Purdue ended the half on a 7-0 run for a 37-34 score.
Holmes led with 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting. The Boilers got 17 points from Lasha Petree and her 4-for-6 three-point shooting. She finished with 23 points.
Then Holmes and Berger went to work. They scored IU's first 13 points of the third quarter, seven from Berger. The Hoosiers also limited Purdue's three-point opportunities. The result -- a 52-39 Hoosier lead.
Then IU ran consecutive plays that freed up Moore-McNeil for three-pointers at the top of the key. She hit them both. Parrish made four straight free throws, then scored off a rebound for a 64-46 lead after three quarters.
"They blitzed us," Gearlds said about the 27-12 disparity that, essentially, clinched the Hoosier victory.
IU's final regular-season game comes next Sunday at No. 7 Iowa for an ESPN College GameDay event. The outright Big Ten title will be at stake if the Hawkeyes (22-5, 14-2) win at No. 8 Maryland on Tuesday night.
"This is special," Berger said, "but we still have a lot of work to do. We finish with a big game next Sunday. Then we play a tough Big Ten tourney. We'll celebrate today, and tomorrow we'll focus on winning."
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