Indiana University Athletics
Positive Takeaways Leave Hoosiers Optimistic Heading Into Heart Of Big Ten Schedule
1/5/2025 11:35:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Victory was within reach. It was. Indiana had top-ranked UCLA, this season's most dominant team in women's college basketball, in its sights.
Did it deliver a victory?
No. The Bruins won 73-62 Saturday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Did it suggest something special is tantalizingly close?
Absolutely.
"There's a fight to this group," IU coach Teri Moren said. "They're connected. It's a cohesive group."
She paused.
"We're still one of the best teams in the Big Ten."
UCLA is the best with a 4-0 conference record, 15-0 overall, with 14 straight double-digit victories. IU (10-4, 2-1) is among the teams pushing to challenge.
"They did a very impressive job," Bruins coach Cori Close said.
A few key made shots, a few big defensive stops and the Hoosiers might have rocked the college world. They outscored UCLA 41-40 in the second half, and basically played the Bruins to a first-quarter draw, huge against a team that had been blowing out opponents by 30 points a game.
"We were prepared," guard Chloe Moore-McNeil said. "We were optimistic. We knew they would go on their runs, and we'd go on ours. It was just staying the course."
This wasn't about a moral victory. IU under Moren is way beyond that given it has reached two Sweet Sixteens, plus an Elite Eight, in the last four seasons. It was about continuing to build and grow toward another big postseason run.
"Every game gives you something to improve on," Moren said. "We did a lot of good things."
Beating UCLA requires great things, such as magical perimeter shooting, ferocious 40-minute defense and crisp overall execution.
The Hoosiers never found that magic, going just 4-for-21 from three-point range with eight assists against 13 turnovers.
"We had good shots," Moren said. "They didn't go down. If they had, it might have been a different outcome."
Guard Yarden Garzon, one of the Big Ten's best three-point shooters, was just 1-for-8 from beyond the arc, although she did finish with a team-high 19 points.
"It's frustrating when you have open shots and you don't make them," Garzon said. "But my coaches and teammates want me to keep shooting. I'm confident about my shot because of them. No matter what, it's go to the next play."
Moore-McNeil has developed into one of the Big Ten's best perimeter defenders. She had a big test with UCLA's Kiki Rice, considered one of the nation's top point guards. Rice had 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting, along with seven assists and three turnovers.
"Chloe was terrific against Kiki," Moren said. "It was a big challenge."
Added Rice: "She is a great defender. She's one of the better ones I've faced this season. It was a tough matchup."
Finesse had no part in this game.
"UCLA was really physical," said Moren, who had hoped to negate that with a fast pace. "They slowed us down. I tried to get us to run harder and faster."
Physicality came with a foul cost. IU's Karoline Striplin (six points, three rebounds) and Sydney Parrish (three steals, three rebounds, two points) each fouled out. UCLA's Angela Dugalic fouled out, and Gabriela Jaquez finished with four.
"Sydney getting in foul trouble hurt us," Moren said. "We couldn't be as aggressive as we wanted to be."
The Hoosiers totaled 24 fouls, many coming late as they sent the Bruins to the free throw line hoping for enough misses to wipe out the deficit that peaked at 16 points. They twice got within eight points in the final minute. UCLA, which had 22 fouls, was 12-for-19 from the line.
Close praised the Hoosiers and the way her team responded to its biggest Big Ten road test of the season.
"Teri is an excellent coach. They have a good team. They played well.
"I've been challenging our team to be willing to win ugly, to win in a gritty way and not a pretty way. I'm impressed with our growth and maturity in that area."
The second quarter, which the Bruins won 15-5, was decisive.
"We got them out of rhythm of what they were trying to do," Close said. "We wanted to force them into difficult shots late into the shot clock."
Added Moren: "The second quarter was tough for us. They sped us up. Our shots didn't fall."
Hoosier surges -- and the resulting huge crowd roars -- showcased Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall's intimidating status. This was UCLA's first visit as a Big Ten member.
"This was one of the places I was excited to come to," Rice said. "It was a lot of fun, even with facing a ton of fans who weren't rooting for you."
UCLA's imposing size, led by 6-7 Lauren Betts, who finished with a game-high 25 points, disrupted early. The Hoosiers adjusted, made plays and energized the crowd of 11,550 into an intimidating force.
That might have rattled a lesser opponent. The Bruins elevated their play, although not without stiff Hoosier resistance.
IU rallied from an early 18-7 deficit with a 7-0 run to end the first quarter down 18-16. UCLA scored 15 of the next 18 points before a Striplin buzzer beater made it a 33-21 halftime score.
The Hoosiers picked up the third-quarter pace and closed within 49-41 on a three-point Shay Ciezki play before the quarter ended with the Bruins leading 56-44.
A Striplin basket got IU within 10 points with three minutes remaining. A Meister free throw did the same thing with two minutes left. Two Garzon free throws again made it a 10-point margin 50 seconds later. IU twice got within eight points on a pair of Julianna LaMendola free throws and a Lilly Meister layup, but no closer.
"We had a good game plan," Moren said. "I'm proud of our effort. It was dialed in. It was good.
"I loved our fight. I wish our shots had gone down."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Victory was within reach. It was. Indiana had top-ranked UCLA, this season's most dominant team in women's college basketball, in its sights.
Did it deliver a victory?
No. The Bruins won 73-62 Saturday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Did it suggest something special is tantalizingly close?
Absolutely.
"There's a fight to this group," IU coach Teri Moren said. "They're connected. It's a cohesive group."
She paused.
"We're still one of the best teams in the Big Ten."
UCLA is the best with a 4-0 conference record, 15-0 overall, with 14 straight double-digit victories. IU (10-4, 2-1) is among the teams pushing to challenge.
"They did a very impressive job," Bruins coach Cori Close said.
A few key made shots, a few big defensive stops and the Hoosiers might have rocked the college world. They outscored UCLA 41-40 in the second half, and basically played the Bruins to a first-quarter draw, huge against a team that had been blowing out opponents by 30 points a game.
"We were prepared," guard Chloe Moore-McNeil said. "We were optimistic. We knew they would go on their runs, and we'd go on ours. It was just staying the course."
This wasn't about a moral victory. IU under Moren is way beyond that given it has reached two Sweet Sixteens, plus an Elite Eight, in the last four seasons. It was about continuing to build and grow toward another big postseason run.
"Every game gives you something to improve on," Moren said. "We did a lot of good things."
Beating UCLA requires great things, such as magical perimeter shooting, ferocious 40-minute defense and crisp overall execution.
The Hoosiers never found that magic, going just 4-for-21 from three-point range with eight assists against 13 turnovers.
"We had good shots," Moren said. "They didn't go down. If they had, it might have been a different outcome."
Guard Yarden Garzon, one of the Big Ten's best three-point shooters, was just 1-for-8 from beyond the arc, although she did finish with a team-high 19 points.
"It's frustrating when you have open shots and you don't make them," Garzon said. "But my coaches and teammates want me to keep shooting. I'm confident about my shot because of them. No matter what, it's go to the next play."
Moore-McNeil has developed into one of the Big Ten's best perimeter defenders. She had a big test with UCLA's Kiki Rice, considered one of the nation's top point guards. Rice had 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting, along with seven assists and three turnovers.
"Chloe was terrific against Kiki," Moren said. "It was a big challenge."
Added Rice: "She is a great defender. She's one of the better ones I've faced this season. It was a tough matchup."
Finesse had no part in this game.
"UCLA was really physical," said Moren, who had hoped to negate that with a fast pace. "They slowed us down. I tried to get us to run harder and faster."
Physicality came with a foul cost. IU's Karoline Striplin (six points, three rebounds) and Sydney Parrish (three steals, three rebounds, two points) each fouled out. UCLA's Angela Dugalic fouled out, and Gabriela Jaquez finished with four.
"Sydney getting in foul trouble hurt us," Moren said. "We couldn't be as aggressive as we wanted to be."
The Hoosiers totaled 24 fouls, many coming late as they sent the Bruins to the free throw line hoping for enough misses to wipe out the deficit that peaked at 16 points. They twice got within eight points in the final minute. UCLA, which had 22 fouls, was 12-for-19 from the line.
Close praised the Hoosiers and the way her team responded to its biggest Big Ten road test of the season.
"Teri is an excellent coach. They have a good team. They played well.
"I've been challenging our team to be willing to win ugly, to win in a gritty way and not a pretty way. I'm impressed with our growth and maturity in that area."
The second quarter, which the Bruins won 15-5, was decisive.
"We got them out of rhythm of what they were trying to do," Close said. "We wanted to force them into difficult shots late into the shot clock."
Added Moren: "The second quarter was tough for us. They sped us up. Our shots didn't fall."
Hoosier surges -- and the resulting huge crowd roars -- showcased Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall's intimidating status. This was UCLA's first visit as a Big Ten member.
"This was one of the places I was excited to come to," Rice said. "It was a lot of fun, even with facing a ton of fans who weren't rooting for you."
UCLA's imposing size, led by 6-7 Lauren Betts, who finished with a game-high 25 points, disrupted early. The Hoosiers adjusted, made plays and energized the crowd of 11,550 into an intimidating force.
That might have rattled a lesser opponent. The Bruins elevated their play, although not without stiff Hoosier resistance.
IU rallied from an early 18-7 deficit with a 7-0 run to end the first quarter down 18-16. UCLA scored 15 of the next 18 points before a Striplin buzzer beater made it a 33-21 halftime score.
The Hoosiers picked up the third-quarter pace and closed within 49-41 on a three-point Shay Ciezki play before the quarter ended with the Bruins leading 56-44.
A Striplin basket got IU within 10 points with three minutes remaining. A Meister free throw did the same thing with two minutes left. Two Garzon free throws again made it a 10-point margin 50 seconds later. IU twice got within eight points on a pair of Julianna LaMendola free throws and a Lilly Meister layup, but no closer.
"We had a good game plan," Moren said. "I'm proud of our effort. It was dialed in. It was good.
"I loved our fight. I wish our shots had gone down."
Players Mentioned
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