‘Hard to Beat’ – NCAA Tourney Brings Out Hoosiers’ Best
3/21/2025 8:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
COLUMBIA, SC. - Chloe Moore-McNeil saw the big picture, a 20-12 Indiana team that rises to the postseason challenge, consistency borne from 10 straight 20-win seasons, six straight NCAA tourney opening-round victories and a sense, after beating Utah 76-68 Friday afternoon, that something really big is coming.
"I think we're a great team when we want to be," Moore-McNeil said. "When we're sharing the ball and have good defensive stops. When we do that, we're hard to beat. I think we always play our best during tournament time."
The senior guard got no argument from coach Teri Moren, who is now 7-0 in first round NCAA tourney games.
"We understand that if we don't play well, this could be the last game. There's a different level of urgency when you're playing in the NCAA Tournament. There's excitement that surrounds it, too.
"We have a veteran team. The surrounding cast wants those seniors to go out the right way. You might categorize this as a team that plays better in March, but I think the reason why we came out the way we did, the toughness that we showed, the resilience, all of it, had more to do with the fact that the surrounding cast wanted (the seniors) to win this game."
Moore-McNeil set the tone with 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals, but she had plenty of help, especially in the third quarter, when a halftime nailbiter became a display of Hoosier possibilities.
They scored 27 third-quarter points after totaling just 31 in the opening 20 minutes by making 10 of 12 shots. They shot 58 percent from the field overall. They also cranked up the defense in taking control they never lost after falling behind 28-22.
Eighth-seeded Utah (22-9) had no counter.
"We always make it a point of emphasis to not let up and keep our foot on the gas pedal," Moore-McNeil said. "We did do a great job of that, whether it was playing fast and running in transition or setting those drags or executing our plays."
Execution peaked late in the third quarter from a 60-foot, cross-court pass from Moore-McNeil to junior guard Shay Ciezki, a Penn State transfer in her first Hoosier season and first NCAA tourney, to boost the Hoosiers to a 48-39 lead.
"That goes to show that our chemistry has grown a lot," Moore-McNeil said. "We've been through a lot of adversity with this team, a lot of ups and downs. We've had some tough wins, but also had some hard losses. Seeing things like that, having that chemistry grow, it's a good thing and I'm happy it's happened.
Added Ciezki: "All she has to do is give me a look, and I just know to sprint my butt a little bit harder."
Guard Yarden Garzon was an all-court force with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Ciezki was right behind her with 16 points and a pair of three-pointers. Guard Sydney Parrish had eight points and eight rebounds.
Who needs three-point shooting (IU, one of the Big Ten's best long-range-shooting teams, was just 5-for-17 beyond the arc) when you dominate the paint (forwards Lilly Meister and Karoline Striplin combined for 21 points)?
"Lilly and Strip did such a great job of being there for one another," Moren said. "When Strip went out, Lilly impacted the game; and when Lilly went out, Strip did the same.
"I'm really happy with our guard play. Chloe and Shay and Yarden were, once again, terrific in being able to help us play fast and organized. Syd finally found her shot in the second half. (Guard) Lexi Bargesser gave us great minutes, again, defensively.
"It takes everybody. Our group knows that. We did a lot of good things. Some of these things never show up in (the box score). Our heart and our effort and our toughness won us this game."
A furious start saw 12 lead changes and two ties in a first quarter that ended 17-17. Ciekzki opened things with a three-pointer. Meister took charge with six straight points and ended the quarter 4-for-4 from the field for eight points.
Utah surged ahead 28-22 as IU started 2-for-6 with three turnovers. Then the turnaround began. A pair of Lexus Bargesser free throws and a Karoline Striplin cut the lead to two. Parrish hit a three pointer and Moore-McNeil ended with a basket for a 31-31 halftime tie.
IU opened the third quarter on an 11-4 run fueled by Striplin, Garzon, Ciezki, Moore-McNeil and Meister. A Ciezki basket off that 60-foot feed from Moore-McNeil gave the Hoosiers a 48-39 lead late in the third quarter. They boosted it to 52-41 and ended the quarter ahead 58-47.
IU built a 62-49 lead four minutes into the final quarter. A Ciezki basket ended a 7-0 Utah surge. Parrish hit a three-pointer. Meister added a free throw for a 68-60 lead.
The Utes closed within four points. Moore-McNeil hit a mid-range jumper. Parrish fouled out. Garzon hit a jumper, and then a pair of free throws. Moore-McNeil added two more free throws.
The Hoosiers advanced to Sunday's second-round NCAA tourney shot against top-seed South Carolina (31-3), a 108-48 victor over Tennessee Tech. IU lost by four to the Gamecocks in last year's Sweet Sixteen.
"We have a great amount of respect for them," Moren said. "They're a great team and have had an excellent year. It's going to be a daunting task.
"I have a great staff. We will have a really great scouting report. We will be prepared. Then it always comes down to doing all the things. You've got to hit shots. You got to guard at a high level. You've got to rebound. Then we'll see how we stack up with them."
IUHoosiers.com
COLUMBIA, SC. - Chloe Moore-McNeil saw the big picture, a 20-12 Indiana team that rises to the postseason challenge, consistency borne from 10 straight 20-win seasons, six straight NCAA tourney opening-round victories and a sense, after beating Utah 76-68 Friday afternoon, that something really big is coming.
"I think we're a great team when we want to be," Moore-McNeil said. "When we're sharing the ball and have good defensive stops. When we do that, we're hard to beat. I think we always play our best during tournament time."
The senior guard got no argument from coach Teri Moren, who is now 7-0 in first round NCAA tourney games.
"We understand that if we don't play well, this could be the last game. There's a different level of urgency when you're playing in the NCAA Tournament. There's excitement that surrounds it, too.
"We have a veteran team. The surrounding cast wants those seniors to go out the right way. You might categorize this as a team that plays better in March, but I think the reason why we came out the way we did, the toughness that we showed, the resilience, all of it, had more to do with the fact that the surrounding cast wanted (the seniors) to win this game."
Moore-McNeil set the tone with 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals, but she had plenty of help, especially in the third quarter, when a halftime nailbiter became a display of Hoosier possibilities.
They scored 27 third-quarter points after totaling just 31 in the opening 20 minutes by making 10 of 12 shots. They shot 58 percent from the field overall. They also cranked up the defense in taking control they never lost after falling behind 28-22.
Eighth-seeded Utah (22-9) had no counter.
"We always make it a point of emphasis to not let up and keep our foot on the gas pedal," Moore-McNeil said. "We did do a great job of that, whether it was playing fast and running in transition or setting those drags or executing our plays."
Execution peaked late in the third quarter from a 60-foot, cross-court pass from Moore-McNeil to junior guard Shay Ciezki, a Penn State transfer in her first Hoosier season and first NCAA tourney, to boost the Hoosiers to a 48-39 lead.
"That goes to show that our chemistry has grown a lot," Moore-McNeil said. "We've been through a lot of adversity with this team, a lot of ups and downs. We've had some tough wins, but also had some hard losses. Seeing things like that, having that chemistry grow, it's a good thing and I'm happy it's happened.
Added Ciezki: "All she has to do is give me a look, and I just know to sprint my butt a little bit harder."
Guard Yarden Garzon was an all-court force with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Ciezki was right behind her with 16 points and a pair of three-pointers. Guard Sydney Parrish had eight points and eight rebounds.
Who needs three-point shooting (IU, one of the Big Ten's best long-range-shooting teams, was just 5-for-17 beyond the arc) when you dominate the paint (forwards Lilly Meister and Karoline Striplin combined for 21 points)?
"Lilly and Strip did such a great job of being there for one another," Moren said. "When Strip went out, Lilly impacted the game; and when Lilly went out, Strip did the same.
"I'm really happy with our guard play. Chloe and Shay and Yarden were, once again, terrific in being able to help us play fast and organized. Syd finally found her shot in the second half. (Guard) Lexi Bargesser gave us great minutes, again, defensively.
"It takes everybody. Our group knows that. We did a lot of good things. Some of these things never show up in (the box score). Our heart and our effort and our toughness won us this game."
A furious start saw 12 lead changes and two ties in a first quarter that ended 17-17. Ciekzki opened things with a three-pointer. Meister took charge with six straight points and ended the quarter 4-for-4 from the field for eight points.
Utah surged ahead 28-22 as IU started 2-for-6 with three turnovers. Then the turnaround began. A pair of Lexus Bargesser free throws and a Karoline Striplin cut the lead to two. Parrish hit a three pointer and Moore-McNeil ended with a basket for a 31-31 halftime tie.
IU opened the third quarter on an 11-4 run fueled by Striplin, Garzon, Ciezki, Moore-McNeil and Meister. A Ciezki basket off that 60-foot feed from Moore-McNeil gave the Hoosiers a 48-39 lead late in the third quarter. They boosted it to 52-41 and ended the quarter ahead 58-47.
IU built a 62-49 lead four minutes into the final quarter. A Ciezki basket ended a 7-0 Utah surge. Parrish hit a three-pointer. Meister added a free throw for a 68-60 lead.
The Utes closed within four points. Moore-McNeil hit a mid-range jumper. Parrish fouled out. Garzon hit a jumper, and then a pair of free throws. Moore-McNeil added two more free throws.
The Hoosiers advanced to Sunday's second-round NCAA tourney shot against top-seed South Carolina (31-3), a 108-48 victor over Tennessee Tech. IU lost by four to the Gamecocks in last year's Sweet Sixteen.
"We have a great amount of respect for them," Moren said. "They're a great team and have had an excellent year. It's going to be a daunting task.
"I have a great staff. We will have a really great scouting report. We will be prepared. Then it always comes down to doing all the things. You've got to hit shots. You got to guard at a high level. You've got to rebound. Then we'll see how we stack up with them."
Players Mentioned
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