ASSEMBLY HALL — After a five-day hiatus, #14 Indiana returned to Assembly Hall and dismantled the Northwestern Wildcats 100-59.
This win keeps Indiana perfect at home, 11-0. The Hoosiers remain the sole team in the Big 10 with an unblemished record on their home floor.
“There's a sense of pride (playing at home). But knowing that when we have that home court advantage, how important it is, and how hard of an environment a loud Assembly Hall is to play in, and using that to our advantage,” said Mackenzie Holmes
From the opening tip, Indiana controlled the game and never let up. Indiana led for the entirety of the game and at one point led by 50 points.
In multiple instances this season, Indiana has ridden the hot hand, relying on one or two players to pave the way on offense. With a variety of high-level scorers, tonight IU took a different approach, dominating by a committee.
Indiana finished with six different players in double figures, two of which came off the bench. Regardless, Holmes led the charge for IU offensively with 27 points, going 9/14 from the floor, and finished with 5th double-double of the season.
As a unit, the Indiana bench combined for a total of 37 points. Lenee Beaumont and Julianna LaMendola each set a new career high with 11 and 7 points respectively on the day.
Meanwhile, a stagnant Northwestern offense, with minimal off-ball movement, struggled to find open looks and points throughout. The Wildcats continued to miss shots on the interior over the outreaches arms of Meister and Holmes.
Melannie Daley was the primary scorer for Northwestern throughout, finishing the game with a team-high 16 points.
Additionally, Northwestern turned the ball over 17 times, coming off multiple self-inflicted wounds combined with seven Indiana steals. The Hoosiers capitalized on the Wildcats miscues, with 23 points off of these turnovers.
While the Hoosiers put up phenomenal statistics in the box score, it was the effort on both ends that stood out. Diving for loose balls, winning battles on the low block, and more hustle plays gave Indiana a significant edge.
Rather than playing to the level of their opponent, Indiana once again maintained focus and composure in a non marquee matchup. Coach Moren credited the hard work of her bench for constantly competing, regardless of the score.
The Hoosiers now advance to 17-2 overall and 8-1 in conference play. Indiana now looks to build off their three-game win streak into their next matchup vs. Maryland on the road this upcoming Wednesday.
