EVANSTON, Ill. — Indiana women’s basketball secured its 900th program victory with a hard-fought 68-64 win over Northwestern on the road Thursday night. Despite not operating at full offensive efficiency, the Hoosiers were propelled by a clutch performance from Shay Ciezki.
The game remained close throughout the fourth quarter, with Indiana holding no more than a two-possession lead. Every field goal by the Hoosiers was met with a swift response from Northwestern, who at one point closed to within a single point. With just under a minute remaining, Ciezki hit an ice-cold step-back three-pointer to put the Hoosiers ahead for good. She would go on to seal the win with two free throws in the final four seconds. Thirteen of Ciezki’s 20 points came in that decisive final stretch, allowing Indiana to improve to 3-1 in Big Ten play.
“Shay was fearless,” said Indiana head coach Teri Moren. “No matter the outcome, she’s always going to give everything she has. She’ll either win by being aggressive, or if we come up short, she’ll still go down with guns blazing.”
While Ciezki was the hero down the stretch, her performance was made possible by the contributions of her teammates. Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon were instrumental in breaking open the offense after a sluggish start. The first two minutes of the game saw both teams with nothing on the board, but Parrish and Garzon’s three-pointers shifted the momentum. Parrish finished with 12 points, while Garzon added 10, both providing the offensive lift
Indiana needed to remain competitive. Karoline Striplin also played a crucial role, her 13 points pacing Indiana to a 31-26 lead at halftime.
Indiana faced continued offensive struggles despite its lead at the break. The Hoosiers shot just 3-for-13 from the field in the second quarter and finished the first half with only 33 percent shooting. Those struggles persisted into the second half, where Indiana ultimately shot just 39 percent from the field overall. The Hoosiers’ defense was a key factor in keeping Northwestern at bay. Indiana forced 12 turnovers and limited the Wildcats to 43 percent shooting for the game, making critical stops in the final minutes to hold on to the lead.
“We’ve been doing this too long to realize that we’ve been in games where you’re supposed to walk in and win, and they get hot, make it a game, and have an opportunity,” said Moren. “You’ve got to fight through that.”
Indiana’s defense was particularly effective in the final moments of the game. Northwestern’s attempts to rally were thwarted by the Hoosiers’ ability to disrupt in the paint combined with the Wildcats six missed free throws down the stretch. This effort gave Indiana’s offense just enough room to finish the game strong, despite their shooting difficulties.
The Hoosiers now look ahead to its next challenge with a road trip to Iowa City, where they will face No. 23 Iowa in an afternoon showdown. Indiana will then return home to Assembly Hall to host Illinois and a highly anticipated matchup against the No. 4 USC Trojans, led by standout freshman Juju Watkins.
