SIMON SKJODT ASSEMBLY HALL (IUSTV Sports) – In the two years since hiring head coach Shauna Green, Illinois has proven to be a difficult matchup for Indiana. On Thursday, the Fighting Illini took their second in a row in the head-to-head series, winning 68-54. The win was Illinois’ first in Bloomington since 2012.
The game was won in the first quarter. Illinois scored 25, the joint-most that they had conceded in a period this season. The Illini’s tight defense forced Indiana into uncomfortable shots late in the shot clock. This defense aided a 16-0 run in the middle portion of the quarter opening out an early double-digit lead.
“We have to come out a lot harder,” said Sydney Parrish. “We really shot ourselves in the foot.”
The hallmark of Green’s Illini squad is its strength. The same physicality that led to Illinois’ win in Champaign last year made the difference in Assembly Hall. This required Moren to make tactical changes to her usual late-game lineups. Lilly Meister and Yarden Garzon played just seven minutes combined in the second half.
“Yarden had a hard time guarding and obviously [McKenzie] went right at her,” said Moren. “We had to get a more athletic lineup on the floor just to try and do a better job defensively.”
“Lilly has to be better,” Moren added. “As of late she’s just been okay, and right now we don’t need an okay Lilly, we need a really good Lilly to help us.”
Moren thought some of the physicality went too far. She spent multiple timeouts talking to the officiating crew. Despite her objections, Moren said she was not going to use it as an excuse.
"There were a lot of moments, I’m not going to lie, that I didn’t feel like our kids were protected,” said Moren. “When teams are being as physical as Illinois was tonight and there’s nothing being called, we have to be able to work through that.”
Indiana took only 12 shots from behind the arc, the fewest in a game this season. The Illini hounded them on the perimeter. With the Hoosiers outmatched physically on the interior, they were unable to find an offensive rhythm or open up the three-point line.
“People know that a great three-point shooting team and people are going to guard us a lot tighter at the three point line,” said Parrish.
Moren was disappointed with the energy level from some players in the prior day’s practice. While she did not single anyone out, she said they were players that they count on and that it was not the first occurrence.
“Yesterday was not a good day for some of our players in terms of how they approach practice and that’s disappointing,” said Moren. “You practice like you play.”
Indiana falls to 12-5 and 4-2 in Big Ten play. They host No. 4 USC on Sunday at noon.
“We can’t just show up for the big games. We have to show up for all of them,” said Parrish. “We have to turn the page quickly because if we play this way against USC it’s going to be brutal.”
Photo Credit: Kal Graybill
