INDIANAPOLIS – For the second time this season, Indiana women’s basketball entered the fourth quarter trailing by just one possession against USC, and for the second time, Indiana wasn’t able to
overcome the second-ranked Trojans, losing 84-79 on Friday.
Despite giving the Trojans two of their toughest challenges of the year, Indiana hasn’t done enough in fourth quarters to beat the best team in the Big Ten.
“I feel like we want everybody to know we are tough,” Indiana guard Yarden Garzon said. “Every game, no matter who we're going to play, we want to win the game. No matter what's your name, what you have on your chest, we're going to want to win this game.”
USC’s athleticism stood out on Friday, as it forced 15 IU turnovers. With the loss, the Hoosiers are eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament in the quarterfinal for the second year in a row.
“They can play with anybody in the country,” IU head coach Teri Moren said of her team. “And we're disappointed that we don't get to play another day, but as a staff, we're really happy.”
Now, the Hoosiers must wait nine days to figure out their fate in the NCAA Tournament. IU has toed the line of the tournament bubble all season long, but most current projections have it in the field of 68. Moren feels “there’s no doubt” that IU should be in the tournament.
“I'm not worried about trying to make a case,” Moren said. “Our team deserves to be in the field.”
Assuming that the Hoosiers do make their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament, they won’t be hosting the first two rounds like they have for the past three seasons. According to ESPN, Indiana is projected
to be a No. 10 seed, which would mean it would have to travel to the arena of a No. 2 seed for the first two rounds.
Indiana has struggled to overcome the cream of the crop this year, as its best win came on Feb. 20 against Ohio State, who ESPN projects as a 5-seed. To get to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year,
Indiana will have to beat one of the country’s best teams in their arena.
“Who we play, where we go really won't matter,” Moren said. “We know that the next tournament is kind of similar to this. If you don't win, you're done, right? I feel really good about our group as far as competitive energy level, experience, all of it. We'll be ready.”
Indiana won’t play for another two weeks. After the Hoosiers had two weeks off between the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments last season, they won two games and gave South Carolina, the eventual national champions, a fight in the Sweet 16. This year’s team could use a revitalization like that.
Indiana needs to play its best basketball of the season when the NCAA Tournament comes around. The Hoosiers need to play like they have against USC, except they’ll have to close out better in win-or-go-home situations.
