BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall was rocking after Indiana women’s basketball dominated Purdue today by a 32-point margin, but the cheers weren’t only for the rivalry win.
With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, graduate student Mackenzie Holmes broke the all-time program scoring record with 17 points on the day and now 2,365 in her career. This record was previously held by Tyra Buss who led the Hoosiers from 2014-2018.
“I’m just extremely thankful,” said Holmes post-game. “I’ve played with some really, really amazing people. I play for the best coaches in the country and it’s just a really special thing for me to wear Indiana across my chest every single day and play in Assembly Hall.”
As Holmes crept to just one bucket before surpassing Buss, there was only one person who head coach Teri Moren knew would be getting Holmes the ball.
“We felt very comfortable, confident that we can get Yarden to find her,” said Moren.
Coach Moren mentioned that Holmes and sophomore Yarden Garzon are workout partners and train together often, so it seemed only fitting for Garzon to be the one to find Holmes and get her the ball.
This win also marks Indiana’s 11th time consecutively defeating Purdue and Mackenzie Holmes’ undefeated tenure against the Boilermakers. Head Coach Teri Moren knows the feeling all too well, having done it in her time at Purdue playing against the Hoosiers.
“My teammates and I still cherish that, but she’ll be able to look back and they’ll say the same thing, that she never lost,” said Coach Moren.
While Mackenzie Holmes was the star of the day, some of her teammates also showed out big-time on the floor. Chloe Moore-McNeil locked in a career high 22 points on the day and went 5-5 from three, just one game after her first career triple-double. Moore-McNeil has been even more of a pillar since Sydney Parrish has been injured and has now recorded her sixth straight game putting up double digits.
“That’s one thing you can always count on Chloe for is she’s always going to be ready,” said Coach Moren. “That’s what I love about having her as part of this team.”
Sara Scalia was also big in Indiana’s 20th win of the season, with 19 points and four made threes. Scalia came in just shy of beating Amanda Cahill’s single-season record of three-pointers made, 78, clocking in at 75 by the end of today.
The Hoosiers have a quick turnaround and will travel to Madison, Wisconsin to face off against the Badgers on Wednesday, February 14 with an 8pm EST tip time.
PHOTO COURTESY: Kallan Graybill
