Indiana women’s basketball’s matchups against Iowa in recent years were defined by clashes of top-10 teams and two of the best players in the country in Mackenzie Holmes and Caitlin Clark.
This season’s version carried a different feeling without that star power, so the heat was turned down a bit on this game. And that worked in Indiana’s favor on Sunday. IU controlled the contest for its entirety and defeated Iowa, 74-67, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It’s just the program’s second victory in Iowa City in the last 30 years.
The Hoosiers (12-4, 4-1 Big Ten) played well on both ends of the court. They did their jobs defensively, as Iowa (12-5, 2-4) shot just 34 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes finished the game at 0.905 points per possession. UI standout Lucy Olsen entered the game averaging 17 points per game, but graduate student Chloe Moore-McNeil, an All-Big Ten defensive team selection last year, handled that matchup well. Olsen shot 3 for 12 for eight points.
Offensively, Indiana leaned on a strong 3-point game, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc. That helped the Hoosiers withstand Iowa’s 15 offensive rebounds and 24 points off of their 17 turnovers. They outscored the Hawkeyes in each of the first three quarters, before Iowa made a push near the end of the game to win the final quarter. Indiana scored 1.072 points per possession.
Junior Yarden Garzon is leading IU in scoring on the season at 14.1 points per game, and she led the way for the Hoosiers again on Sunday. The Israeli shot 7 for 8 from the field and 5 for 5 from 3-point range for 21 points, with five rebounds, four assists to five turnovers, one block, and a steal. She’s stepped into a bigger role this season and has handled it with poise.
Moore-McNeil enjoyed her highest-scoring game in over a month. The guard shot 6 for 12 from the field and 2 for 5 from beyond the arc for 18 points, and she added three rebounds, four assists to two turnovers, one block, and one steal. Graduate student Sydney Parrish chipped in 15 points on 5-for-13 shooting, including a 3-for-8 mark from three, and she grabbed five rebounds, and tied Lilly Meister with a team-high three blocks.
Tennessee transfer Karoline Striplin led the Hoosiers in both assists (six) and rebounds (six).
IU returns home to take on Illinois on Thursday.
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