BLOOMINGTON — After over a week since its last game, Indiana women’s basketball looked more rested than rusted.
IU completely dominated Bellarmine on Sunday, running away with a 95-61 win at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The Hoosiers (8-3) pulled away quickly, with 27 points in the first quarter that put them ahead by 13 points. They went on to lead 54-30 at halftime, completing — perhaps — their strongest half of the season.
Teri Moren’s squad kept rolling in the second half, but it was the first half that really set the tone.
IU shot a whopping 67.7 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes, with a 6 for 12 mark from 3-point range. It capitalized on its opportunities, turning 11 Bellarmine turnovers into 15 points.
Karoline Striplin, coming off a monster game at Penn State, picked up where she left off. The Tennessee transfer scored 15 points in the first half with four rebounds, and she finished the game with 18 points and six rebounds — both team-highs.
Sandvik stepping up
Junior Henna Sandvik had trouble making an impact during Indiana’s cold start to the season.
But she’s started to settle in of late. The Finland native came off the bench and led the Hoosiers in plus/minus in their last game at Penn State, at plus-30. She maintained her positive momentum on Sunday, with a career-high 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Sandvik went 3 for 5 from 3-point range, and she added six rebounds and two blocks.
IU’s depth has been critical early this season, whether positively or negatively, with the various injuries the team’s dealt with. Sophomore Lenée Beaumont remains out indefinitely, and graduate student Sydney Parrish has missed five straight games after suffering an injury in the Bahamas — although she did warm up ahead of Sunday’s game.
But Sandvik has emerged as a key piece off the bench for Indiana, and a player who could continue seeing significant minutes even when Parrish returns.
Strong ball movement
IU’s passing was on point all afternoon against Bellarmine.
The Hoosiers recorded 27 assists as a team on 37 made field goals, both season-highs. They also did a good job taking care of the ball, with only 11 turnovers. And just two of those giveaways went down as a bad-pass turnover in the official stats.
Yarden Garzon led Indiana in the passing department with six assists, to go along with her 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Chloe Moore McNeil and Jules LaMendola each added five assists, and Shay Ciezki and Lexus Bargesser chipped in four apiece.
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