Indiana women’s basketball beats Columbia in Battle 4 Atlantis opener

After a rough start, with early losses to Harvard and Butler, Indiana women’s basketball seems to be starting to get back on track.

The Hoosiers opened their 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis with a 72-62 win against Columbia on Saturday evening in The Bahamas, but not without battling the Lions all the way through. IU’s largest lead through three quarters was only three points, and a total of 12 lead changes made Indiana’s first test at the Atlantis Resort a tough one.

But Indiana did well to close the game out, finishing on a 12-2 run over the last two minutes.

Indiana (3-2) had some offensive struggles in the game. They shot 45.6% from the field including just 5-for-18 from three. Taking care of the ball was also an issue for the Hoosiers. They finished with 16 turnovers.

The Hoosiers owned the glass, finishing with 42 total rebounds compared to Columbia’s 30, and they rebounded well offensively with 11. Indiana also shot 21 free throws compared to Columbia’s five, and converted on 15 of those chances.

Junior wing Yarden Garzon earned her first double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She was also 5-of-5 from the free throw line and 3-for-7 from three. Center Lilly Meister was quiet in the first half for Indiana with six points but found a groove in the second. She finished with 20 total points on 10-for-15 shooting from the field.

Sydney Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil each finished with 10 points.

Torvik No. 58 Columbia (4-2) struggled to find any rhythm from beyond the arc, finishing 4-for-24 from three and 27-for-68 overall (39.7%). The Hoosiers forced 11 turnovers, adding insult to a cold night offensively for the Lions.

It was the second straight win for IU after they beat Stanford last weekend.

The Hoosiers will be in for a test on Sunday. Indiana plays No. 18 Baylor tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.