Indiana women’s basketball looked like its season was going to end unceremoniously.
The fourth-seeded Hoosiers trailed undefeated South Carolina, the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, by 22 points with 7:30 remaining in the third quarter in Friday’s Sweet 16 game. But IU continued fighting hard, turned the game around, and controlled things for most of the second half. The Hoosiers trailed by just two points with less than a minute to play in the game.
But ultimately, Indiana left itself with too much to overcome. The Gamecocks escaped with a 79-75 win at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y.
Indiana (26-6) hit 13 3-pointers as a team, the most South Carolina (35-0) has allowed to an opponent all season. But IU’s 14 turnovers proved very costly, as the Gamecocks scored 19 points off them.
South Carolina led at halftime, 49-32. Indiana hung around for parts of the half, and got as close as six in the second quarter. But the Gamecocks just overpowered the Hoosiers in all facets of the game through the first two quarters.
That continued into the third quarter, as USC’s lead topped 20 points in the first few minutes. But the Hoosiers came up with a huge response, outscoring the Gamecocks the rest of the quarter by 12 points. That cut IU’s deficit down to 10 points.
Indiana kept it going into the fourth quarter, outscoring USC 20-14 in the final period. IU shot 55.2 percent from the field in the second half, and went 7 for 16 from 3-point range. It nearly led to the biggest win in program history.
Third-team All-American Mackenzie Holmes was locked down for most of the game by second-team selection Kamilla Cardoso. Cardoso is several inches taller than Holmes, and used the size advantage to her benefit. IU’s all-time leading scorer had less space to operate in the paint for much of the game, and had to settle for some 3-pointers in the first half. But she still made some big plays. The graduate student, in her final game as a Hoosier, shot 5 for 12 for 12 points, and she added four rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal. Cardoso, meanwhile, led the Gamecosks with 22 points.
Outside the arc, South Carolina keyed in on Sara Scalia defensively. The fifth-year wasn’t able to get the consistent open looks she thrives with — she created a few for herself, but there wasn’t a lot available for Scalia. She shot 5 for 12 from the field and 2 for 6 from 3-point range for 12 points, with five rebounds and two assists.
USC was clearly more comfortable allowing more space to Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon than Scalia. And that duo capitalized.
Parrish went on a personal 8-0 run in the third quarter. She played an important role in IU’s offense, with Holmes having a tougher night. The senior guard finished the game with a team-high 21 points on a 7-for-14 line, including a 5-for-10 mark from 3-point range. Parrish scored 16 points in the second half, a huge reason for Indiana’s comeback. She also chipped in two steals and a block.
Garzon stepped up with some big shots throughout the game to keep IU within striking distance. The sophomore shot 6 for 15 and 3 for 9 from 3-point range for 16 points. Garzon tied for the team lead with six rebounds, and added three assists.
Chloe Moore-McNeil chipped in 12 points on a 4-of-7 clip, including going 3 for 4 from 3-point range. She also led IU with three steals and eight assists, and tied Garzon with a team-high six rebounds.
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