Indiana women’s basketball is turning its season around as much as it can after a bitter 0-10 start in the Big Ten.
THE Hoosiers have won five of their seven games so far in February, moving their ranking from dead last in the conference to 14th place, at 5-12 after a 79-69 victory over Rutgers Wednesday night in Piscataway, New Jersey.
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It was a win that, even against a team with one win in the Big Ten, Indiana had to fight for in the second half. The Hoosiers entered halftime in the second half having turned the ball over 14 times, then turned it over just four times in the second half to secure their fifth Big Ten victory of the season.
“It was just the coach coming in at halftime and saying his point of view, that’s for sure,” Senior Shay Ciezki said. “It kind of made us realize that, okay, we needed to get things in order a little bit. I think we came out slow. But it was good that we kind of came together and kept it basic, the main thing, and made sure we took care of the ball down the stretch.”
Several elements have contributed to IU’s recent turnaround. The Hoosiers, who returned just one starter in Ciezki and have several freshmen in their starting lineup, have struggled to begin Big Ten play with four ranked teams through their first six games. Indiana was playing experienced, connected teams like Maryland, Iowa, Michigan State and Nebraska while simultaneously trying to figure out how the new roster worked together.
While the schedule slowed down in the second half of the Big Ten season, it gave the Hoosiers some breathing space. Indiana picked up its first Big Ten win against Northwestern, a team that is now eliminated from the conference tournament, and it took some pressure off the Hoosiers’ backs. Indiana ended up stringing together three wins in a row, beating Wisconsin (13th in the Big Ten) and Purdue (14th in the Big Ten).
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These victories gave the Hoosiers, especially being as young as they are, crucial confidence. It allowed Indiana to see what worked, to see that the work being done was paying off. Indiana has learned to close out these close games, just like this win at Rutgers.
“I think there’s definitely pressure for us to win these games,” Ciezki said. “We think one of our big goals is obviously to make the Big Ten Tournament, so that was probably our biggest motivation these last couple of games, just digging in and staying focused and getting what we want. So I think that added pressure helped a lot of people step up and give more towards the end of the season.”
“We all trust him.” How Shay Ciezki became a leader in Indiana women’s basketball
Indiana is now 5-12 in the Big Ten, ranking 14th with one game remaining. Although the Hoosiers have yet to clinch a spot in the Big Ten tournament, which features the top 15 teams, they have control of their destiny. Indiana will advance to the conference playoffs with a win against Penn State on Saturday or a loss to Purdue or Wisconsin.
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And coach Teri Moren thinks her team has what it takes to make it to Indianapolis — provided they can set their start starting Wednesday night.
“These guys understand what they need to do to get to the Big Ten tournament,” Moren said. “It shouldn’t be pressure. We’re playing better basketball. I think they feel it, that’s the most important thing, right, but what I’ll tell you is we can’t come out like we did tonight against Penn State (Saturday) and think we’re good. We just can’t do that. And so our sense of urgency, our focus, our ability to take care of the ball better, our discernment on that what a good shot for us, it all counts. It was a good wake up call, I think, for our group.
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This article was originally published on the Indianapolis Star: Indiana women’s basketball score vs. Rutgers, Big Ten tournament odds
