INDIANAPOLIS – 9-seed Indiana gave everything it had in a tough battled with top-seeded USC in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal, falling 84-79, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
KEY MOMENTS
Graduate student guard Sydney Parrish got Indiana (19-12) going early with back-to-back buckets in a back-and-forth first quarter that featured five ties and three lead changes. Junior guard Yarden Garzon piled on IU’s early lead with a 3-pointer on the right baseline made it 7-2.
But USC (26-3) countered with a 7-0 run of their own to even things out but Indiana got back-to-back buckets from junior forward Lilly Meister and graduate student guard Chloe Moore-McNeil to take a 14-11 lead and force a timeout. The Trojans had another run late in the first as it pushed ahead by five, 23-18.
Indiana’s deficit was by as many as eight early in the second but Moore-McNeil’s back door layup along with a pair of field goals from Ciezki pulled it back within two, 31-29. Garzon’s 3-pointer kept the margin at two with 1:31 to go but USC hit the final field goal of the frame and took a 38-34 lead at the break.
Ciezki had a pair of buckets as IU started the third off on an 8-2 run to take a 42-40 lead. Sophomore guard Juju Watkins regain the lead for the Trojans, which grew to as many as seven. Late in the third, Indiana used a five-point run from Garzon to come within two, 59-57, headed to the fourth.
Garzon kept IU’s deficit at just two with 7:25 remaining but the Trojans started to pull away as a transition 3-pointer put them up seven. Ciezki got IU back within five on her own transition three pointer but wouldn’t get any closer.
NOTABLE
Indiana made its 23rd appearance in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Friday’s matchup.
Garozn paced IU with 23 points and tied a team-high eight rebounds. She hit five 3-pointers and was a perfect 6-for-6 fat the line.
Three others had double figures including Moore-McNeil (17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists), Ciezki (15 points) and senior forward Karoline Striplin (10 points
The Hoosiers were 25-for-27 at the line on the afternoon.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will await its postseason bid which will be announced on Sunday, March 16.
