Confident IU South Bend women's basketball team ready to prove itself

Will the third time be the charm for the Indiana University South Bend women's basketball team?

The Titans definitely believe that it will be.

No. 19 IUSB makes its third straight appearance in the NAIA National Tournament with high hopes this time around. The Titans, who have been sidelined in the 64-team field in the first round each of the past two years, have a definite goal in mind.

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"We had three goals at the start of the season and we've checked the boxes on the first two of winning the CCAC regular season title and the CCAC tournament championship," said IUSB coach Steve Bruce. "The third one was to make it to the Sweet 16 of the national tournament. Now is the time to do that."

IUSB, sporting a program best 30-1 mark, meets Grand View University (Iowa) Friday at 6:30 pm ET in the DSU Fieldhouse on the Dakota State campus in Madison, South Dakota. The winner will play either host Dakota State or Science & Arts (Oklahoma) Saturday at 7 pm ET with a spot in the Sweet 16 in Sioux City, Iowa March 21-26 on the line.

Dakota State, at 25-6, is a No. 4 seed with Grand View University the No. 5 seed at 27-4 and Science & Arts a No. 13 seed at 19-10. The Titans are a No. 12 seed.

The Titans, whose appearance in the national event in 2022 was the program's first since 2005, have rolled to the best season ever in impressive fashion. They started 24-0, went 19-1 to win the CCAC regular season crown and then won three games in five days on their homecourt to win the CCAC tourney title for the second straight year. They boast an average margin of victory of 24 points per game., average 11 steals per game, outrebound their opponents by 12 per contest and have made 491 free throws while their foes have attempted 420.

Bruce, now in his 18th season, says the recipe for tourney success is a simple one.

"We just need to be the team we have been all season," Bruce said. "We do not need to do anything different. It just needs to be business as usual for us come Friday. Our expectation is that it's time for us to move on in the tournament this year."

The Titans went 28-3 overall a year ago and lost 73-68 to the University of Jamestown in the first round of the national tourney.

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Bruce sports a team full of veterans, led by the trio of fifth-year guards Maddie and Katie Gard, sisters from Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and Emma Fisher. Fisher hails from Oxford, Indiana and played at Benton Central High School.

"Those three have changed our program," said Bruce. "They deserve to get to the Sweet 16. They all have a competitive stamina and just hate to lose."

Maddie Gard has been a two-time NAIA All-American and is the top scorer in IUSB hoops history for women or men with 1,934 points. The previous women's scoring record was 1,602 points by Tiffany Crist from 1993-97, while the men's mark was 1,750 points by Rex Betzner from 1997-2001. Gard averages 17.2 ppg to go with six rebounds.

"Maddie has set the scoring record, but what I point out is that she's become our best defender during her career here," Bruce stated. "That just speaks to her character, her leadership, her maturity. She's selfless and a role model for the younger players in our program. It's been a blessing for us to have both Maddie and her sister Katie both here."

The Titans have also gotten a bigtime season from Jazmen Watts. The senior guard transferred to IUSB after playing at Bethel University in Mishawaka for two years. The former South Bend Riley star is averaging 13.2 ppg. with 51 treys and 62 steals, one of four players with 60 or more this season.

"Jazmen has been a perfect fit since she came into our program prior to last season," Bruce stated. "She has stepped into her role as a starter for us this season and taken advantage of it. She's who she is now and that's a terrific scorer. She can score at all three levels. She's eager to learn and has been a pleasure to have here."

The confidence level of the Titans is sky high, according to stars Maddie Gard and Watts.

"My confidence is very high and we are not ready to be done yet," said Maddie Gard. "Our motivation is through the roof to earn the respect we deserve. We definitely have a chip on our shoulder. I haven't even given a thought to this being my last games yet. That's not even in my mind."

Watts, who scored 1,332 career points at Riley, also thinks her team is ready to show people how good they are.

"We're very eager to show people who we are," said Watts, who averaged over 21 ppg. her senior season at Riley. "I think that we want it more than any team. IUSB as a whole, not just basketball, does not get the recognition it deserves.

"I'm very confident and I know my team is confident behind me too. Things are different this year. We have a different mentality. We have so much heart."

The Titans depend heavily on starters Maddie and Katie Gard, Watts, Fisher and junior Tenleigh Phelps. All average between 28-31 minutes per game. Phelps, a transfer from NCAA Division I Youngstown State, is the team's top scorer at 20 ppg. and top rebounder at 7.9 per contest while shooting 61 percent from the field. Katie Gard averages 15.3 ppg. and leads the team with 80 treys, while Fisher averages 7.5 points and 6.7 rebounds and leads the team with 144 assists.

"Our defense is really the key for us," said Gard. "When we outrebound and outcompete opponents we are hard to beat. And that's definitely the key for us in the tournament. It's a new game now and we are ready."

Watts says her team is well prepared to make a tournament run.

"Coach has given us everything we need to be ready," Watts said. "We just have to go out and execute. That's it. We just have to communicate, box out and not take any possessions off. "

IUSB has also received strong play from top reserves Sullivan Kessler, a 5-6 junior guard from Butler, Indiana, and freshman center Porter Barickman, who hails from Delaware, Ohio. The pair have been key with junior guard Amaya Rufus and freshman center Ashlee Schram lost to injuries this season.

"Kessler has been our most valuable presence," said Bruce. "She's tough and a competitor."

Bruce, who is also the Executive Director of Athletics at IUSB, believes this is the time for his program to take that next step.

"My confidence level in this team is a 10 out of a 10," Bruce emphasized. "That's because of the preparation that we have put into this. We've done everything in our power and everything we need to do to be ready.

"Our players have done everything that we have asked of them. Now it's time to move forward and take another step."

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Indiana University South Bend women's basketball eyes NAIA tournament