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IU women's basketball rallies to 13th straight win, beats Penn State for 5-0 Big Ten start

Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star
·4 min read

BLOOMINGTON — Another game, another win for IU women’s basketball. IU (14-1, 5-0 Big Ten) picked up its 13th straight win, beating Penn State (10-5, 1-3), 75-67, on Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Here are the reasons No. 13 Indiana avoided an upset defeat before its showdown at No. 3 Iowa on Saturday.

Sydney Parrish continues her run

After a season-high 20 points at Nebraska on Sunday, Sydney Parrish continues to score effectively. Parrish matched that mark with another 20 points Wednesday.

This marks Parrish’s third consecutive game scoring in double figures. Parrish had a slow start to the season, averaging 7.2 points per game and shooting 31.1% from the field in the Hoosiers’ first six outings. Since then, Parrish has shot the skin off the basketball and scored in double figures in six of IU’s past nine games.

Parrish has always been vital to what Indiana does. Listed as one of the four guards in Indiana’s starting lineup, Parrish typically guards opponents’ power forwards while providing the spacing for center Mackenzie Holmes to work in the paint. With the Hoosiers not rostering as much depth as they did last season, the offensive punch from the 2020 IndyStar Miss Basketball holds even more significance.

Parrish has scored in double figures in four of IU’s five Big Ten games. If she continues to pose a dangerous scoring threat, IU will have a solid chance of repeating as Big Ten champions.

IU wins at the charity stripe

The biggest difference in the game was the disparity in freebies. IU shot 21-of-27 on its free throws while Penn State was only 12-of-23.

This margin at the line opposes what the season averages said coming in. Indiana made 69.3% of its free throws prior to Wednesday, and Penn State was at 77.3%. The Hoosiers’ ability to shake their free-throw woes was a big part of them picking up another win.

Not only was IU’s percentage at the line encouraging, but so was the volume of attempts. IU has struggled to draw fouls throughout the year, attempting 17 free throws per game before this one. On a night when IU didn’t make too many shots from the field and 3-point range, getting to the line and converting made the difference.

IU tightens up in the paint

Indiana is usually the team that dominates inside because of Holmes. But in the first half Wednesday, Penn State got the best of the Hoosiers inside, outscoring Indiana 30-18 in the paint.

Whether it was the post play of center Ali Brigham or the constant attacks by Penn State guards, the Nittany Lions found ways to score at the cup early. Indiana’s defense was flustered against a squad that’s typically perimeter-oriented.

But in the second half, the IU defense stiffened up and ended what was essentially a layup line for Penn State. Penn State finished the game with 46 points in the paint. The Hoosiers guarded with much more intensity after falling behind 45-36 early in the third quarter. After a bucket and an IU timeout, the game (and the Hoosiers’ defense) flipped on its head.

When Indiana plays Iowa and star point guard Caitlin Clark on Saturday, limiting Clark’s penetration will be necessary. To slow down the electric Hawkeyes’ offense, Indiana needs the entirety of that game to look like the second half did against Penn State.

No. 14 Indiana 75, Penn St. 67

PENN ST. (10-5): Pinto 0-0 1-4 1, Brigham 6-16 2-2 14, Ciezki 4-13 2-2 12, Kapinus 6-9 3-10 15, Valladay 5-10 2-3 13, Hall 2-4 0-0 4, Lavelle 0-0 0-0 0, Campbell 1-2 0-0 2, Marisa 2-5 2-2 6, Murray 0-0 0-0 0, Oden 0-2 0-0 0, Totals 26-61 12-23 67

INDIANA (14-1): Holmes 10-16 1-1 21, Garzon 3-8 0-0 7, Moore-McNeil 5-15 6-8 16, Parrish 5-9 8-10 20, Scalia 2-9 6-8 11, Meister 0-0 0-0 0, Bargesser 0-2 0-0 0, Beaumont 0-0 0-0 0, LaMendola 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 25-59 21-27 75

Penn St. 21 18 12 16 — 67

Indiana 17 17 21 20 — 75

3-Point Goals—Penn St. 3-10 (Ciezki 2-5, Kapinus 0-1, Valladay 1-2, Hall 0-1, Marisa 0-1), Indiana 4-14 (Garzon 1-2, Moore-McNeil 0-1, Parrish 2-6, Scalia 1-5). Assists_Penn St. 9 (Marisa 2, Valladay 2), Indiana 11 (Moore-McNeil 4). Fouled Out_Penn St. Kapinus, Indiana Bargesser. Rebounds_Penn St. 37 (Brigham 7), Indiana 37 (Holmes 13). Total Fouls_Penn St. 23, Indiana 17. Technical Fouls_None. A_8,516.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana women's basketball beats Penn State, sets up huge Iowa clash