No. 3 IU women's basketball suffers 'disappointing' first loss as MSU exploits blueprint
Even as third-ranked IU women’s basketball remained undefeated through the end of the nonconference season, the formula for at least playing the Hoosiers competitively, if not beating them, was beginning to form.
IU is at its best when it controls the tempo and is able to get set up in its patient, methodical offense, when Mackenzie Holmes is getting opportunities inside, and the ball is pinballing around the perimeter until an open look from 3-point range comes into focus.
A common thread in Indiana’s weaker performances throughout the year was committing more turnovers than their 12.7 per game entering Thursday. Teams like Penn State in early December amped up the pressure in every part of the court to force the Hoosiers to hurry and play at an uncomfortable pace.
Michigan State (9-5, 1-2) pressed against IU. It trapped. It created chaos on defense while staying disciplined and forcing Indiana to play more 1-on-1 on the perimeter than it usually does. The Hoosiers committed 21 turnovers in the 83-78 loss as the Spartans followed the blueprint of how to beat them more effectively than any other team this season.
“Michigan State deserved to win this game today,” IU coach Teri Moren said.
Why IU lost to Michigan State:Hoosiers struggle offensively in first loss of year
Indiana’s starting lineup includes Yarden Garzon, one of the best 3-point shooters in the country at 51.7% and Sara Scalia, a specialist from deep who shot 41.3% from beyond the arc as a junior at Minnesota a year ago. IU was 3-for-12 from deep against Michigan State as the Spartans often avoided helping away from the wings.
Double teams down low on Holmes weren’t especially aggressive. She scored a career-high 32 points, but didn’t have her usual opportunities to kick out to shooters. The defense allowed Spartan guards to stay tight on Scalia, who had trouble creating her own shot and couldn’t find a rhythm from beyond the arc. She finished with four points on 2-of-6 shooting, missing all three attempts from beyond the arc.
“You gotta find other ways to score, whether that’s running the floor harder, whether that’s being a great screener with some of our action, but we need more out of Sara Scalia, there’s no doubt,” Moren said. “We have all kinds of quick hits, but right now, Sara needs to have confidence in shooting the ball.”
The soft press MSU ran throughout the game forced one 10-second violation, but was successful in making IU (12-1, 2-1) uncomfortable. It forced extra passes and prevented the Hoosiers from getting into their sets immediately.
A half-court trap that made frequent appearances had a similar effect, causing turnovers and disrupting the flow of Indiana’s offense.
“We made some passes cross-court when they were pressing us that we knew weren’t gonna get through, which we worked on in practice, so it was kind of disappointing to have that happen in a game,” Holmes said. “We’re all responsible for those mistakes down the stretch, but we were just a little undisciplined with the ball tonight.”
Able to force turnovers, Michigan State was the first team to fully take advantage of the lack of Grace Berger on the floor for IU. The fifth-year guard is still out indefinitely with a knee injury, and the Hoosiers have missed her ability to slow a game down and adjust to pressure.
Michigan State saw an opportunity with Berger gone and the cracks in Indiana's foundation present without her.
"You know how well Grace takes care of the ball," Moren said. "Maybe teams, I think, would maybe have a different perspective on trying to press us."
How to beat the Hoosiers is now on film, and IU needs to adjust before other teams can take advantage.
Michigan St. 83, No. 4 Indiana 78
INDIANA (12-1): Holmes 12-17 8-10 32, Garzon 7-11 1-1 17, Moore-McNeil 4-7 3-4 11, Parrish 4-10 1-2 10, Scalia 2-6 0-0 4, Geary 0-0 0-0 0, Bargesser 2-2 0-0 4, Sandvik 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 31-53 13-17 78
MICHIGAN ST. (9-5): Alexander 1-3 3-6 5, Ekh 7-9 3-4 18, Hagemann 4-9 4-5 15, McDaniel 10-17 4-6 24, Ozment 0-2 1-2 1, Parks 7-9 4-6 18, Ayrault 1-4 0-0 2, Hallock 0-0 0-0 0, Joiner 0-1 0-0 0, Visscher 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 30-54 19-29 83
Indiana 15 18 18 27 — 78
Michigan St. 19 16 22 26 — 83
3-Point Goals—Indiana 3-12 (Garzon 2-4, Moore-McNeil 0-1, Parrish 1-4, Scalia 0-3), Michigan St. 4-9 (Ekh 1-1, Hagemann 3-5, McDaniel 0-1, Ozment 0-1, Ayrault 0-1). Assists_Indiana 19 (Moore-McNeil 7), Michigan St. 18 (Hagemann 8). Fouled Out_Indiana Parrish. Rebounds_Indiana 25 (Holmes 12), Michigan St. 26 (Parks 8). Total Fouls_Indiana 21, Michigan St. 17. Technical Fouls_None. A_4,533.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU women's basketball: Hoosiers struggle with Michigan State press
