INDIANAPOLIS — The scene on the closing media timeout Wednesday night time was considered one of frustration for Indiana girls’s basketball.
Lily Meister banged her fist on her seat and the Hoosiers appeared defeated.
Ranked No. 25 within the preseason, Indiana dropped its second straight recreation Wednesday night time, 56-46, to Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers once more struggled in lots of ways in which had already been showcased within the earlier two video games of the season.
Ball management once more induced important points for Indiana, limiting the Hoosiers from creating an offensive rhythm. The Hoosiers completed with 16 turnovers in opposition to the Bulldogs, their third recreation in a row in double digits. Of their first three video games, Indiana has a mixed 61 turnovers.
“Whether or not you need to name it focus lack of, or fatigue creeps in, we nonetheless, I believe, are mature sufficient and sufficiently old to know higher and know the way necessary caring for the ball is.” Teri Moren mentioned postgame.
Indiana’s troubles didn’t cease there. The capturing struggles continued, as Indiana completed 34 p.c from the sphere (17-50). The three-point shot failed to attach, significantly within the second half. The Hoosiers shot simply 6-for-17 from outdoors, making solely two triples within the closing 20 minutes.
The Hoosiers scored solely 9 factors within the third quarter and 9 within the fourth quarter.
“Offensively, we gotta look lots higher,” Moren mentioned. “It begins with caring for the ball. It begins with embracing the physicality, however we gotta shoot the ball higher. We had some nice appears tonight that simply didn’t go down. When was the final time this group had solely six assists? You recognize, they shot 34 p.c and 35 p.c from the three-point line. We aren’t connecting proper now on photographs. It’s a tough recreation when you’ll be able to’t rating.”
The onerous reality is that Indiana’s offense has struggled equally prior to now two video games. Harvard sped the Hoosiers up on the skin, and Butler did, too.
Credit score to each the Crimson and Bulldogs’ protection, however this results in the ball being poked round, a uneven offensive movement and little manufacturing.
“Harvard did the identical factor,” Moren mentioned. “We simply talked to the children about it. That’s so bothersome to our employees, and I do know our gamers. You would use the time period comfortable. That’s a part of the sport planning for Indiana is to be tremendous bodily with our guards. They don’t like that.
“However we’ve to acknowledge that and bow up and be higher. We simply gotta be harder. We gotta be extra bodily, embrace it, and notice that’s what groups are doing to us. They’re actually attempting to be bodily, particularly within the first couple of minutes of the sport. It simply stifled us. Yeah, it’s an issue.”
Moren bluntly expressed her frustration after the sport: Her staff is rattled. Any such basketball hasn’t been seen in Moren’s program in a very long time. A staff with veteran management and items for a stable offense is trying to find solutions. One thing is lacking, and though it’s solely been three video games, rightful considerations have been raised after every recreation.
Sydney Parrish is aware of all of it begins in that locker room and that if Indiana desires issues to alter, modifications should begin from inside.
“We’re a veteran group, and this could actually make us mad,” Parrish mentioned. “We’re so a lot better than that. So a lot better than that. And we all know it. Coach is aware of it, our employees is aware of it, they’re pouring into us, and we’ve to point out what we will do.”
(Photograph credit score: IU Athletics)
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