By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Competitive edge is crucial amid NCAA tourney pressure and the Indiana Hoosiers, facing a two-week game layoff before Friday afternoon’s opening action against Utah (22-8) in Columbia, S.C., are dialed in.
“I think we are peaking at the right time,” guard Sydney Parrish says. “We have enough confidence that we can beat anybody.”
That includes host and top-seed South Carolina (30-3), the likely opponent if IU (19-12) advances to Sunday’s second round. The Gamecocks, the defending national champions, open with No. 16-seed Tennessee Tech (26-5).
“Our coaches have done a good job of keeping us competitive in practice,” Parrish says. “We’ve never had a practice go by where we haven’t played each other at the end, not just our practice players. That’s kept us really (focused) so we don’t get away from how competitive we are in games.”
IU is seeded ninth in the 68-team field. Utah is seeded eighth. The Hoosiers received one of 37 at-large bids thanks to four top-25 wins, a 35 NET ranking and the nation’s 11th toughest schedule.
Six consecutive NCAA tourney appearances have steeled IU for this challenge. Coach Teri Moren and her staff are well versed in postseason preparation. The Hoosiers haven’t played since a Big Ten tourney quarterfinal loss to USC on March 7.
“Our guys are focused in practice,” Moren says. “They may have had more days off than they’re used to, but once they’ve gotten to practice, the enthusiasm and level of competitiveness have been good.”
That includes playing five-on-five against each other as well as the five male practice players.
“We’ve had some very competitive games,” Moren says. “We have to make sure we help them keep their edge and go into this week feeling confident about how they’re playing and practicing. I’ve always said, how you practice is how you’ll play. We’ve had a good week — very productive.”
Beyond the practice competitiveness, the focus is on “fixing the little things,” guard Chloe Moore-McNeil says. “Tidying up what we need to fix. Coach does a great job with the basics.”
In recent years, IU has hosted first- and second-round games. But season-long inconsistency generated by adjusting to the loss of standouts Mackenzie Holmes and Sara Scalia, plus injuries to Lexus
Bargesser, Lenee Beaumont (who has missed the entire season) and Parrish resulted in enough losses to end up with its lowest seed in six years, which means opening tourney play on the road.
The Hoosiers are fine with that, Moore-McNeil says. They did, after all, push South Carolina to the limit in last year’s 79-75 Sweet Sixteen loss in New York. They just wanted the NCAA tourney opportunity.
“You’re always holding your breath waiting to see if you even get into the tournament,” she says. “This is a hard tournament to get into and play in. We’re grateful and blessed that we get to have this experience.”
In the Big Ten tourney, Indiana opened with a 78-62 win over Oregon, then lost to top-seed USC 84-79 despite going 25-for-27 from the free throw line. Moore-McNeil was 10-for-10 on free throws.
The Hoosiers also made 18 three-pointers in those two games.
“We feel good about our last two games,” Moren says. “It said a lot about how resilient this group is and that they can play with anybody in the country if they put their minds to it. Hopefully, our kids have a lot of confidence.”
IU brings more than confidence. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb has praised the Hoosiers’ toughness and said they “are not going to go out without a fight.”
Guard Yarden Garzon said after the Big Ten tourney that toughness gives the Hoosiers an edge.
“No matter what’s your name or what you have on your chest, we’re going to want to win,” she said.
As for Utah, it has lost three of its last five games, including to No. 24 Oklahoma State and No. 18 West Virginia. It earlier lost to then No. 10 TCU and then-No. 12 Kansas State.
Utah’s highlight came with a 78-67 win over then No. 3 Notre Dame in late November’s Cayman Island Classic.
The Utes have three double-figure scorers led by Gianna Kneepkens at 19.2 points
This is Moore-McNeil’s fifth NCAA tourney opportunity. It includes three Sweet Sixteen appearances and one Elite Eight showing. Overall, the Hoosiers are 114-37 with her in the lineup.
“Since I’ve been a freshman, it’s meant the world to me to represent IU in such a big way and knowing that it’s all paying off by once again getting to the tournament for a fifth time,” she says.
Parrish, in her third Hoosier season after transferring from Oregon, embraces that payoff.
“We’ve had a lot of great celebrations this year, but this is a big one. Coach emphasizes that making the tournament is a big deal. A lot of teams don’t come this far.
“Hear our name called and celebrating as a team is a fun. We’re excited to get back into practice and start scouting Utah.”
