(Photo Credit: IndianaHQ)
IU players thank fans for their passion and support.
BLOOMINGTON, IN– After winning 2018 WNIT Championship and saying good bye to two of the greatest players in Indiana women’s basketball history —Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill— the team took a 78-52 win by defeating Northwood University in an exhibition match. Three of the newcomers finished the night with double figures.
Freshman Aleksa Gulbe, a European and World Championship participant, scored a game-high 15 points and had the highest free throw rate (7-8, 88% FT). She also added five blocks. Freshman Brace Berger who showed outstanding ability to handle the ball, and redshirt junior Brenna Wise who waited for a long 365 days to get back on the court, both contributed 13 points and 6 rebounds in the victory.
“It’s everything you thought an exhibition would be like,” said Coach Teri Moren. Moren attributed Northwood’s lead in the first quarter (22-17), and to a sluggish defensive opening on the Hoosiers, particularly how the team guarded dribble penetrations.
After addressing the defensive concerns and making proper adjustments, Indiana outscored Northwood in the following quarters. “Once we focus on defense, it also let us more be more relaxed on offense,” another redshirt junior Ali Patberg commented.
Fans have high expectations for the team’s performance due to their achievements last season. According to archived statistics, the lady Hoosiers exceeded 2017-2018 seasonal average performances in PPG, FG%, FT%, and REB in the exhibition. However, the team might have a long way to go to maintain its 3-point shot performance.
When Buss (guard) and Cahill (forward) graduated, some fans and media started to compare two redshirt juniors—Patberg (guard) and Wise (forward)—with them since they play the same positions. Although Patberg thought that comparison was motivating, Buss said it was unfair. “Ali is bigger than me, and we have different skill sets. We are all different players, so it cannot be compared.” “Let AP be AP, and let Tyra be Tyra,” Moren reinforced.
“Players are settling in the team, and they are doing pretty well tonight,” Cahill praised her teammate’s performance in exhibition. The team will open up the regular season and host Milwaukee on Wednesday back at Assembly Hall. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
