After two straight losses, Indiana gets back in the win column with a 79-66 win over 24th ranked Stanford.
In what was a massively improved performance for the Hoosiers, they played with great intensity on both sides of the ball, shooting the ball well and playing solid defense.
Chloe Moore-McNeil led all scorers with 21 points, a season high for her and a big step forward for the leader of Teri Moren's team.
Shay Ciezki and Yarden Garzon both made great contributions as well, Ciezki with 19 and Garzon with 18 and a team high four made 3-pointers.
IU shot just under 50% from the field, going 25-for-51, while also shooting 9-for-19 from three, a vast improvement from what was possibly the area with the biggest need of a boost after the first three games.
This, coupled with better defense and an overall increase in intensity allowed IU to get a big win against a ranked opponent, so here's how it happened:
FIRST HALF SEES IMPROVMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD
While the first three games weren't pretty for the Hoosiers, the first half against Stanford was, as IU was improved in almost every aspect early on against the Cardinal.
Both teams started out shooting the ball well, with IU going 5-for-8 in the early going, while Stanford shot an even better 6-of-8 before the first media timeout of the first quarter.
Things got even better for the Hoosiers as the first quarter, as IU took the lead right before the break and finished the quarter ahead 24-22, shooting a very impressive 9-for-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from three.
The second quarter is where IU really got it going, though, as the Hoosiers were firing on all cylinders during the second period of the ballgame.
IU won the quarter 18-9, extending its lead to 42-31 at the half, making it known that this was not the same IU team that was seen in the first three games.
During the second quarter, IU went on an 11-0 run that really got the Assembly Hall crowd into it, making it the loudest the Hall has been all season for Teri Moren's team.
The Hoosiers shot 7-for-17 from the field in the second, finishing the half at 16-for-31 and 6-for-13 from three, while also playing exceptional defense along the way,
This half saw increased intensity across the board, which may have been the most important change, as it was something that the Hoosiers lacked in the first three games, particularly the two losses to Harvard and Butler.
This first half against Stanford was greatly improved, as IU played with hustle on defense, while also having a great shooting half, which all led to what was a very important win against Stanford.
DEFENSE, SHOOTING CONTINUE TO SHINE IN SECOND HALF
The first half didn't prove to be a fluke for IU, as the Hoosiers continued to play well after the break, leading to the victory against Stanford.
Indiana continued to shoot it well after the half, but the defense also shines, as the Hoosiers seemed to turn it up on the defensive end in the second half.
Stanford shot just 14-for-34 in the second half and didn't make a single three, going 0-for-5, showing just how impressive the Indiana defense was after the break.
This followed up what was a solid first half defensively, but the second half saw increased intensity on that end of the floor, leading to Stanford not having nearly as good of a half on offense.
The Cardinal weren't necessarily great in the first half, but in this second half, they never found a rhythm, mostly thanks to how intense the defense was for Indiana, an incredibly critical improvement over the first three games for IU
This, just like the first half greatly needed , especially for a team that prides itself on prowess on the defensive end.
The defense was certainly a bright spot, but the continued shooting was also a very important factor that led to the win.
IU started out the third quarter shooting 1-for-5 from the field, but then got it going late in the third, allowing the Hoosiers to finish 6-for-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from three.
The fourth quarter wasn't as impressive as the third, although that was because of the lack of field goal attempts, IU going 3-for-8 and 1-for-3 from long distance.
The Hoosiers, though, shot 11-for-12 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter showing that, even with it's not field goals, IU can still shoot it at a very impressive clip.
This all led to IU pulling away late, securing the ranked win for the Hoosiers and moving them to 2-2 on the young season.
FINAL STATS
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