Indiana got it done in its Battle 4 Atlantis opener against Columbia, defeating the Lions 72-62 at Imperial Arena in The Bahamas.
It wasn't the best start from IU, as the Hoosiers didn't shoot it well to begin the game, but they made up for it in the second half as they were much improved after halftime.
This one was close late, despite the double figure victory for IU, as Columbia actually had the lead with less than 4 minutes remaining in the game, forcing IU to respond accordingly.
And respond they did, as IU played great basketball down the stretch, allowing for the win against a 2024 tournament team in Columbia.
This win moves Indiana into the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals against Baylor, but first, for this one against the Lions, here's how it happened:
IU STARTS OUT SLOPPY, BUT GETS FIRST HALF LEAD
In the first half of this one, Indiana played more like it did in its first there games than it did against Stanford, as poor shooting and turnovers were aplenty.
IU shot just 9-for-27 in the first, for an extremely lackluster shooting performance. It didn't get much between from three point range either, as the Hoosiers shot 3-of-10 from beyond the arc, continuing the theme of poor shooting that was prevalent in Indiana's first three matchups.
Turnovers were also an issue in the first half, as IU surrendered nine of them before the halftime break, three by Chloe Moore-McNeil alone. Shay Ciezki and Sydney Parrish also committed two turnovers apiece, furthering IU's giveaway problems.
This allowed Columbia to have the lead for most of the first, but the Lions were just as disoriented as the Hoosiers were, leading to them shooting 11-for-37, an even worse shooting performance.
To close out the half, though, IU went on a 7-0 run to take the lead before the break, as Yarden Garzon kicked off a solid stretch of play from the Hoosiers with a crucial 3-pointer.
Garzon led the Hoosiers with 10 in the first half, making two of the three made threes IU had in the first half, while also grabbing five rebounds in an impressive first half showing.
Despite the sloppy start, IU took a 27-24 lead into halftime against Columbia which started off what ended up being a win for the Hoosiers.
SECOND HALF SEES BETTER SHOOTING AND CLOSE FINISH
While poor shooting was the theme of the first half, solid shooting was the theme of the second half, both teams drastically improving.
IU shot 17-for-30 from the field after halftime, while Columbia shot 16-of-31, both solid numbers compared to what
The third quarter when it all changed, as IU shot 8-of-14 from the field and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc in the third, Columbia with similar improvements, going 2-of-4 from three and 8-of-14 from the field.
IU went on a 12-2 run during the quarter, allowing the Hoosiers to gain a 10 point advantage at one point, but Columbia battled back to make it just a three point game at the quarter's end.
In the fourth quarter, things remained close, as it was a one-possession game for much of the action down the stretch, with Columbia even grabbing a 59-58 with just over three minutes to go in the game.
After this, IU went on a 14-3 run to close the game, a very impressive way to close out what wasn't the best starts for the Hoosiers.
IU didn't shoot quite as well as it did in the third, but when it needed to, it made the right play. The Hoosiers made layups in response to Columbia baskets twice, while also grabbing a couple steals when Teri Moren elected for a zone defense late in the game.
A Yarden Garzon 3-point play was key down the stretch as well, as she capped off her brilliant game with what may have been the biggest play of the contest.
This strong play resulted in a 72-62 quality win over Columbia in the first round the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, advancing the Hoosiers to a semifinal against Baylor.
FINAL STATS
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