Indiana women's basketball hit the road for the first time this season on Wednesday night to take on an in-state foe. Butler entered the game 2-0 on the season, looking to make it 3-0 against the Hoosiers.
Indiana struggled from the floor, absent a No. 1 scoring option, and faltered down the stretch as the Bulldogs handed the Hoosiers a 56-46 loss.
Here's how it happened on a rainy night in central Indiana.
FIRST HALF PLAGUED BY SHOOTING STRUGGLES
Throughout Indiana's poor start to the season, one of the biggest issues has been the offensive side of the ball. Indiana has struggled to find a consistent rhythm to begin the year, especially in the half court.
In the first 20 minutes of the game on Wednesday, both teams struggled to play efficient basketball. While the Hoosiers shot 39% from the field in the first half, the Bulldogs weren't much better at just 40% from the floor.
Indiana went just 5-of-15 from inside the 3-point arc during Wednesday's first half. Likewise, Butler shot 7-of-20 from 2-point range in the opening two quarters. Both teams struggled to take care of the ball as well. Each team turned it over nine times in the first half, although neither Indiana nor Butler did much off of those turnovers.
The oddity of the first half was that both teams were good from downtown, albeit on not a lot of attempts. Indiana went 4-of-8 from 3-point range across the first two quarters, while Butler went 3-for-5.
Both teams continued to struggle shooting the basketball, specifically from inside the arc, throughout the second half as well.
INDIANA FALTERS LATE
Indiana entered the final quarter on Wednesday trailing by two points. A 9-point third quarter meant the Hoosiers would enter the final 10 minutes with work to do.
During the final 5 minutes, Indiana simply didn't look right. The Hoosiers struggled to finish at the rim and they couldn't get the defensive stops they needed down the stretch. Even when they did, they didn't close out those possessions with defensive rebounds.
Over the final 4:54 of the game, Indiana scored two points. The Hoosiers closed the game connecting on one of their final eight field goal attempts. Butler closed the game on a 10-2 run over the final 3:21.
Indiana was unable to execute down the stretch offensively. Throughout the entire second half, the Hoosiers managed just 16 points. Indiana shot 30% from the field during the final 20 minutes of play.
INDIANA STILL SEARCHING FOR NO. 1 OPTION OFFENSIVELY.
In recent years, Indiana has had a clear No. 1 option on the offensive end of the floor. Mackenzie Holmes closed out her career as the program's all-time leading scorer. It seemed as though anytime the Hoosiers needed a bucket over the last couple of seasons, they could simply turn to Holmes.
With Holmes out of the fold, Indiana has struggled to replace her production. Through the first three games of the season now, Indiana has been without a clear-cut top option offensively.
Yarden Garzon has been solid, she scored 10 points on Wednesday night. However, Garzon took just six shots. She was never able establish herself as an offensive force in the game. The same could be said for Shay Ciezki, who finished with a team-high 11 points. She took 10 shots, which was second on the team on Wednesday night.
Another option, Sydney Parrish, struggled to get it going. After a fantastic season opener, the fifth-year senior has gone quiet over the last couple of games. That was once again the case against Butler, where Parrish went just 3-of-12 from the floor for seven points. She also went just 1-for-7 from distance.
As Indiana's offense continues to struggle in the early going, the Hoosiers are going to need someone to step up offensively. Indiana needs someone who can consistently get their own shot. It's something they evidently lacked on Wednesday.
FINAL STATS
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