For the second straight year, Indiana's postseason run ended at the hands of South Carolina.
After a hard-fought win over No. 8 Utah in the opening round, the No. 9 Hoosiers took the court Sunday looking to avenge last season’s Sweet Sixteen loss to the Gamecocks.
Indiana took a lead into the break, but top-seeded South Carolina roared back with a dominant third quarter, seizing control on its home floor in Columbia.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Gamecocks emerged with a 64-53 victory, sending the Hoosiers home in the Round of 32.
Here’s how it happened.
INDIANA TAKES HALFTIME LEAD IN BACK-AND-FORTH AFFAIR
In a first half defined by momentum swings, Indiana held a slim 26-25 lead over top-seeded South Carolina at the break, positioning themselves for a potential upset.
The Hoosiers used a late first-quarter surge to take control early, closing the period on a 7-0 run. But the Gamecocks answered back, stringing together a 6-0 spurt midway through the second quarter to stay within striking distance.
Chloe Moore-McNeil led Indiana’s offense with 10 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting, while Shay Ciezki added seven, including a key 3-pointer.
Despite shooting just 3-of-12 from beyond the arc and committing eight turnovers, the Hoosiers made up for it by holding South Carolina to just 34.5% shooting from the floor.
Indiana’s defense made an early statement, limiting the Gamecocks to just nine points in the first quarter—the fewest they’ve scored in a period since 2019.
South Carolina held a slight rebounding edge, particularly on the offensive glass, where they grabbed five boards to Indiana’s one.
But with both teams scoring 12 points in the paint and nine off turnovers, the game remained tight heading into the second half.
SOUTH CAROLINA PULLS AWAY IN THIRD QUARTER
South Carolina seized control of the game in the third quarter, flipping a tense battle into a double-digit advantage.
After the Hoosiers clung to a 26-25 lead at halftime, the Gamecocks erupted for 26 points in the third period—more than they had scored in the entire first half.
South Carolina's offense found a rhythm, shooting a blistering 68.8% (11-for-16) from the field and knocking down two of their three attempts from beyond the arc.
Indiana, meanwhile, struggled to keep up.
The Hoosiers had trouble containing South Carolina’s dribble penetration, leading to easy looks at the rim. On the other end, Indiana’s offense sputtered, as the team found it difficult to initiate sets against South Carolina’s aggressive defense.
Turnovers proved costly, with four giveaways in the quarter stalling any potential momentum for the Hoosiers.
A pivotal moment came around the three-minute mark when Sydney Parrish was whistled for a charge on a contested call—one official initially signaled a block, while another ruled it a charge. The latter call was confirmed, erasing what could have been a crucial three-point play for Indiana.
Instead of trimming the deficit to six, the Hoosiers remained down by nine. By the time the quarter ended, Indiana trailed by 11, facing an uphill battle in the final frame against a Gamecocks team that had found their groove.
In the end, South Carolina's prolific third quarter proved too much for Indiana to overcome.
MOORE-McNEIL, PARRISH, STRIPLIN'S CAREERS COME TO A CLOSE
Despite the sting of Sunday’s season-ending loss, the defeat also marked the end of the road for a trio of Hoosiers.
Chloe Moore-McNeil’s five-year career at Indiana was defined by consistency and leadership, as she started nearly 100 games and played a pivotal role in Indiana’s rise to national prominence.
Sydney Parrish fulfilled a childhood dream by donning the cream and crimson, helping elevate the Hoosiers over the past three seasons after transferring from Oregon.
And though Karoline Striplin’s time in Bloomington was brief, she made an immediate impact in her lone season, becoming a key contributor in the frontcourt.
As the Hoosiers turn the page to a new chapter, the legacies of Moore-McNeil, Parrish, and Striplin will remain woven into the fabric of Indiana's program moving forward.
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