COLUMBIA, S.C.—For the second straight season, Indiana's run in the NCAA Tournament was ended by South Carolina. But for the second straight season, the Hoosiers lost with pride.
IU was competitive and played hard, as it always does, and hung around with the No. 2 overall seed, even holding a lead at halftime. However, the Hoosiers ran out of gas when South Carolina went on a 20-7 run to begin the second half.
That doesn't take anything away from how Indiana played in the first half, though, as it fought and stayed neck and neck with a team that lost only three games ahead of the tournament—all three losses coming to top-10 teams.
In the end, IU lost 64-53, an 11-point difference, which isn't usually much of an achievement. But only three of South Carolina's 31 wins coming into the game were by fewer than 11 points.
"Proud of our group. We're disappointed. I thought we did a great job defensively. We wanted it to be a low-possession game. I thought we came out and really did a great job. This is a team that averages over 80 points. We held them to 64," Teri Moren said postgame.
Indiana's defense was impressive for the vast majority of the game, as it held the Gamecocks to the lowest point total they've had in a victory, showing just how solid IU's defense was, especially in the first half.
Moren added, "They average 40 points in the paint. We kept them about 10 below their average. 13 second-chance points, we just gave them five tonight. It was the third quarter that kind of did us in."
As Moren mentioned, defense wasn't the issue—the offense plagued the Hoosiers. They shot just 21-for-51 and never scored more than 14 points in a quarter. Indiana simply couldn't compete when South Carolina made its run, but IU fought tooth and nail the whole way.
Even when South Carolina extended its lead to 12 late in the third quarter, Indiana didn't let the Gamecocks run away with it, instead cutting it to seven in the fourth before going cold in the final minutes.
"Yeah, when you come here, you've got to expect to work hard every single day. Nothing is going to come easy. Also, it's the culture piece, as well. You've got to put others first and be willing to play team basketball and give up a good shot for a great shot," Chloe Moore-McNeil said, making it clear that even though her team fell short, hard work will always be a part of the Indiana program.
While IU fell into the same issues it's faced all season—cold stretches on offense and struggling to fully close a gap when trailing—a road game against a No. 1 seed was the toughest test IU had all season. It continued to be competitive, similar to how it looked against UCLA and twice against USC.
Even in what many have considered a "down season," the Hoosiers played the top teams in the sport incredibly tough. And even though IU didn't come away with a marquee win, it fought when most other programs would have crumbled.
"Well, again, it always goes back to making sure that we're recruiting winners. They're coming from places where they've won. They're competitive. They love to work. They love to be a part of the process," Moren said.
While any loss is disappointing, this one stings Indiana more than ever, as it ends the careers of Chloe Moore-McNeil and Sydney Parrish—two of the most decorated players in Indiana women's basketball history. Neither one had a standout game in this one, but they were tough on defense and never quit despite struggling offensively.
"I think every single one of us takes pride in wearing Indiana across our chest. Obviously, Coach Moren has turned this program around and built it from the ground up, and we've created a great fan base here," Moore-McNeil said, reflecting on her time with the Hoosiers.
Parrish shared a similar sentiment, saying, "It takes hard work, and it takes showing up every single day. If you want to play for somebody like Coach Moren, you come to Indiana, and I think she's shown how she's built this program."
Parrish also made sure to mention her counterparts over the years at Indiana, saying, "Like Chloe said, from the ground up and has made greats. Think of Grace Berger, Mackenzie Holmes, the Chloe Moore-McNeil. Those are three names nobody knew who they were in high school. Nobody. Right, Chloe? Nobody knew who they were in high school, and they came and took a chance on Indiana, and they're pros now."
Parrish and Moore-McNeil both mentioned that they'd like to play professionally next season, as their experiences playing for Moren have prepared them for the next level.
While a Final Four has eluded Indiana during Moren's now 11-year tenure, the Hoosiers have been a consistent winner throughout her time in Bloomington. That doesn't change with this loss to South Carolina.
The Hoosiers played hard, they competed, they even led at halftime, but they fell short when it mattered most. Moore-McNeil and Parrish's careers may have ended with the defeat to the Gamecocks, but they have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into Indiana in a way that exemplifies the program Moren has built.
It was an up-and-down season for the Hoosiers. At times, they looked like one of the top teams in the country, while in others, they fell short of expectations. Even with all the highs and lows, the 2024-25 Indiana women's basketball team had a lot to be proud of. But its season ended at the hands of the same team that eliminated it a year prior.
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