In another heated Indiana-Iowa matchup, the Hoosiers pulled out the win, taking this one 74-67, but not in the fashion fans may be used to.
That's because, rather than Caitlin Clark, Mackenzie Holmes or Sara Scalia attempting to outscore the other side, it was the Indiana defense that powered it to victory.
On the defensive end of the floor, IU forced Iowa to shoot its lowest percentage from the floor since 2019, as the Hawkeyes made just 33.9% of its attempts from the field, going 21-for-62.
This defensive effort allowed Indiana to hold the lead for the entirety of the game, but that's not to say the Hawkeyes didn't make runs, though the Hoosiers were always ready to respond when they needed to.
"I felt like we just made big play after big play after big play" Teri Moren said postgame, and she couldn't be more right, as her team did make big plays when they needed to, and many came when her Hoosiers were on defense.
Indiana forced 14 Iowa turnovers and held the Hawks to just 6-of-19 shooting from deep, adding on to the offensive low points the Hoosiers caused Iowa on their own home floor.
All this resulted in IU putting a stop to all of Iowa's many comeback attempts and giving it a hard-fought Big Ten road win against the 23rd ranked Hawkeyes, writing a new chapter in this recently formed rivalry.
The defensive prowess Indiana showed didn't take long to reveal itself, as the Hoosiers were ready to play with the Hawkeyes having a first quarter that would be telling of the rest of the game to come.
Iowa turned it over six times and made just six shots from the floor in the first, something that would've been extremely uncommon in the days of Caitlin Clark, but this matchup with the Hoosiers was different.
IU continued its defensive dominance in the second quarter as well, as while Iowa was trying to close the gap before the half, it shot just 1-for-6 from three, an aspect that the Hawkeyes have been known for, but not today, as IU was locking them down left and right.
"They're really good. They're really good offensively" said Moren, letting everyone know that this was a great offensive group her team was facing, yet IU looked like the more physical team anyway.
This physicality presented itself on both the perimeter and inside, as Iowa's usual scorers didn't have the days they usually do and that can all be attributed back to the defense they were facing,
Hannah Stuelke scored just five, down from her usual 13.3 per game, while Lucy Olsen put up eight, down from her normal 17 point per game. These two were Iowa's top two scores entering the game, but they left it completely denied by the Hoosiers that were guarding them.
With that being said, Chloe Moore-McNeil and Lilly Meister have to be pointed out, as Moore-McNeil was key on the Hawkeyes' guards, while Meister had thee blocks and two steals on the inside.
Moren mentioned these types of performances postgame, saying "I'm really pleased with my group, how hard they played."
The Hoosiers did indeed play hard, and they needed every ounce of effort they gave, as while Caitlin Clark may not be wearing a Hawkeye uniform anymore, the Iowa fans showed the same enthusiasm as if she was, creating a loud environment for all 40 minutes.
This made what Indiana showed on defense just that much more crucial, as defense always travels in tough road games when the offense sometimes falters.
"We're going to go into a place where the crowds going to be into it and then be terrific, and our job is to go in there and try to keep them as quiet as we could" Moren said, mentioning just how the crowd may have made her team just that much more aggressive.
This was especially seen in the second half, as Iowa repeatedly tried to get back into this one with the crowd's help, but the Indiana defense was just too much, forcing the Hawkeyes to shoot 10-for-31 in a second half when Iowa desperately needed to hit big shots.
This certainly showed, as from start to finish Indiana was putting in an effort that showcased itself on defense, not only forcing numbers that haven't been seen out of Iowa in several years, but, in the end, silencing a crowd that refused to be silenced for the entirety of the game.
When the buzzer sounded inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Indiana was victorious, sending the thousands of Hawkeye fans home with a sour taste in their mouths, as they watched Indiana dominate their team on the defensive end, marking a possible new era in this always entertaining Indiana-Iowa series.
–––––
Like this content? Join the conversation on TheHoosier.com's premium message boards and subscribe today!
– Follow TheHoosier on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
– Subscribe to TheHoosier on YouTube for more content
– Interact with fellow fans on TheHoosier's Premium Football Board and Premium Hoops Board
