After an embarrassing loss to Harvard on its own home floor, Indiana had a shot to get back on track against Butler, yet the struggled seen against the Crimson persisted, resulting in Indiana falling to the Bulldogs 56-46.
IU's measly 46 points matched the lowest total since Teri Moren took over the head coaching job, tying its 2017 matchup against Michigan State.
This was also the first time IU has lost back-to-back games since the 2021-22 season, while also being the first time it's lost back-to-back non-conference games since the 2020-21 season, cementing this game, as well as the one against Harvard, as notabbly bad for the Teri Moren coached Hoosiers.
Moren said that she was "once again, disappointed," while also mentioning that the "issues continued."
She specifically called out "not taking care of the ball" and "not particularly shooting the ball well"
While IU didn't commit quite as many turnovers this time around, just 16 compared to the 27 against Harvard, the issue continued, as 16 is still far too many as far as Teri Moren is concerned.
Moren said that her team is "mature enough and old enough to know better" with these turnovers, a problem that has been persistent in all three of the Hoosiers' games this season.
It wasn't just the turnovers that caused the IU defeat, as poor shooting was again a major problem for the Hoosiers. In both games, Harvard and now Butler, IU made just 17 shots from the field, going 17-for-49 vs. the Crimson and now 17-for-50 against the Bulldogs.
Butler head coach Austin Parkinson said that he was "really shocked [they] held them to under 50 points" and that shooting was the main reason why.
The Hoosiers begun and ended the game with shooting struggles, starting out just 3-for-11 from the field, while ending the game going 1-for-8, missing seven straight right as Butler was pulling ahead for the victory.
Moren said that "you have to play with the level of urgency, and especially coming off, you know, that loss to Harvard, so it's disappointing with that lack today, because it's always important."
Urgency just wasn't something that IU had in the early going or the late moments, as in the most critical moments of the game, the issues for the Hoosiers shined the brightest.
This is something that's just extremely uncharacteristic of recent IU women's squads, as they're normally extremely disciplined and usually play the game with poise, but that's just not been the case with the Hoosiers all season long.
Parkinson also said that teams "gotta guard that three point line when you play IU," and the Bulldogs did exactly that, holding IU to 6-for-17 from three which continues the theme of this year's group being behind last years, as the three ball was one of the 23-24 team's strengths.
Moren was asked about the comparison between this year's and last year's team after the game, responding by saying "we certainly miss, you know, Mackenzie but I miss Sara Scalia too, right?"
Scalia was the top shooter for the Hoosiers last year, so here departure may be a cause for the shooting woes, though returnee Sydney Parrish believes her team needs to be better.
She said postgame "we know that we're due. I'm due. Lilly knows she has to be better. Our guards know that they have to take care of the ball better. We need to be better."
And after the three games this IU team has played, Parrish's comments hold true, as this team has sorely disappointed in each and every game they've played, possibly creating a theme for the rest of the season.
Another level to IU's shooting disappointment comes from behind the three point line, Parkinson saying that teams "gotta guard that three point line when you play IU," and the Bulldogs did exactly that, holding IU to 6-for-17 from three which continues the theme of this year's group being behind last years, as the three ball was one of the 23-24 team's strengths.
Moren was asked about the comparison between this year's and last year's team after the game, responding by saying "we certainly miss, you know, Mackenzie but I miss Sara Scalia too, right?"
Scalia was the top shooter for the Hoosiers last year, so here departure may be a cause for the shooting woes, though returnee Sydney Parrish believes her team needs to be better.
She said postgame "we know that we're due. I'm due. Lilly knows she has to be better. Our guards know that they have to take care of the ball better. We need to be better."
And after the three games this IU team has played, Parrish's comments hold true, as this team has sorely disappointed in each and every game they've played, possibly creating a theme for the rest of the season.
Parrish and Moren, though, have faith for the rest of the season, both of them mentioning that "it's only gave three."
This is certainly promising, especially after the performance against Butler, but the fact remains that the issue's seen from this one have been issues seen in all three games, Parrish putting it best by saying "we are so much better than that, so much better, and we know it."
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