BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - In No. 14 Indiana's Wednesday night victory at home over Penn State, the Hoosiers trailed by nine points with just under 7 minutes left on the third quarter clock. It was the largest lead of the ball game for the Nittany Lions who became the first team this season to hold a lead over the Hoosiers inside of Assembly Hall at the halftime intermission.
With her team facing its largest deficit of the game, Sydney Parrish took control, both on and off the court. With 6:52 to play in the third frame, a timeout was called with the Hoosiers still trailing by seven points, 45-38.
"We've got to have more pride, we're better than this, everybody has to look at themselves and know that there's more to give," Teri Moren said postgame of what Parrish's message was to the team during that timeout. "I thought Sydney was great inside of that timeout. It's one thing for it to come from me, but I think it's more powerful to come from your peers."
After leading with her voice during the stoppage, Parrish took it upon herself to lead by example once play resumed. Coming out of the timeout, Parrish rattled off the next nine Indiana points. All of a sudden, 3 minutes later, Indiana found themselves in the lead, 47-46.
Between the scoring, the rebounding and the charge Parrish drew in that 3 minute stretch, the senior was doing it all for the Hoosiers.
"That surge that Sydney had early in the second half was huge for us," Mackenzie Holmes said. "Sydney's just a great player. We expect her to come in and make plays and do all the little things that not a lot of other people want to do. It was good to see that shine tonight."
Indiana led the rest of the way following Parrish's third quarter surge. The Fishers, Indiana native wasn't done putting the ball in the basket however, as Parrish poured in six more points in the final quarter.
When the final buzzer sounded, with Indiana on top, Parrish had 20 points for a second consecutive game. Parrish's back-to-back 20-point performances against Nebraska and Penn State is the first time in her collegiate career that the former Oregon transfer has posted 20-point games in back-to-back contests.
Over Indiana's last three games, Parrish is averaging 18 points per game and has gone 11-17 (65%) from 3-point range. Those numbers blow her season averages out of the water.
"I think it's the confidence that my teammates and my coaches have in me," Parrish said. "I wasn't playing great on the offensive end earlier this season. I knew it would come. Coach Moren kept telling me that, my teammates kept telling me that and I had confidence in myself and I knew (my offensive game) would come along."
Parrish has played at an All-Big Ten level as of late. She's been one of the primary catalysts behind Indiana's 5-0 start to Big Ten play, the best start to conference play in the program's history.
Indiana has one of its toughest tests of the season upcoming in No. 3 Iowa on the road. The Hoosiers need Parrish to continue to play at a high level if they want a shot at taking down the Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday.
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