BLOOMINGTON — After losing two straight games for the first time since Feb. 2022, Indiana women’s basketball needed to find some momentum.
The Hoosiers struggled through their first three games of the season, even in a 22-point victory over Brown to begin the season. The concerns from that win became bigger problems in consecutive defeats against Harvard and Butler. But IU had a chance to make up for the slow start on Sunday against No. 24 Stanford at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
And Indiana didn’t waste that opportunity. Teri Moren’s team turned in its best performance of this young season, dismantling the Cardinal 79-66. IU (2-2) rode a strong 3-point clip to victory, going 9 for 19 from beyond the arc.
Indiana set the tone early in the game, coming out with a faster pace offensively to try and take control. Chloe Moore-McNeil took a particularly assertive role and put up 10 points in the first quarter. The graduate student finished the game with a team-high 21 points on a 7-of-11 line, and she added four steals.
Stanford (4-1) matched Indiana in the opening quarter, but things fell apart from there. The Hoosiers stepped up their defense in the second quarter, as they didn’t allow a field goal for over seven minutes into the period. IU outscored Stanford 18-9 in the quarter to build a 42-31 halftime lead.
IU continued to pull away from there, preventing Stanford from hitting a single 3-pointer in the second half. The Cardinal shot just 2 for 11 from 3-point range on the game.
The Hoosiers had to overcome Lilly Meister’s foul trouble, as the junior picked up a fourth foul just eight seconds into the third quarter, and she sat for nearly 14 straight minutes before returning in the middle of the fourth quarter. But Indiana never missed a beat.
Junior Yarden Garzon was a big reason for that. She grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, and allowed IU to play smaller lineups to not overwork Karoline Striplin inside. Garzon also made big shots all afternoon, finishing 6 for 12 from the field and 4 for 7 from 3-point range for 18 points.
Penn State transfer Shay Ciezki had some trouble settling in through IU’s first three games, but the guard looked more comfortable on Sunday. She chipped in 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. The junior went 2 for 3 from 3-point range.
Indiana hits the road next weekend to take on Columbia in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Saturday, with games following in the same event on Sunday and Monday.
For complete coverage of IU women’s basketball, GO HERE.
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