Author: Seth Tow

One of the central storylines of Indiana women’s basketball’s season was its performance in big games. The Hoosiers suffered lopsided defeats in two of their biggest games of the regular season, road dates at Stanford and at Iowa. They performed better in some other big games later in the season, but those two performances lingered over Indiana’s season like an ominous cloud. Whether fair or unfair, and whether true or false, it created a perception that the Hoosiers didn’t show up in their biggest games. But Indiana spent its entire NCAA Tournament run conquering narratives. Its second-round win over Oklahoma…

Indiana women’s basketball looked like its season was going to end unceremoniously. The fourth-seeded Hoosiers trailed undefeated South Carolina, the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, by 22 points with 7:30 remaining in the third quarter in Friday’s Sweet 16 game. But IU continued fighting hard, turned the game around, and controlled things for most of the second half. The Hoosiers trailed by just two points with less than a minute to play in the game. But ultimately, Indiana left itself with too much to overcome. The Gamecocks escaped with a 79-75 win at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y. Indiana…

Indiana women’s basketball is not just facing a tough challenge in the Sweet 16. The Hoosiers have as difficult a task as any in the sport. No. 4 seed IU takes on No. 1 overall seed South Carolina on Friday in Albany, N.Y. at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Gamecocks have lost just one game over the last two full calendar years, against Iowa in last year’s Final Four. They defeated No. 8 seed North Carolina by 47 points in the second round. So the odds are against Indiana, both figuratively and literally. The Hoosiers are 15.5-point underdogs against…

BLOOMINGTON — Three small steps separate the courtyard space in front of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall’s south facade and the entry to Cook Hall on Indiana University’s athletic campus. Sixteen light structures stand tall in that space in a grid formation. One row of four behind the top of the steps, and the other 12 spread out in the area in front of the bottom. The stairway sits 60 steps from the closest door of Assembly Hall’s south entrance, and 146 steps from Branch McCracken Court. On this Monday in late March, that space outside — and eventually, that arena…

BLOOMINGTON — When Indiana and Oklahoma matched up in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, both teams sought revenge. Both the Hoosiers and Sooners bowed out of last year’s tournament at this same stage. This year, one team would put that behind it, while the other would extend its heartbreak. And after a tight affair with little separation for much of the game, IU’s night ended in joy. The fourth-seeded Hoosiers celebrated on the court after the final buzzer, with a 75-68 victory. Indiana advances to the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four seasons. The Hoosiers…

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana women’s basketball remembers what happened at this time last year. The Hoosiers entered the second round of the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 overall seed, heavily favored to advance to the Sweet 16. Their Final Four and national championship hopes all felt attainable. And then it all came crashing down, as IU lost to Miami. It took many inside the program a long time to get over it. Deep down, the Hoosiers may still not be over it. But Monday night, they have a chance to make it right. Fourth-seeded Indiana takes on No. 5 seed…

BLOOMINGTON — Chloe Moore-McNeil has spent all year speaking up. The quiet-by-nature senior spent last offseason working on becoming more vocal, and has been Indiana women’s basketball’s voice of reason on so many occasions throughout the year. She called out her teammates after the Hoosiers suffered a blowout loss against Stanford in November. She fired them up during a mid-January win over Minnesota. She reassured them during a key point in a big win at Maryland in late January. Moore-McNeil has become increasingly comfortable in that leadership role. And in this season-defining time of year, she knows her voice is…

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana women’s basketball knew there would be challenges going into the NCAA Tournament. And the fourth-seeded Hoosiers were certainly challenged on Saturday. No. 13 seed Fairfield, which entered Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on a 29-game winning streak, was clearly unfazed by the big stage and the raucous atmosphere. It became clear — quickly — that IU would have to really earn its spot in the round of 32. And that’s exactly what it did. The Hoosiers pulled away from the Stags in the third quarter and came away with a 89-56 victory. Indiana (25-5) will take on the winner…

During the middle of Indiana women’s basketball’s season, assistant coach Ali Patberg made a decision. Sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser had shown development on both ends of the court from the beginning of the season and earned an important role coming off the bench, along with a seven-game stint in the starting lineup due to Sydney Parrish’s foot injury. But her inconsistent shooting limited her impact at times. Opponents often sagged off Bargesser in coverage, feeling safe allowing her an open jump shot, and they were equally comfortable putting her on the foul line. Through the first 20 games of the…

Indiana football is back in action. The Hoosiers held their first practice of spring ball on Thursday at Memorial Stadium. They’ll have 13 practices over the next four weeks leading up to the spring game on April 18. Head coach Curt Cignetti met with the media after Thursday’s practice. Here are a few key points from that press conference. Day one This was Cignetti’s first practice after taking over as head coach at IU in December. So there’s plenty of adjustment for everyone, both coaches and players. “Day one it’s how you do things, and this was new for everybody…