IUWBB GAME PREVIEW: Set To Celebrate Seniors On Wednesday Night, 80-77 win in 2 OT

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IUWBB GAME PREVIEW: Indiana Set To Celebrate Seniors On Wednesday Night

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior Day is upon Indiana Women's Basketball as it hosts the Iowa Hawkeyes in its regular season home finale on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be live on BTN Plus. Indiana will honor five seniors - Jenn Anderson , Amber Deane , Alexis Gassion , Karlee McBride and Tyshee Towner .

Indiana (18-9, 8-6 B1G) vs. Iowa (16-11, 7-7 B1G)
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 • 7 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV Broadcast: BTN Plus (Jacques Rozier, Juliana Sherry, Molly Levine)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Greg Murray)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
Promotions: Senior Day Poster – for the first 500 fans (available at the south Lobby marketing table)

SENIOR DAY CEREMONIES
Five players and five student managers will be honored on Wednesday as part of Senior Day. The five senior players - Jenn Anderson , Amber Deane , Alexis Gassion , Karlee McBride and Tyshee Towner – will be recognized on the court with five minutes left on the pregame clock (approximately 6:55 p.m.).

Following the game and singing of the IU alma mater, fans are asked to remain in their seats for a special senior day video on the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall video board. Fans are invited down to Branch McCracken Court at the conclusion of the video for autographs.

ABOUT THE COACHES
Indiana
Teri Moren
Career Record: 253-167 (14th Season)
Indiana Record: 54-37 (3rd Season)

Iowa
Lisa Bluder
Career Record: 695-341 (32nd Season)
Iowa Record: 339-199 (16th Season)

ABOUT THE HAWKEYES
Iowa will look to get back in the win column as well after a 72-52 defeat at Purdue on Sunday afternoon. They are led by sophomore forward Megan Gustafson who averages 17.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Senior guard Ally Disterhoft also contributes 16.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. As a team, the Hawkeyes average 75.9 points per game and shoot 46.5 percent from the floor.

SERIES HISTORY
Iowa leads the series, 48-17
Last Meeting: 2/21/16 - L, 73-76 (Iowa City, Iowa)

CAHILL NAMED TO BIG TEN HONOR ROLL
For the second time this season, junior forward Amanda Cahill earned Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll accolades for her performances against Michigan and Nebraska. The Clyde, Ohio native posted back-to-back double-doubles as she averaged 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds to go along with 3.0 assists per game. She scored 15 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds in the win over No. 20 Michigan and added 14 points and a team-high 11 boards at Nebraska. She also dished out six assists against the Wolverines and her double-doubles are the ninth and 10th of the season. It also ties her for eighth in a single season in double-doubles.

WINNING AT HOME
With a 11-2 record on its home court this season, Indiana has secured 10 wins or more for the fourth-consecutive season. It also marks the fifth-consecutive season Indiana has posted a winning record at home including all three seasons under third year head coach Teri Moren .

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Cahill recorded her 10th double-double of the season with her 14 points and team-high 11 rebounds at Nebraska on Sunday. She has recorded 10 of IU's 14 double-doubles of the season and now has a total of 27 in her career - which ranks sixth all-time in school history. She also ranks sixth all-time in double-doubles in Big Ten games as she's recorded 15 in her career.

500 OR MORE
Tyra Buss could approach another historic mark in scoring for Indiana Women's Basketball. She has potential to become the third player ever (Jori Davis, Denise Jackson) to record 500 points in back-to-back seasons as she leads the team with 498 points scored this season. In 2015-16, Buss took her scoring to new heights as she turned in the third-best single season performance with 620 points scored in 33 games played. Through 27 games, Buss is just two points away from her 500th point this season as she averages 18.4 points per contest.

SCORING AS A JUNIOR
Buss - who set the scoring record for most points as a freshman and sophomore - continues to climb the scoring chart for most points through a junior season:
1. Denise Jackson (1,505)
2. Tyra Buss (1,480)
3. Rachelle Bostic (1,389)
4. Jill Chapman (1,346)
5. Cindy Bumgarner (1,311)
6. Karna Abram (1,284)

KEY WIN
The Hoosiers picked up a big win on Thursday night, when it defeated No. 20 Michigan 72-61. It marked the first win over a ranked opponent this season and first top 50 RPI win for IU. Junior guard Tyra Buss led with 21 points, seven assists and three steals and junior forward Amanda Cahill added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

OVER RANKED FOES
Indiana beat its fifth ranked opponent under third-year head coach Teri Moren on Thursday when it trumped No. 20 Michigan. In their first three seasons, only one other IU head coach has defeated more ranked foes (Kathi Bennett, 6).

DEFENSIVE EFFORT
Indiana's 66-38 rout of Northwestern on Feb. 11 had not only season implications but historic ones as well. It marked the fewest points allowed by an IU team to its opponent since it gave up 37 points to Wisconsin in 1986. It also marked the largest margin of win in a Big Ten game under third year head coach Teri Moren and the most since it beat Northwestern on Dec. 31, 2007 (+31).

SPREAD THE LOVE
The Hoosiers don't mind spreading the wealth as it passed out at least 18 assists for the 12th time including 19 in Thursday's win over No. 20 Michigan. They have hit a season-high 22 assists on three different occasions and have 11 or more assists in every game this season. IU ranks fifth in assists in the Big Ten (16.8 per game) and 27th in the nation.

BUSS STOPS AT THE LINE
Tyra Buss continues her excellence from the free throw line in her career as she leads Indiana with an 80.5 free throw percentage. She ranks seventh in the Big Ten, but has gotten to the line 174 times, the second most times of anyone in the league. She ranks 10th in the nation in made free throws (140) and 20th in attempts. For her career, Buss has registered the fourth-most in both makes (438) and attempts (577) in school history.

CAHILL NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Amanda Cahill earned her second straight CoSIDA Academic All-District honor, announced by the organization on February 9. The Clyde, Ohio native holds a 3.90 GPA in elementary education and will now be featured on the ballot for Academic All-American honors to be announced in March. She was also named to the District 5 team as a sophomore in 2015-16. IU has not had a player named an Academic All-American since 1989 (Ann Mooney, Amy Vanderkolk).

BUSS ADDED TO WADE WATCH
Junior guard Tyra Buss was one of 10 players added to the Wade Trophy Watch List on Monday afternoon. The Wade Trophy — now in its 40th year — is the oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award in college women's basketball. It marks just the second time IU has featured a player on the list, as the program's all-time leading scorer Denise Jackson was a finalist for the award in 1983 and 1984.

HOOSIERS IN THE RPI
Coming into Thursday's game, Indiana sits at No. 49 in the NCAA RPI while Iowa comes in at No. 47. Overall, the Big Ten features six teams in the top 50 of the latest RPI.

UP NEXT
The regular season will wrap up on the road as Indiana travels to Illinois on Saturday. Tipoff time is slated for 1 p.m. ET at State Farm Center live on Big Ten Network.

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Live stats and videos within:
iuhoosiers.com/news/2017/2/21/womens-basketball-iuwbb-game-preview-indiana-set-to-celebrate-senior-day-on-wednesday-night.aspx

Go Hoosiers!

 

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IU looks to bounce back on Senior Day against Iowa
by Josh Eastern

The IU women’s basketball team has hit a snag in the road to its bid for a second straight NCAA Tournament 
appearance.

IU’s loss to last-place Nebraska on Sunday was shocking and disappointing to the team. What looked like a résumé with no blunders has now turned into one with a loss to a Nebraska team that was ranked No. 199 in the RPI coming into the game.

If the Hoosiers end up on the outside looking in come tournament time, Sunday’s loss could be one they look back on. However, as IU Coach Teri Moren has said, there is still a lot of basketball ahead for the Hoosiers.

IU will look to bounce back as they welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Senior Day for five IU seniors.

“It’s kind of sad because it’s our last home game,” IU senior guard Karlee McBride said. “We need this win and it’s just another game you have to win. I’m glad it’s a game we need to win on my senior day so it makes me want it even more.”

Alongside a loss to a near-200 RPI team, this game also will affect IU’s Big Ten Tournament seeding. The Hoosiers looked like they had the four seed well within their grasp, but all of a sudden, that is no sure thing. There is a four-way tie for fourth place in the Big Ten standings at 8-6 with IU, Purdue, Michigan State and Penn State. Securing a four seed will ensure a double bye through the first two rounds of the conference tournament.

There are a lot of outside distractions for IU, with Senior Day and the bubble watch, but the Hoosiers said they are squarely focused on the task at hand. Moren said she was disappointed with her team’s energy heading into that Nebraska game, but thinks they will be ready to go with so much at stake Wednesday.

“I sound like a broken record, but we had a lot of good shots,” Moren said. “That’s the thing you hope for, that you can find the basket and see some of those shots go down. You have to believe that we are great shooters, we have to be confident.”

The Hawkeyes come into Wednesday’s matchup having lost two of three, most recently a 20-point loss at Purdue. Iowa enters this game in a precarious situation. They sit at 7-7 in conference, one game behind IU.

Iowa is led by 6-foot-3 sophomore forward Megan Gustafson who is scoring just shy of 18 points per game and nearly 10 rebounds. Alongside her, the Hawkeyes feature 6-foot senior guard Ally Disterhoft, who is averaging 16.2 points per game.

Those two are the major weapons the Hawkeyes have to offer and whom the Hoosiers will have to key in on Wednesday night.

“They play like most Midwestern teams, hard, and they have very high basketball IQs,” Moren said. “Disterhoft is also a kid you have to pay particular attention to. We’ve been careful with how we’ve presented Iowa to our group.”

IU will have five seniors celebrating Senior Day on Wednesday with Jenn Anderson, Alexis Gassion, Amber Deane, Tyshee Towner and Karlee McBride. Many of them and Moren have been talking about leaving a legacy on the IU women’s basketball program after their 
departures.

Getting to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season is one of the ways they want to do that.

Playing in Assembly Hall and putting on those candy stripes one last time will be something they will savor, both Moren and 
McBride said.

“We’ve had disappointing losses, but we’ve always managed to bounce back,” Moren said. “We would like nothing more than to not just bounce back, but to leave your seniors with a memory. You want them to leave this floor with a win. That’s probably the most important thing.”

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/02/iu-looks-to-bounce-back-on-senior-night-against-iowa

Go Hoosiers!

 

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IUWBB: Iowa at Indiana: Double OT win, 80-77
by Jon Blau

FINAL (2OT); Indiana 80, Iowa 77. Had the feel of a tournament game. And maybe, this helps the Hoosiers get back to the real deal.

25.9 (2OT): Karlee McBride JUST misses a 3. Went in and popped out. Now Iowa has the ball with a .1 second difference on shot clock. 80-77, IU

END OF FIRST OT: Hoosiers can’t get a good shot on that last possession. Gassion blocked. Jenn Anderson blocked. Teri Moren wanted a call. Tied at 74-all.

:15.4 (OT): Karlee McBride hits a 3 to tie it at 73-all. Then Jenn Anderson bodies Ally Disterhoft on the defensive end. Hoosiers ball, can hold for last shot.

2:21 (OT): Iowa goes on an 8-0 run in overtime. Alexis Gassion scores a layup to break the run. It’s 72-68, Iowa.

END OF REGULATION: Indiana 64, Iowa 64. Amanda Cahill with the shot of the year for IU.

.2 (4Q): Amanda Cahill with the shot of the year to tie it at 64-all after Iowa had hit a 3 with 3.4 seconds left on the previous possession.

1:00 (4Q): Still tied at 61-all. Hold on.

3:18 (4Q): Amanda Cahill scores to tie it at 61-all. IU cannot separate from the Hawkeyes, but neither can the Hawkeyes from the Hoosiers. This is going down to the wire, probably.

7:37 (4Q): Tyra Buss suffered some kind of leg injury on a defensive possession, but walked it off and hit a corner 3 to give IU a 55-51 lead.

END OF THIRD: Iowa 49, Indiana 49. This is a good one.

HALFTIME: Iowa 39, Indiana 35. Tyra Buss hit a big 3 to pull the Hoosiers within four points. All of Assembly Hall was holding its breath as Tyra Buss took another corner 3 with time expiring. There was a loud “Ahh!” as it missed.

Buss leads the Hoosiers with 13 points. Amanda Cahill with seven points. Jenn Anderson with eight. Ally Disterhoft leads the Hawkeyes with 13 points, but that output is complemented by sophomore forward Megan Gustafson with 16 points and six rebounds.

4:38 (2Q): Back-and-forth game, with Iowa still ahead four, 30-26. You can tell these are two teams desperately trying to get off the NCAA tournament bubble. Ally Disterhoft has 13 points for the Hawkeyes. She is proving to be a load to handle, as well as Iowa’s open motion offense, generally.

END OF FIRST: Iowa 20, Indiana 16. It was tied 10-all after a 3 by Tyra Buss, but Hawkeyes went on a 7-0 run. Hoosiers responded with a 6-0 run, including buckets by Amanda Cahill and Jenn Anderson,, but Ally Disterhoft with a 3 to end the period.

8:36 (1): Teri Moren said she wished she would have called a timeout after Nebraska’s 6-0 run Sunday. Iowa goes on 6-0 run to start. Timeout. Hoosiers a little slow after tonight’s senior festivities.

Indiana hosts Iowa tonight at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall looking to rebound from Sunday’s loss at Nebraska. The Hawkeyes (16-11, 7-7 Big Ten) are coming off a 20-point loss to Purdue. Check back here for updates, or follow along on Twitter, @Jon_Blau.

http://scoop.hoosiershq.com/

Go Hoosiers!

 

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IU Pulls Off Double OT Victory Over Iowa on Senior Day, 80-77

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It took two overtimes, but Indiana Women's Basketball came away victorious with an 80-77 triumph on Senior Day inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Wednesday.

The Hoosiers (19-9, 9-6 B1G) win their first double overtime game since the 2007-08 season, as it marked the first extra minute game of the year. Junior guard Tyra Buss led with 21 points and officially passed the 1,500-point mark of her career as she went 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Buss also became just the third player to ever record 500 points in back-to-back seasons, pushing her season total to 519 points scored.

Senior center Jenn Anderson posted 20 points and grabbed six boards. Indiana's starters accounted for all 80 points in the win as all five starters achieved double-figures including 17 points and tied a team-high seven rebounds. Senior guard Karlee McBride poured in 12 points, all from beyond the arc, while senior guard Alexis Gassion put in 10 points and tied a career-high nine assists to go along with four steals.

IU shot 41.6 percent from the floor and hit 11 3-pointers on a 37.9 clip from long range. They also dished out 18 assists and picked up 13 steals with four each from Gassion and McBride.

Indiana struggled to match a hot shooting Hawkeye squad in the first quarter, who shot 69.0 percent to open up the ballgame. They would open up the game on a 6-0 run before two triples from Buss helped IU tie things up at 10-10 with 4:36 to play.

But an Iowa 7-0 run extended its lead out near the end of the quarter before a second chance opportunity by Cahill sparked a 6-0 run for the Hoosiers. Gassion's pass to Anderson inside made it a one-point deficit under 30 seconds to play in the quarter, 17-16. But the Hawkeye's Ally Disterhoft would have the final say in the opening frame, draining a 3-pointer to go up 20-16.

Gassion would open up the second quarter and cut the lead down to two, but IU wouldn't get any closer than thanks to a scoring drought that spanned over five minutes. Iowa built its largest lead of the game with 1:51 left before the half before Buss – who scored 13 points in the second quarter alone – hit a 3-pointer from the top of the left wing keeping IU within four at half, trailing 39-35.

Coming out in the third, Indiana got back-to-back buckets from Anderson and took over the lead for the first time on one of Buss's five 3-pointers with 6:56 left in the frame. It would continue to be a tie game at the conclusion of the third, with the score knotted 49-49.

Neither team led by more than three in the fourth quarter, as Iowa looked to seal up the game with three ticks remaining on an Alexa Kastanek 3-pointer from the baseline. Calling timeout, Indiana drew up a shot for Cahill, who in traffic, buried a triple of her own to tie the game with just .6 left on the clock and eventually forcing the first overtime.

Shooting 56.3 percent in the first overtime period, Iowa built a six-point lead with 2:37 to play but the Hoosiers wouldn't go away. Back-to-back scores from Gassion and Anderson cut it down to three and a dagger by McBride would tie things up at 73-73 at the end of the first five-minute overtime.

The Hoosiers were able to hold the Hawkeyes to just four points in the second overtime as McBride's fifth 3-pointer of the night with 3:57 to play was another big one, giving her team the lead for good.

QUOTABLE
Head coach Teri Moren

"One of the things about being a student-athlete, you know one thing for sure when your kids graduate. Two things, they're going to have a lot of memories and they're going to have a lot of stories to tell. Tonight, was a great memory. You always want to send your seniors off with a memory of their last time in Assembly Hall. They can look back and not just talk about the win, but talk about the double-overtime win. I'm really pleased that we made it possible for a lot of our players to make sure they had not just a memory but a special memory that we created for those guys. Really happy we got production from a lot of players. Big stops down the stretch when we had to have them. Thought we really dialed in there, the last possession in particular. I'm just really happy for those seniors. I'm really happy our crowd was tremendous tonight. They really energized us when we needed it most. We want to make sure we thank the fans that came out tonight and supported us."

NOTABLE
Indiana celebrated the careers of five seniors – Jenn Anderson, Amber Deane, Alexis Gassion, Karlee McBride and Tyshee Towner – in festivities on Wednesday night.
The last time Indiana played a double overtime game was Jan. 17, 2008 at home against Minnesota. Indiana won 80-77, the same score as the game tonight.
The Hoosiers finish the regular season with a 12-2 record at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. It is the fourth straight season Indiana has won at least 10 games at home. Over the last two seasons the Hoosiers have a record of 26-2 at home.
The Hoosiers mark their third-straight over the Hawkeyes at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Over the course of the game there were 12 ties and nine lead changes. Neither team outscored the other team by more than four points in any quarter or overtime period.
For the fourth time this season the Hoosiers made at least 10, 3-point baskets as they connected on 11 against Iowa.
For the third time this season the Hoosiers had five players score in double-figures.
Indiana dished out 18 assists, for the 12th time they have tallied at least 18 assists in a game.
For the eighth time this season the Hoosiers posted double-digit steals, coming away with 13 against Iowa.
Iowa connected on 27-of-48 field goals through four quarters (56.3 percent). In the two overtime periods combined, the Hoosiers held the Hawkeyes to 3-of-12 from the field (25 percent).
Tyra Buss led the Hoosiers with 21 points as she passed 1,500 career points. Buss now has 1,501 points and is five points away from setting the Hoosiers scoring record through three seasons. She is also three points from moving into the top-10 in career scoring at Indiana.
Buss connected on 5-of-9 from 3-point range in the game.
Jenn Anderson scored 20 points on 10-of-16 from the field. It is her third career game scoring at least 20 points.
Karlee McBride posted 12 points as she made four 3-pointers in the game. McBride also tallied four steals.
UP NEXT
The regular season wraps up on the road when IU travels to Illinois on Saturday. Tipoff at State Farm Center is set for 1 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

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Videos and boxscore within:
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2017/2/2...me-victory-over-iowa-on-senior-day-80-77.aspx

Go Hoosiers!

 

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Seniors come up big for IU in final home game
by Jake Thomer

On a night when IU women's basketball honored its five seniors, it's only fitting that the veterans spearheaded the Hoosiers in a thrilling double overtime victory.

It's difficult to pick the one senior who left the biggest mark on Wednesday's 80-77 win over Iowa that propelled IU to a 9-6 record in the Big Ten, but each got her moment to shine on Senior Night.

Three fourth-year Hoosiers started the game — guards Karlee McBride and Alexis Gassion, and forward Jenn Anderson. All three were on the court for at least 38 minutes each, and the trio combined for 42 points.

Two other seniors, guards Amber Deane and Tyshee Towner, were both on the court in the closing seconds of the game as Iowa attempted to battle back from a deficit in the second overtime. Junior forward Amanda Cahill said the all-around contribution from the seniors in the marathon battle proved their worth to the program.

"In a game like that, everyone that comes in plays a big part," Cahill said. "That just goes to show a lot about the senior class this year and how versatile they are and how much they give to the team."

Aside from Cahill's miraculous 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime, it seemed as though an IU senior had her fingerprints on every clutch moment in the game.

Anderson, who finished with 20 points in 41 minutes, made IU's first basket of overtime and set the tone the rest of the way. She finished the game with 10 makes in 16 shot attempts and collected six rebounds. Anderson said the entire Hoosier squad was motivated when the overtime periods began.

"We were all really aggressive," Anderson said. "We knew that the overtime was when we all needed to step up and take a lead."

McBride scored 12 points, marking the third game in a row she's hit or surpassed that mark, but her game-tying 3-pointer as IU's shot clock expired with 30 seconds left in the first overtime was one of the biggest shots of the game. Moren said McBride's drive to win was on full display.

"We had good juice from Karlee, I thought her leadership really showed for her teammates," Moren said. "She and Tyra are so competitive, and just desperately wanted her teammates to get stops."

When junior guard and IU's leading scorer Tyra Buss fouled out with just more than two minutes remaining in the second overtime period, it was Deane who checked in to replace her, and Gassion who took the game over.

Seconds after Buss fouled out, Gassion hit a layup to extend IU's lead to five points. Moren said she had complete faith in Gassion to lead the Hoosiers the rest of the way.

When Iowa had the ball with less than 30 seconds to go and trailed by just three points, it was Towner, a defensive specialist, who checked in to help stifle the Hawkeyes. The final shot, by Iowa's senior guard Alexa Kastanek, didn't even come close to hitting the rim.

At the end of the game, an eight-minute tribute video to the seniors was shown on the scoreboard at Assembly Hall, and coaches and players alike sat sprawled along the Hoosier bench, reflecting on the quintessential Senior Day victory — won by the seniors, for the seniors.

"I'm really, really pleased that we made it possible that they have not just a memory, but I think a very special memory that we created tonight for those guys," Moren said.

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/02/seniors-come-up-big-for-iu-in-final-home-game

Go Hoosiers!

 

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IU outlasts Iowa in 2OT thriller
by Josh Eastern

Assembly Hall stood silent as the ball drifted through the air.

With her team down three with three seconds left in regulation, junior forward Amanda Cahill caught the in-bounds pass. She took one dribble left and released. It was a shot IU needed. The Hoosiers had an NCAA Tournament bid on the line. Cahill’s shot needed to find the bottom of the net. It ultimately did. That was just the start of what turned out to be 10 minutes of extra basketball.

It took two overtimes, but IU got a win over the Iowa Hawkeyes they so desperately needed by a score of 80-77 Wednesday night at Assembly Hall.

“They just maintained that attitude and that persona through timeouts,” IU Coach Teri Moren said. “Resilience, toughness, we’re coming off of a tough, bitter loss at Nebraska. We wanted to get this one tonight, we knew we had to.”

Both sides went blow for blow all night. Iowa would hit a shot, then IU would answer back. For nearly 50 minutes they went back and forth.

In the final quarter, the lead was no bigger than four points in IU’s favor. With the game on the line, the Hoosiers needed someone to step up. That happened to be Cahill. After Iowa knocked down a 3-pointer with three seconds left, the Clyde, Ohio, native stepped up and, through contact, sent Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall into delirium when the shot fell through the net.

It was tied at 64 and overtime was on the horizon. Moren said the play was designed especially for Cahill and the junior did what the team needed.

“Honestly, it was kind of a blur,” Cahill said. “They set the screen to get me open and someone said I was open when I first got it, but I took a dribble and shot it and I don’t know, it was kind of a blur. Luckily it went in.”

That was just the beginning. The first overtime was much like regulation — back and forth. Iowa got its lead out to 72-66, but IU wasn’t going to let this game slip. Not on Senior Day, not with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line. IU rallied behind all three of its senior starters to tie it up at 73 and sent it to another five-minute overtime period.

In the second overtime, IU took control, but things got quite interesting inside Assembly Hall when junior guard Tyra Buss fouled out with 2:22 left. She left with a team-high 21 points. She had played the entire game. Now, IU would have to go on without its point guard and go-to player. They were up three at the time, and from there were able to hold off a stingy Iowa team.

“That wasn’t the plan, but I wouldn’t have wanted to go out any other way,” IU senior Karlee McBride said. “Fans stayed in it, we stayed in it and to feel that feeling of being in Assembly Hall, the game was on the line. That’s something you dream of.”

In a game IU could ill-afford to lose, it answered the call in a big way. Both Iowa and IU are sitting squarely on the bubble. Everyone in Assembly Hall had to have an idea of what was on the line.

Moren thanked the crowd in her postgame press conference after the game and said they were tremendous. She praised the resiliency of her team, which was down 6-0 early and only led for just more than nine minutes compared to Iowa’s 27 minutes. In a split decision, the Hoosiers just edged the Hawkeyes.

“It tells you a little bit about who we are as a team,” Moren said. “We’ve had some peaks and valleys. We’re one game away from a 20-win season. We’ve had some twists and turns to the season, ups and downs, but we’ve had some really good moments too. Today we were able to add onto those great moments.”

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/02/iu-outlasts-iowa-in-2ot-thriller

Go Hoosiers!