Women’s notes: Holmes, Berger land on All-Big Ten 1st team

After concluding the most successful conference season in program history, Indiana had four players recognized among the Big Ten’s very best. The league announced Monday that Big Ten coaches and media placed sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes and junior guard Grace Berger on the first team, slotted senior guard Ali Patberg on the second team and picked junior forward Aleksa Gulbe as one of several honorable mention selections.

Monday’s announcement marks the second straight season that IU has placed multiple players on the first team.

Not only is Holmes IU’s leading scorer (18.2 points per game) and rebounder (7.7 pg), she also earned a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team. Holmes has increased her scoring output by nearly eight points per game this season, while nearly tripling her block total with 64 swats so far. For the season, she’s recorded five double-doubles and scored in double figures 18 times.

Berger, meanwhile, has done a little bit of everything for IU. She leads the nation with three triple-doubles, while averaging 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest. This is Berger’s second consecutive year on the all-conference first team.

For Patberg, it’s her third season as an All-Big Ten pick. She’s averaging 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Gulbe is averaging 9.4 points and 6.4 boards per contest, while shooting 48% from the field and 77.6% at the free throw line.

Hoosiers climb in Associated Press poll

Last week, Indiana made its program debut in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll. This week, the Hoosiers are on the move once again.

IU jumped one spot to No. 9 in this week’s AP Top 25, appearing as one of five Big Ten teams in the latest set of rankings. Big Ten champion Maryland is tied with Louisville at No. 7, Michigan is No. 13, Rutgers is No. 19 and Ohio State is No. 22. Iowa also received votes.

Big Ten Tournament up next

Indiana is off until Thursday, when the Hoosiers will tip off the conference tournament as a No. 2 seed against either No. 10 Penn State or No. 7 Michigan State. That contest will take place at 6:30 p.m. Eastern — the same time as the IU men’s Big Ten Tournament game — and air on FS2.

IU’s double-bye in the tournament is its third under coach Teri Moren.