Three Things: Indiana women’s basketball defeats Wisconsin, 93-56

No. 6 Indiana women’s basketball handled Wisconsin to the tune of a 93-56 victory yesterday afternoon in Assembly Hall. The win bumps the Hoosiers to 16-1 (6-1 Big Ten) on the season. Indiana got out ahead early in this one and never really looked back, here’s three things:

Mackenzie Holmes

Mackenzie Holmes scored 29 points in 26 minutes and was the best player on the floor yesterday. She had ten points in the first quarter alone and made her presence in the paint known time and time again:

Holmes also recorded eight rebounds, a block, and an assist. She shot a ridiculous 11-15 (73%) from the field, improving her season percentage to 68.9. Holmes is the Big Ten’s best, and the nation’s second-best, player when it comes to field goal percentage. Only Liberty’s Mya Berkman is shooting better than Holmes at the moment.

Holmes easy sets a new career-high in points (currently 32) if this game had been competitive in the second half. The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list selection is averaging 23.3 points per game in Big Ten play this season.

Good Stuff

Using this thing to list a bunch of little bits I saw that were prime examples of Good Basketball or just generally good things. They are as follows:

• Four Hoosiers scored in double figures.
• Sydney Parrish got up the court and behind the defense in transition, catching a good pass and then immediately moving it with a better one to help Mackenzie Holmes draw a foul in the first quarter.
• Grace Berger hit a three.
• Scalia, Parrish, Bargesser, and CMM combined for ten steals.
• Kiandra Browne made her second appearance since returning from a thumb injury and scored her first two points of the season.
• Lexus Bargesser had an awesome “one more” pass to assist Sydney Parrish’s second three pointer of the game in the third.
• Lilly Meister recorded her third-career block and scored eight points.
• Yarden Garzon scored 19 points and was 4-5 from deep in front of her sister and mother, who traveled all the way from Israel to attend the game.
• In-game PA announcer Jeremy Gray called all of Garzon’s threes in Hebrew.
• Sara Scalia hit a three in the fourth quarter and got a thunderous applause from the crowd:

• Twelve Hoosiers saw the floor.
• Teri Moren tied the program record for wins with victory number 188.

That’s a lot of bullet points. Seems like today’s W was as complete as they come.

The Hall was Headed To

Improving attendance has always been one of IU Athletics’ biggest goals, and it’s safe to say their newest promo was successful:

Over 10,422 fans took advantage of the $1 ticket deal (or got in free, which all students do with their CrimsonCard), setting the program record for seats filled at a regular season game.

That 10,000+ figure is second to only the 2018 WNIT Championship in terms of all home games ever, it was awesome. Nearly the entire lower bowl was full and everyone was super engaged with the game. The in-arena crew was as good as ever and deserves some praise, too.

The Hoosiers have five home games remaining before the Big Ten Tournament and could very well break the record again on two or three future occasions. Fingers crossed they open up the balcony for the Purdue game on 2/19.