IU women's basketball recorded its 10th straight win over Wisconsin on Wednesday night, winning in the Kohl Center, 68-54. No. 14 IU (21-3, 12-2) remained tied for second in the Big Ten with Iowa.
In a game of runs, Mackenzie Holmes scored 24 for the Hoosiers, Sara Scalia 15 and Chloe Moore-McNeil 12 on 4-of-4 3-point shooting.
Here are three observations:
IU women's basketball has a slow start
IU came into the matchup favored by 22.5 points, but it didn’t look that way in the first quarter.
While the Hoosiers shot well in the first 10 minutes (6-of-10 from the field, 4-of-5 from 3), they did not have a potent defense. IU was sloppy defending under the basket, picking up five fouls and allowing Wisconsin seven free throws — six of which the Badgers made. Along with the Badgers’ shots from the stripe, IU allowed Wisconsin to shoot 50% from the field (6-of-12).
Sophom*ore starter Yarden Garzon continued her early struggles, as well, picking up two quick fouls in the first 2 minutes. She had to sit for the rest of the first quarter, putting freshman Julianna LaMendola in for 8 minutes.
The Hoosiers recovered in the second, going on a 12-2 run throughout the final 4 minutes to score 21 points in the quarter while limiting the Badgers to six points.
IU has third-quarter woes
IU has had issues with third-quarter starts this season — most of the time, whether the Hoosiers won or lost, they would lose the third quarter.
Against Michigan State last week, IU made strides to change its halftime routine in an attempt to curb its third-quarter woes. That time, it worked — IU outscored Michigan State, 23-15, in the third quarter on its way to a 94-91 win.
More:How a halftime routine switch gave IU women's basketball a gritty win over Michigan State
On Wednesday night, though, the Hoosiers were back to their third-quarter struggles. IU went on a 4-minute scoring drought, and they watched 10 shots bounce off the rim.
IU only scored seven points in the third quarter, compared to Wisconsin’s 14. The Hoosiers’ strong second quarter still allowed a 10-point lead going into the fourth.
Sara Scalia breaks single-season 3-point record
The Hoosiers’ only highlight of the third quarter came from Sara Scalia, who scored three of IU’s seven points.
That 3-point shot was Scalia’s 79th of the season, which broke IU’s single-season record. Former Hoosier Amanda Cahill had 78 3-pointers in 2017-18.
Scalia, who only needed four 3-pointers Wednesday to break the record, went 4-of-8. She went 5-of-12 from the field for 15 points.
The fifth-year senior is leading the Big Ten and is 11th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (44.4%).
