Unable to compete with Indiana’s physicality, women’s basketball drops third straight game in blowout

[Skipper]

It’s customary routine before basketball games.

Every team, whether it’s at the YMCA or the NBA, goes into two lines on opposite sides of the court. The player on the side with the ball dribble into the paint and attempt a lay up. It is the most common warm up routine in the sport.

And similar to the warm up drill, Indiana University constantly navigated its way into the paint for layups against North Texas Tuesday afternoon, en route to a 94-64 throttling of the Mean Green (2-6).

The Hoosiers (5-3) eviscerated the North Texas defense, scoring 44 points in the paint, and shooting 26-of-36 from inside the three-point line.

“We did not take care of the paint very well,” head coach Jalie Mitchell said. “We allowed their centers to get great position, so that when they got the ball it was a layup,”

Indiana also utilized their physical presence on the glass early and often as they outrebounded the Mean Green 44-14. North Texas only managed six second chance points while the Hoosiers thrived, scoring 15 second chance points on 12 offensive rebounds.

“[We] obviously did not rebound very well,” Mitchell said. “That was a huge difference. They gave themselves second chances and we gave ourselves none. That’s probably the story of the game.”

In a game where there were 58 free throws and 51 turnovers between the two teams, both played sloppy and undisciplined basketball. The difference, then, was the Mean Green’s inability to get stops.

Senior guard Candice Adams totaled a season-high 14 points, however, she knows the defensive side of the ball was the issue in this game.

“It was not them giving us problems,” Adams said. “We just need to defend better.”

At the end of the first quarter, North Texas only trailed by five, but in the second quarter, Indiana took control, outscoring North Texas 29 to 7. The Hoosier’s lead swelled into the high 30s occasionally, but was also trimmed to 20 at one point.

And Mitchell understands no team can survive a quarter like that.

“I thought that the second quarter obviously killed us,” Mitchell said. “We went into it down five and just didn’t put the ball in the hole and didn’t get enough stops.”

While they struggled to put the ball in the hole, the aggression and hustle appeared to be at a high level throughout the game. This was especially the case when the Mean Green went into a full court press, where they forced turnovers and tracked down several loose balls.

“We have to be on the same page to be ready to defend and get loose balls and hustle for every minute of the game,” senior guard Kelsey Criner said. “And that’s what we have to do better.”

Criner had a season-high 17 points, as did sophomore guard Grace Goodhart, with finished with nine.

Nort Texas is now four games below .500 and only has three games remaining before Conference USA play begins.

After the tough loss, Mitchell mentioned foul trouble and the need to win these next three games.

But at the end, the coach echoed the sentiments of her starting point guard.

“I’ll piggyback off of Kelsey,” Mitchell said. “We have to get on the same page and make sure we take care of our business, and we need to do that now.”

Featured Image: North Texas senior guard Kelsey Criner (13) drives the lane against Indiana. Criner and senior guard Candace adams were the only North Texas players to score in double digits. Colin Mitchell

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