Hoosiers Fall In Regular Season Finale Heartbreaker

Sunday, February 26

Iowa City, Iowa.

2 P.M. ET

Indiana University

26-2,16-2Big Ten

#6/6 Iowa

23-6,15-3Big Ten

Indiana

Iowa

Hoosiers Fall In Regular Season Finale Heartbreaker

2/26/2023 4:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa hit a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds to play as it snapped No. 2 Indiana's 14-game win streak in a 86-85 loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday afternoon.

KEY MOMENTS

After graduate student guard Grace Berger hit her signature jumper, Iowa went on a run forcing an Indiana timeout trailing 10-2 with just over two minutes in. The Hawkeyes led by as many as 13 in the opening frame as the Hoosiers began to chip away at the deficit. A bucket from Berger and a triple from freshman guard Yarden Garzon made it a 21-15 as Indiana came within as many as three on an and-1 opportunity by Holmes.
Facing a five-point deficit going into the second, junior guard Sydney Parrish started the Hoosiers off attacking the rim while a smooth triple from Scalia kept IU within three. Moore-McNeil pulled the Hoosiers within one with 6:20 to play on a baseline drive, 30-29.
An 8-0 run ensued for the Hoosiers in a two minute and change span, as Berger's signature jumper gave Indiana the lead back, 37-36. It was short lived as Iowa scored on the next possession but got two at the line from Garzon to take a 39-38 lead. With just five ticks on the clock before the break, the Hawkeyes would score and take a 40-39 lead at the half.
Iowa stretched its lead to seven in the early goings of the third quarter and a lead it mostly maintained. Moore-McNeil connected on her second triple of the day as IU closed the gap on a 5-0 run with 22 seconds left. Iowa stepped to the line to make two in the final seconds of the third, taking a 61-58 lead.
The Hoosiers kept pressuring the Hawkeyes in the fourth, as Holmes got fouled on the way up with 2:17 left on the clock as she hit one in the bonus to tie the game at 79-all. Buckets were traded by the two teams on the following possessions as Indiana would end up in the bonus with 34 seconds remaining to send Moore-McNeil to a line for a pair.
Off a missed opportunity by Iowa, Holmes came down and got herself to the line again on a move inside with 1.5 remaining. She would give her team the 85-83 lead as Iowa used the timeout to advance the ball in to its own half court. Iowa would then go on to hit the buzzer beating three in the final 1.5 seconds.

NOTABLE

Holmes led the way with 21 points and six rebounds.
Three others scored in double figures with Moore-McNeil and Parrish each adding 18 points.
Berger chipped in 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting with eight assists and four rebounds.
Garzon set a new career-high 14 rebounds in the effort.
The Hoosiers shot 49.2 percent and a season-high 94.1 percent at the free throw line.
The Hoosiers 14-game win streak was snapped in the loss. It was tied for the second-longest win streak in program history.

QUOTABLE
Indiana head coach Teri Moren
"Well certainly I'm disappointed for my crew. I can't be more proud than the way they handled themselves here this afternoon. We got off to such a, you know, not the start we wanted to, but then as they always do, they never panic, they battle back. Got the lead then lost the lead, third quarter, came out again a little bit too slow, but then regained the lead. The last play there Chloe just gets tripped a little bit, and that thing could've gone either way. But as I always remind the kids, it's a 40-minute game, and there's a lot of reps in there that we all wish we could have back. It never comes down to one play. Whether it's me play calling over there and calling a bad set, or Box over there scheming and allowing an easy bucket. Every one of our kids, there's probably a play that they want back. So, it never ever comes down to one play. I am really, really proud of our group once again they showed how tough they are, how they are one of the very best teams in the country in terms of just the way they fight, and how they handle themselves, and they never panic and again I can't tell you how proud I am of this group."

UP NEXT
Indiana will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament March 1-5 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Hoosiers will face the winner of the No. 8 vs. No 9 matchup on Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
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