No. 4 Indiana’s Historic Run Comes To An End In NCAA Regional Final Against No. 3 Arizona

by | Mar 30, 2021 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

No. 4 Indiana’s Historic Run Comes To An End In NCAA Regional Final Against No. 3 Arizona

 

SAN ANTONIO – No. 4 seeded Indiana ends historic run in the NCAA Tournament falling to Arizona, 66-53, in the regional final on Monday night at the Alamodome.

 

KEY MOMENTS

  • After Indiana (21-6) won the tip, the first bucket for either team came at the 6:55 mark in the first.  Berger would jumpstart the Hoosiers offense on the next possession followed with a step back jumper from senior guard Ali Patberg, but Arizona (20-5) would lead, 7-4, at the media timeout. Patberg would keep the Hoosiers within two to end the first as she led Indiana’s offense scoring six out of IU’s 11 points.
  • In the second frame, Patberg would start the Hoosiers off on a 6-0 run. Sophomore Mackenzie Holmes would score the next bucket on a no-look pass from Patberg to give the Hoosiers their first lead, 15-14. Holmes scored eight of Indiana’s 12 points as she went four-of-six from the field in the first half. She is now in double figures with 10 as the Hoosiers went to the locker room down four, 27-23.
  • The Wildcat’s and Hoosiers exchanged buckets to start the third frame, but an eight-point lead for Arizona would force an Indiana timeout at the 7:36 mark. Holmes and Patberg led the 9-2 run to cut the Wildcat lead, 37-36. Holmes would tie the game up 44-all with a bucket to give her, but an offensive board would put Arizona up 46-44 going into the fourth.
  • Arizona continued to push the lead outscoring the Hoosiers 20-9 in the fourth, as the Wildcat’s three-ball proved to be deadly to the Hoosiers as they hit three consecutive 3-pointers. Junior guard Grace Berger fought back scoring seven of the nine points for Indiana, cutting the deficit to seven but it wouldn’t get any closer as Arizona led as much as 13.

 

NOTABLE

  • Indiana ends the 2020-21 season 21-6 and 16-2 in the Big Ten. This was the sixth consecutive season the Hoosiers reached 20 wins in a season
  • Indiana saw three in double-digit scoring.
  • Sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes led the team in scoring with 20 points. Holmes also had a team leading five blocks which tied her program NCAA Tournament record.
  • Junior guard Aleksa Gulbe grabbed a team high nine rebounds. Gulbe tacked on three points.
  • Junior guard Grace Berger led the way in assists with four. Berger ended the night with 15 points and four rebounds.
  • Senior guard Ali Patberg tallied 12 points and six rebounds.
  • Sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes
  • Indiana had 30 points in the paint while the Wildcats had 22.