A disappointing first-round exit in the Big Ten Tournament left Indiana Women’s Basketball in danger of not hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Indiana needed a few things to go their way in games across the country and they did. On Sunday night it was announced that Indiana would be the number four seed in the Albany region, meaning they would be hosting the first two rounds of the tournament.
“Anytime that you have an opportunity to play at home in front of your home fans, we’re not just excited, but really grateful that it worked out the way we wanted it to,” Indiana Women’s Head Coach Teri Moren said after the bracket was revealed.
For Indiana’s leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes, playing in Bloomington gives her a chance at redemption after a disappointing senior night where she suffered an injury.
“I don’t like how I left things on senior night,” Holmes said about playing at Assembly Hall. “Obviously going out with an injury is not ideal. So hosting was something that I wanted to get the chance to play in front of Hoosier nation.”
While Sunday’s bracket was largely good news for the Hoosiers, it also presented an enormous challenge. Indiana was placed in the same region as the top overall seed South Carolina who are heavy favorites to win the tournament. Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks come into the tournament 32-0 with an average margin of victory of 29.8 points.
If Indiana can get past the first two rounds, it is likely that South Carolina will be waiting for them in the Sweet Sixteen.
“Anytime you get into this tournament it’s going to be hard. There’s going to be challenges, no matter who you play whether first round, second round, and so forth,” Moren said about the draw. “I think we’re prepared. We’re excited about the opportunity that we gave to once again to practice together, be together, and play.”
Moren and her squad recognize the challenge of their region, but they aren’t looking ahead of the team in front of them. Indiana lost in the second round to Miami in Bloomington a year ago and they know they can’t look past anyone in March.
Quick Hitters: Key takeaways from Indiana women’s basketball NCAA Tournament region
“We know it’s going to be a challenge no matter who we play, but we’re so excited to be able to stay home here in Bloomington in front of Hoosier Nation,” Moren said about the tournament.
Indiana will play Fairfield in the first round and Moren’s team recognizes that they will be a difficult first-round matchup. The Stags come into the tournament with a record of 31-1 and they have won 29 consecutive games since an early November loss to Vanderbilt.
“There’s no doubt we have our work cut out for us,” Moren said about Fairfield.
After the disappointing result in the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana will have a total of 15 days of preparation for their first-round matchup. That result could be a blessing in disguise as it gives Holmes and other players time to rest and recover after a long season.
Moren also spoke about some positives that can come from a disappointing loss.
“It’s one thing to come up short, to fail. Some of those [performances] have been super disappointing, but there’s always a lesson inside all of those,” Moren said about some of their past losses. “You learn lessons throughout and there’s some nights where it’s not your night.”
Indiana has had some disappointing performances this season including 20+ point losses to Illinois, Iowa, and Stanford. While there have certainly been some lulls at points, Moren is extremely confident in her team’s ability to compete with anyone in the country.
“Our body of work throughout the season has proven time and time again that this is a team that’s competitive,” Moren said. “It’s a team that’s connected, it’s a team that is mature, experienced.”
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