Scorching hot 3-point shooting leads Indiana past Purdue
Perimeter shot after perimeter shot, Indiana’s offense was the difference in a tough road environment on Sunday afternoon at Mackey Arena.
The Hoosiers shot their way to a 74-68 victory against Purdue after an action-packed offensive performance from Indiana’s starting five. Indiana’s high-octane offense led them to their 7th conference win this season and eighth straight win against the Boilermakers at Mackey Arena.
Indiana came in as one of the most efficient shooting teams in the country. The Hoosiers were shooting 51 percent from the field, third-best in the nation and best in the Big Ten. Indiana’s shooting ability has been one of the big reasons they have been successful this season, and it was on display against the Boilermakers.
Indiana shot 65.2 percent from deep, made 15 3s and shot 53.1 percent from the field. The result created history for the program as it marked the fifth-best shooting percentage on 3s in a single game, while the 15 made triples in a game were second most all-time.
The hot shooting was even more impressive because the Hoosiers were without one of their best players, who also happens to be one of their best shooters.
Sydney Parrish was sidelined before the game with an undisclosed leg injury she suffered in Friday’s practice, but that didn’t stop the Hoosiers. Without Parrish, Indiana had their best 3-point shooting performance of the year.
Indiana was wide open on the perimeter throughout the game, thanks to Mackenzie Holmes. Holmes automatically attracts the double team down in the post and with two defenders always on the All-American, that means someone on the floor has an open look.
“I think it usually starts with Mackenzie in the post,” Indiana guard Sara Scalia said. “She gets a lot of attention. Whether she’s gonna get doubled or they’re gonna have you dig off of her, which opens it up a lot of our perimeter players. We practice it every day to hit our shots when she gets does get doubled.”
While Sunday’s shooting performance was extraordinary, the hot shooting has been a trend this season. In the 18 games they’ve played this season, Indiana has shot at least 50 percent from the field in 10 games.
Four Hoosiers shared the 15-made threes, including a rare 3-pointer from Holmes. Yarden Garzon’s five 3-pointers sprinkled throughout the second and third quarters kept Indiana afloat, while Scalia finished the night with six triples. Indiana was without one of their strongest long-range weapons, but they still found a way.
“You credit Indiana because they never looked rattled,” Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said. “You could see the maturity — a championship ball club. Nobody forced a shot. Nobody forced a play. They stayed with what they were doing… Credit to them for stepping up and knocking down tough shots.”
The win secured the Barn Burner trophy for the Hoosiers for the eighth straight season.
Purdue had its success against Indiana – the Boilermakers led for nearly 15 minutes of game action – but it came down to the Hoosiers staying calm down the stretch and turning up the defense.
Indiana held Purdue to 40 percent shooting in the third quarter and 37.5 percent in the fourth quarter. It was a gritty shoot-out victory in West Lafayette, Indiana’s 16th of the season. And with Iowa’s loss at Ohio State, the win propelled the Hoosiers into a tie atop the conference standings.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
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