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INDIANAPOLIS — If Lenee Beaumont was going to lose this game, she was going down swinging.
At least, that’s what the Indiana women’s basketball sophomore thought when she got the ball in her hands beyond the 3-point line, down two points to Nebraska with a little more than a minute left in the game.
There was no other option than to shoot. In the first round of the Big Ten tournament, Indiana was playing to extend its season one more day. From the left wing, Beaumont put up her shot — one that would give Indiana its first lead of the game.
Swish.
The Indiana contingent of fans jumped out of their seats, making Gainbridge Fieldhouse the loudest it had been all day. Indiana had taken its first lead of the game.
And Beaumont, who worked to build up her confidence all season, was prepared for those big moments.
“(IU assistant coach) Ali Patberg, my position coach, that was something we worked on all year,” Beaumont said. “If I miss two in a row, I can't go in and be a shell of myself. I've got to be able to still look for my shot and think shot first. If we're going to lose, I'm going to go down swinging. That kind of was my mentality in the fourth.”
No. 13-seed Indiana managed to hang onto the lead for the final minute, fending off desperate attempts from No. 12 Nebraska to win, 72-69, and advance to the second round of the Big Ten tournament.
Beaumont’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:06 left was the cherry on top of what became a tale of two halves. Nebraska dominated the first half, using a 29-15 first quarter to bring a double-digit lead into the second half. With five minutes left in the third quarter, Nebraska led by 18 points.
Then, Indiana caught fire.
A 3-pointer from freshman Maya Makalusky set off a 10-point run for the Hoosiers, putting them within single digits for the first time since the opening quarter. Indiana kept chipping away at Nebraska’s lead, slowly but surely, all culminating in Beaumont’s 3-pointer.
Indiana then successfully fended off multiple Nebraska attempts; the Huskers went 1 for 6 in the final minute.
“Give those kids credit, right? It would have been really easy for us to walk out and just say it wasn't going to be our day, but they had that fighting spirit,” IU coach Teri Moren said. “So really, really proud of how they — like I said, how they did their work, how they got back into the game, and obviously how we were able to win it.”
Instant reaction: Indiana women's basketball overcomes 20-point deficit to upset Nebraska in Big Ten tournament
It was exactly the type of game Indiana may not have been able to win earlier this season, too. The Hoosiers started conference play 0-10, with inconsistent play frequently leading them to give up leads late in the game — including against Nebraska in the regular season.
With two freshmen starting, and two others playing major roles for the first time, that consistent play for 40 minutes was a slow learning curve.
But Indiana learned just in time. It won six of its final eight regular-season games, eeking into the Big Ten tournament as the No. 13 seed, then punched above its weight with a wild 18-point comeback over a team it had lost to earlier this season.
“I'm a firm believer in you can't succeed until you fail,” Shay Ciezki, who led Indiana with 22 points. “And I think that we hit a rough stretch in the beginning of the Big Ten play. Obviously being 0-10, that's not how you want to start it, but I truly believe that those losses led us to win this game today.”
Indiana will now play No. 5 Ohio State at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana women's basketball beats Nebraska with big comeback. How it happened
Continue reading...
At least, that’s what the Indiana women’s basketball sophomore thought when she got the ball in her hands beyond the 3-point line, down two points to Nebraska with a little more than a minute left in the game.
There was no other option than to shoot. In the first round of the Big Ten tournament, Indiana was playing to extend its season one more day. From the left wing, Beaumont put up her shot — one that would give Indiana its first lead of the game.
Swish.
The Indiana contingent of fans jumped out of their seats, making Gainbridge Fieldhouse the loudest it had been all day. Indiana had taken its first lead of the game.
And Beaumont, who worked to build up her confidence all season, was prepared for those big moments.
“(IU assistant coach) Ali Patberg, my position coach, that was something we worked on all year,” Beaumont said. “If I miss two in a row, I can't go in and be a shell of myself. I've got to be able to still look for my shot and think shot first. If we're going to lose, I'm going to go down swinging. That kind of was my mentality in the fourth.”
No. 13-seed Indiana managed to hang onto the lead for the final minute, fending off desperate attempts from No. 12 Nebraska to win, 72-69, and advance to the second round of the Big Ten tournament.
Beaumont’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:06 left was the cherry on top of what became a tale of two halves. Nebraska dominated the first half, using a 29-15 first quarter to bring a double-digit lead into the second half. With five minutes left in the third quarter, Nebraska led by 18 points.
Then, Indiana caught fire.
A 3-pointer from freshman Maya Makalusky set off a 10-point run for the Hoosiers, putting them within single digits for the first time since the opening quarter. Indiana kept chipping away at Nebraska’s lead, slowly but surely, all culminating in Beaumont’s 3-pointer.
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Indiana then successfully fended off multiple Nebraska attempts; the Huskers went 1 for 6 in the final minute.
“Give those kids credit, right? It would have been really easy for us to walk out and just say it wasn't going to be our day, but they had that fighting spirit,” IU coach Teri Moren said. “So really, really proud of how they — like I said, how they did their work, how they got back into the game, and obviously how we were able to win it.”
Instant reaction: Indiana women's basketball overcomes 20-point deficit to upset Nebraska in Big Ten tournament
It was exactly the type of game Indiana may not have been able to win earlier this season, too. The Hoosiers started conference play 0-10, with inconsistent play frequently leading them to give up leads late in the game — including against Nebraska in the regular season.
With two freshmen starting, and two others playing major roles for the first time, that consistent play for 40 minutes was a slow learning curve.
But Indiana learned just in time. It won six of its final eight regular-season games, eeking into the Big Ten tournament as the No. 13 seed, then punched above its weight with a wild 18-point comeback over a team it had lost to earlier this season.
“I'm a firm believer in you can't succeed until you fail,” Shay Ciezki, who led Indiana with 22 points. “And I think that we hit a rough stretch in the beginning of the Big Ten play. Obviously being 0-10, that's not how you want to start it, but I truly believe that those losses led us to win this game today.”
Indiana will now play No. 5 Ohio State at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana women's basketball beats Nebraska with big comeback. How it happened
Continue reading...
