Indiana Women Get Back To Winning Ways In 79-66 Upset Victory Over No. 24 Stanford

Indiana shut down the high-powered Cardinal attack as the Hoosiers snapped their two-game losing streak.

Indiana's Chloe Moore-McNeil (22) scores over Stanford's Tess Heal (34) during the Indiana versus Stanford women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – In its last two games, the limitations of Indiana’s women’s basketball team were on full display.

On Sunday against No. 24 Stanford, the Hoosiers showed 10,351 fans at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall what the possibilities can be when Indiana is at its best.

Indiana got productive games from veterans Yarden Garzon and Chloe Moore-McNeil and newcomer Shay Ciezki. What was even more impressive was the Hoosiers’ defense.

Stanford, the top 3-point shooting team in the nation that entered the contest at 51%, was shut down beyond the arc and inside it too by the Hoosiers. Stanford’s attack was grounded from the second quarter onward and the Hoosiers took advantage in a 79-66 victory.

It was a badly needed win that snapped a two-game losing streak after the Hoosiers (2-2) had fallen in overtime to Harvard at home on Nov. 7 and at Butler on Wednesday.

“They’ve been a little ticked off. This is never a bad thing to play a little mad. I think that they came out and played with a little bit of anger, which was good,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said.

Moore-McNeil, who slumped in the first three games with just a 6.3 per game scoring average, had a revival with a 21-point effort on 7 of 11 shooting. She also had four steals.

“Obviously, we didn’t get the results we wanted these past two games. I wouldn’t say it’s anything different. I think we just needed a few games to get our feet under ourselves in terms of realizing this is a different team than the past years,” Moore-McNeil said.

Moren was confident Moore-McNeil would respond after her early slump.

“Chloe is the first one to tell you that she has not played very well,” Moren said. “As I always say, she’s as tough as a $6 steak. It’s just a matter of time before she saw herself (on film) and then she responded.” 

Garzon, who was compelled to play in the post for stretches of the second half with foul trouble plaguing Lilly Meister, had 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Garzon was also 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

“I feel in the last two days we had great practices and we had a team meeting, too. We wanted to win. Losing sucks, and we just wanted to win,” Garzon said.

Indiana's Shay Ciezki (10) during the Indiana versus Stanford women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ciezki had her best game as a Hoosier. The Penn State transfer had 19 points and was 2-for-3 from 3-point range. Her dribble-penetration gave Stanford trouble.

Indiana’s offense was improved from the start, but it initially appeared the Hoosiers would have to take down Stanford in a shootout.

The Hoosiers made 64.3% of their first quarter shots and 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Moore-McNeil was assertive from the start, with 10 first-quarter points to go with a pair of steals. Stanford matched Indiana’s offensive prowess, making 52.9% of its shots and hitting 2 of 3 from 3-point range. Indiana led 24-22 at the end of the high-scoring period.

From there, Indiana would make a defensive statement. Stanford missed its first eight shots of the second quarter, and Indiana surged to a 40-24 lead, part of a 21-2 run that had gone back to the latter part of the opening period.

The Cardinal would go on to shoot 21.4% in the second quarter. An elite offensive team was humbled by Indiana’s defense.

“It was part of our plan to be the more physical team, and our kids delivered on that,” Moren said.

Indiana led 42-31 at halftime, and the Hoosiers’ defensive will wasn’t shaken in the third quarter as Stanford converted just 31.3% in the third period.

Indiana's Yarden Garzon (12) shoots over Stanford's Nunu Agara (3) during the Indiana versus Stanford women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The degree of difficulty was higher for the Hoosiers as Lilly Meister got into foul trouble. Garzon played the five for parts of the period, but there was no drop-off in quality of defense.

Nor was there in shooting. Garzon made a pair of threes in the third period as Indiana reached its largest lead of 19 late in the period.

Stanford (4-1) closed the gap to a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but Indiana successfully held the Cardinal at bay by making 11 of 12 free throws in the final quarter.

“We really needed that win, and I feel like everybody knew that and we did it,” Garzon said.

Indiana next plays in the Battle 4 Atlantis starting on Saturday against Columbia, the Hoosiers’ third Ivy League opponent of the season.

Indiana will head to the islands in a much better frame of mind.

“I don’t know that winning cures everything, but winning feels good,” Moren said.