No. 10 Indiana Withstands Maryland's Comeback For First Win at College Park, 87-73

No. 10 Indiana women's basketball began its two-game road trip Wednesday night at Maryland and won at College Park for the first time ever. The Hoosiers led by 22 points at halftime before Maryland cut it to seven, but they prevailed to move to 9-1 in the Big Ten.

No. 10 Indiana women’s basketball has — at last — conquered College Park.

The Hoosiers picked up their first-ever win at Maryland, 87-73, Wednesday night after losing six prior meetings going back to 2015.

Mackenzie Holmes led the scoring with 23 points, her sixth double-double this season. Sara Scalia scored 22 points and sank four threes. Chloe Moore-McNeil and Yarden Garzon also made two threes each. Lexus Bargesser, filling in for the injured Sydney Parrish as a starter, scored nine points and dished out six assists. That's the most points Bargesser has scored in the starting lineup across three games. 

“We made history for our program in terms of being able to win at Maryland,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said. “That just tells you how good Maryland has been … but you know, really proud of our group tonight. I thought we came out in the first half, we were not expecting the triangle, it caught us off guard. But I thought our kids handled themselves well.”

Indiana went 6-for-14 from the perimeter and had just four points in the paint but led by 10 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Hoosiers reversed that trend, scoring 14 points in the paint with only two threes to lead at the half 50-32.

Maryland's triangle defense wasn't working, and it was without its leading scorer, injured Shyanne Sellers. But the Terps were 9-1 at home, and Moren did not expect them to fold.

“It's just not how they’re coached,” Moren said. “They have too much tradition and pride … we knew that there was going to be a run made by them, and that was in the third quarter. Able to hang on to the lead and I thought — the way our experience really paid off down the stretch.”

Maryland outscored Indiana 29-16 in the third quarter, tied for the most single-quarter points Indiana allowed this season. Maryland’s half-court press also gave Indiana fits, and the Hoosiers turned the ball over five times. The Terps were within single-digits entering the fourth quarter.

Senior Chloe Moore-McNeil, who was just 2-for-9 from three, calmed down the Hoosiers.

“Chloe told them (in the huddle, heading into the fourth quarter), that we were going to stick together,” Moren said. “And we were going to stay connected. We had to get stops. We were going to win the game, and I just listened … so quite frankly, it was Chloe that I think put us all at ease, you know, just giving us all good juice — that we just needed to stick together.”

Trailing only 72-65 with seven minutes left, Maryland's Faith Masonius argued the foul call when she went to strip the ball away from Holmes. The ensuing technical foul, with free throws and an additional possession, triggered a 10-point swing in favor of Indiana. From there, the Hoosiers sealed the 87-73 win.

With Wednesday’s victory, Indiana remains atop the conference standings at 9-1, with an 18-2 overall record. The Hoosiers play at No. 8 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. That game will be broadcast on FS1. 

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