Indiana Upsets No. 1-Seed Ohio State in Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Semifinals

No. 5-seed Indiana brought down No. 1-seed Ohio State 70-62 in the semifinals of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The Hoosiers will advance to the championship game on Sunday for the first time since 2002.

Haley Jordan | Mar 5, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — For the first time since 2002, Indiana is headed to the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament championship after defeating No. 1-seed Ohio State 70-62.

"The tradition's always been on the men's side, and we wanted to create our own tradition," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said. "I think that we're doing that."

The Hoosiers' starting lineup looked a little different as senior forward Aleksa Gulbe wasn't in the starting five or on the bench for part of the first half. Moren confirmed she was feeling sick.

Without Gulbe to start, sophomore guard Chloe Moore-McNeil took over and was one of five starters to finish in double scoring figures with 11 points.

"I just love how she came out," Moren said. "It was like her hair was on fire. She was literally getting to the rim and being aggressive in our motion. Leks was out. We had no problem knowing that Chloe was going to come in and she was going to help us."

Graduate student guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary led the Hoosiers with her 16-point, 11-rebound double-double followed by graduate student guard Ali Patberg with 15 points.

The Hoosiers shot 45.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line. Moren said she was very pleased that her team out-rebounded Ohio State 37-30 and that the best rebounders win games.

"I think just the fact that my teammates are all boxing out and I can run in there and grab that rebound, that that's what really helps me get those boards, and it's really all about my teammates," Cardaño-Hillary said.

Moren calls assists "sharing the sugar." The Hoosiers outweighed the Buckeyes in this category too totaling 20 assists compared to the Buckeyes' 14.

Moore-McNeil got the Hoosiers' offense rolling with the first bucket of the game. Ohio State responded, but Patberg hit two three-pointers in the first six minutes to give the Hoosiers the lead.

"I want to pass the ball to Ali and drain that three every time," Cardaño-Hillary said. "If I could do it every time, I'd do it, and I think that kind of willingness to pass and to get the best shot rather than a good shot is really what makes our team so strong."

Redshirt sophomore center Arielle Wisne entered the game and swiped one out of the hands of a Buckeye around the two-minute mark. The Hoosier fans erupted as well as the bench.

"That's probably the biggest block of her life and the fact that she blocked it and was able to secure it," Moren said. "Again, we've used her in the last three days we've been in Indianapolis for spot minutes. This is a group that they just fall in love with each other's success. You never know when your number's going to be called. Just stay ready."

Rel with the rejection 🚫@arielle_wisne pic.twitter.com/1wfYSTi0MB
— Indiana Women’s Basketball (@IndianaWBB) March 5, 2022

Ohio State soon entered a scoring drought for just under four minutes giving Indiana the 21-17 advantage at the end of the period.

Patberg hit a coast-to-coast layup to open the second quarter and put the Hoosiers up by four points.

Steal
Run
Score pic.twitter.com/wUs8CegyUd
— Indiana Women’s Basketball (@IndianaWBB) March 5, 2022

The middle of the quarter was quiet offensively as both teams went more than two minutes without scoring until Berger knocked down two free throws.

Gulbe checked in with five minutes to play finally appearing from the locker room.

Ohio State crept within three points until Patberg drained her third triple of the game with less than four minutes left in the half.

Moore-McNeil's pair of free throws gave Indiana its first double-digit lead, but Buckeye senior guard Taylor Mikesell wanted to get the last word and ended the half with a jumper. Indiana led 38-30 going into the locker room.

"Chloe is really good offensively, but she's just as good defensively, which is exciting for this team," Patberg said. "I think the adversity that we had this season was a blessing for her, for all of us, but specifically for her because she had to step up and she did."

Sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes opened up the second half with two free-throws for the Hoosiers widening the gap for the Buckeyes. Once Patberg hit a jump shot, Ohio State called a timeout to regroup.

The Buckeyes came within five points during the third, but the Hoosiers kept the lead as Ohio State started fouling.

Buckeye graduate student forward Tanaya Beacham entered foul trouble still with a minute and a half left in the third.

The Hoosiers struggled shooting missing four consecutive shots until Gulbe got her group back in rhythm with a jumper.

Beacham fouled out around the 3-minute mark. As she found her seat on the bench, Cardaño-Hillary hit a layup but lost the opportunity to make it a 3-point play at the line.

Sneak attack 👀@nikkich_14 pic.twitter.com/HuxOzT4tOw
— Indiana Women’s Basketball (@IndianaWBB) March 5, 2022

With two and a half minutes to play, Ohio State junior guard Jacy Sheldon hit a big hook shot layup to cut Ohio State's deficit to eight points forcing Indiana to call a timeout.

In the huddle Moren told her group to get a stop, protect the three-point line and not to foul.

Following an intense full-court defensive effort from both teams, Indiana held onto the lead for a ticket to the championship game Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2 versus Iowa.

"We'll have more work to do, and we'll focus on what we need to be better at tomorrow, but we're starting to feel and play like ourselves, I think," Patberg said.

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball