Takeaways, Observations From Indiana's 111-68 Exhibition Win Over Northwood

Indiana's schedule unofficially began Wednesday night in an exhibition win over Northwood. Five veterans comprised the starting lineup, while freshmen made their debuts. Here are some takeaways and observations from Assembly Hall Wednesday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana women’s basketball cruised to an 111-68 exhibition victory versus Division II opponent Northwood Wednesday night at Assembly Hall. As the season officially begins the following Thursday, here are some takeaways and observations from Wednesday’s drubbing. It is only the preseason, so these can be taken with grains of salt.

Room for improvement with freshmen

ESPN class of 2023 top-100 guards, Jules LaMendola and Lenée Beaumont, made their debuts with the Hoosiers Wednesday night in front of fans. They both had pluses and minuses nestled in their individual performances. 

Beaumont’s night offensively began with teammate Henna Sandvik hollering for the idle freshman to swoop down and run the baseline. Beaumont gradually adjusted throughout the exhibition, however, and got her first bucket to begin the second quarter from deep. By the fourth quarter, the freshman had excellent vision for a half-court assist and added another bucket in transition. Beaumont struggled beyond the arc, though, and only went 1-for-5. The good news for Indiana is they have plenty of other shooters.

As for LaMendola, the rookie stuttered on both sides of the ball. She went 1-for-6 from the field, missed back-to-back layups, and also picked up five personal fouls. LaMendola was frequently delayed in shuffling her feet to stick with the players she guarded. In the fourth quarter, Indiana head coach Teri Moren pulled LaMendola aside, and on Indiana’s next possession, she made her first basket in transition. But, she got beat on the next possession.

“We have to help them get caught up and be so much better on the defensive side of the ball,” Moren said postgame. “There were too many times where Jules just gave up direct drives. Part of that was she had happy feet tonight … She’ll get better. I’m hoping this is the beginning for her and Lenée. Tonight was a big night for them to play in front of Hoosier nation.”

Look out for Indiana’s 3-point threat

On Monday, Moren said that guard Sara Scalia was shooting the ball well in practice. On Wednesday, the veteran and new member of the starting five nearly couldn’t miss in front of fans. On the rare occasions the senior did, the carnage was already severe. 

Scalia went 5-for-8 from deep, made her first four, and totaled 17 points. A particular play in the second quarter chronicled the night perfectly: Scalia caught the ball in transition in front of the three-point line, took one step back, and drained it.

“[Scalia] is lethal,” Moren said. “She can cause problems for the defense. I just want her to do what all great shooter’s do: when in doubt, shoot it … If she misses one, she needs to come back and have a short memory and knock the next one down. I thought played great tonight. It was great to see how comfortable she looked as well … Sara looks extremely comfortable.”

Scalia executed precisely what Moren said. The senior went 4-for-4 from deep to begin the exhibition, missed two successive three-pointers right before the break, and made her fifth of the night in the third quarter. Senior Sydney Parrish added two more threes, sophomore Yarden Garzon also had two, whilst Henna Sandvik and Beaumont accounted for the other two. 

In total, the Hoosiers shot 11-for-22 (50%) from deep. That’ll win you games, simple. And Indiana has multiple go-to options in the starting lineup to keep handing to whoever’s on.

Holmes’ Perfect Night, Moore-McNeil’s Assists

That was vintage Holmes. The Associated Press Preseason All-American went 14-for-14 from the floor in 14 minutes — the fewest of any starter — yet posted the game-high 28 points with seven rebounds. Indiana’s four-guard offense can isolate Holmes for one-on-one matchups in the paint. If she gets double-teamed, there are plenty of kick-out options as mentioned above. Holmes didn’t have any obstacles in the paint and wasn't in need to pass to the perimeter. It was automatic. She also picked up three steals.

Before the season, one storyline was Indiana profiting from Chloe Moore-McNeil’s resumed production in assists, given Grace Berger’s absence, who led the team in that category last season. Moore-McNeil looked comfortable being the conductor of Indiana’s high-speed offense, adding 10 assists in just the second-fewest minutes out of the five starters behind Holmes. Moore-McNeil also sank both of her two free throws. The senior’s facilitation will be key.

Indiana’s season officially begins at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 versus Eastern Illinois in Assembly Hall. 

Related stories on Indiana Women's Basketball: 

• UPDATED WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE: Below is the list of the 2023-24 schedule, which will be updated as tip-off times and TV designations become available. CLICK HERE 
• PRESEASON STORYLINES: The Hoosiers play Northwood in an exhibition at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Wednesday night. Below are some storylines heading into this season without the program's all-time winningest player. CLICK HERE
• MACKENZIE HOLMES AP PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN: Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes was one of six players named to the Associated Press preseason All-American Team Tuesday. CLICK HERE
• YARDEN GARZON CHERYL MILLER AWARD WATCH LIST: Garzon, who set the program's freshman record for made 3-pointers, was named to the 20-player watch list for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award. CLICK HERE