Karoline Striplin’s Perfect Day Helps Indiana Women Open Big Ten With Win At Penn State

Karoline Striplin did not miss a single shot as Indiana’s women’s basketball team pulled away at Penn State.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Karoline Striplin (11) looks to the bench after the first half Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, during a women’s basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and the Indiana Hoosiers at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Come the moment, come the person. On Saturday at Penn State, the moment came for Indiana post player Karoline Striplin.

And she was ready for it.

Striplin, a Tennessee transfer who had only had one double-digit scoring effort this season, broke out in a big way in the Hoosiers’ Big Ten opener.

Striplin became just the second player in Indiana history to be perfect from the field. Her 27-point, 12 of 12 shooting effort helped Indiana overwhelm Penn State 75-60 to get the Hoosiers’ Big Ten campaign started with a victory at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa.

First B1G road win of the season.

Highlights from our trip east. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/Xhx1zenDV1

— Indiana Women’s Basketball (@IndianaWBB) December 7, 2024

Striplin’s 12-for-12 effort matched Mackenzie Holmes in the record book as players who shot 100% in a game. A minimum of 10 field goal attempts are needed to qualify for the record. Holmes did it twice in her career.

Striplin’s 12-for-12 was one bucket shy of Holmes’ 13-for-13 game against Eastern Kentucky in 2020. Holmes is a graduate assistant for the Hoosiers this season and she helped instill some confidence in Striplin.

“Honestly, it was all about confidence, and when I got the ball, just shooting it confidently. A lot of my coaches have been pouring (confidence) into me before the game, including Mack, so I just felt really confident up there in high post, down low,” Striplin said.

For Indiana coach Teri Moren, Striplin’s response was a welcome development after Moren expressed disappointment with the overall performance of the post players in Wednesday’s four-point victory over Southern Indiana.

“I think most great teams have a great balance of an inside presence and an outside presence. And I thought particularly the other night against Southern Indiana, we had no post presence,” Moren said.

“I thought Strip had a special kind of day. But we need she and Lilly (Meister) to be more consistent for us, night in and night out,” Moren added.

Striplin took Moren’s Wednesday words to heart.

“Me and Lilly both took that challenge to heart. It definitely hurts when your coach is specifically challenging you both to do better, and we definitely wanted to show up for her,” Striplin said.

Joining Striplin among Indiana’s leading scorers was Yarden Garzon, who had 22 points. Garzon was the outside to Striplin’s inside as Garzon was 6 of 10 from 3-point range.

Contributions from both players was vital in Indiana’s second half surge to take control of the game.

Tied 30-30 at halftime, Penn State jumped to a 37-32 lead to start the third quarter. Then Striplin took over.

A second-chance bucket with seven minutes to go in the quarter began a hot streak in which Striplin scored five of Indiana six field goals in less than five minutes of game play. Striplin even mixed in just her second 3-point bucket of the season in the surge.

By the time Striplin finished up her run, Indiana’s deficit had turned into a 47-43 lead. Her final bucket of the third quarter staked Indiana to a 49-43 advantage at the quarter break. Striplin’s run was paired with a Penn State drought in which the Nittany Lions went over six minutes without a field goal.

“In preseason, in the summer, we knew what (Striplin) was capable of doing. But again, that word consistency is going to keep coming up, especially with she and Lilly. We have to have some consistency,” Moren said.

“I don't know that she'll be able to able to be perfect from the field, but they have got to be able to have a presence inside and give us some scoring,” Moren added on the post players in general.

After Striplin’s big moment, it was Garzon’s turn to provide the finishing kick. The junior scored four of Indiana’s first five field goals of the final quarter – all of them were 3-point makes. Garzon’s final salvo put Indiana in control with a 66-51 lead.

Indiana (7-3, 1-0) showed some toughness in the first half too, but for different reasons.

Penn State (8-2, 0-1) scored the first six points of the game and had an early 10-2 lead as the Hoosiers struggled from the field. Indiana began the contest by missing 12 of its first 15 shots.

Yet Indiana’s defense ensured that the Nittany Lions didn’t run away and hide. Even after a difficult start, Shay Ciezki’s 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter pulled the Hoosiers within a point.

Striplin gave a preview of things to come in the second quarter when she made all four of her shots. Meister also made all three of her shots in the quarter as the Hoosiers kept pace with the Nittany Lions and were tied at halftime.

Indiana won its Big Ten opener for the seventh straight season. The Hoosiers have eight days off until they resume their nonconference schedule with a game against Bellarmine on Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Indiana does not re-enter Big Ten play for good until the Hoosiers host Wisconsin on Dec. 28.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• INDIANA RALLIES PAST SOUTHERN INDIANA: The Screaming Eagles made it tough on the Hoosiers, but Indiana had the finishing kick to win. CLICK HERE.

• WHAT MOREN SAID: What Teri Moren said after Indiana's 67-63 win over Southern Indiana. CLICK HERE.

• MOORE-MCNEIL, MEISTER LIFT HOOSIERS: Chloe Moore-McNeil and Lilly Meister had big scoring efforts in Indiana's 78-53 win over Maine. CLICK HERE.