Lindsay Gottlieb had warned of this very possibility, that her team’s opener in the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament might have the feel of an NCAA tournament game given the conference’s slew of quality teams.
Never mind that USC was top-seeded, second-ranked nationally and riding a seven-game winning streak.
Nothing was going to be easy. Especially given the crowd.
Every time Indiana made the slightest run Friday afternoon inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, what amounted to a home crowd for the Hoosiers buoyed them with more noise.
The place was rocking early in the fourth quarter when Indiana’s Yarden Garzon rose for a three-pointer that pulled the heavy underdogs to within two points, raising the possibility of a cinematic “Hoosiers”-style upset.
Then the Trojans reminded everyone why they were top-seeded, second-ranked nationally and riding a seven-game winning streak.
With every smooth move by guard JuJu Watkins and fearless jumper by forward Kiki Iriafen, USC offered a rebuttal that affirmed its standing and quieted the fans. The Hoosiers were within three points when back-to-back three-pointers from Talia von Oelhoffen and Watkins gave the Trojans a nine-point lead with 2 minutes 42 seconds left that finally deflated the fans.
USC was finally on its way to an 84-79 quarterfinal victory that fulfilled its coach’s prediction for high drama.
Scoring on an array of moves heavy on floaters and driving layups, Watkins led her team with 31 points on 10-for-19 shooting to go with 10 rebounds and three steals. Iriafen added 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists before fouling out with 54 seconds left.
The Trojans (27-2) advanced to a Saturday semifinal, where they will play the winner of the game between fourth-seeded Maryland and fifth-seeded Michigan.
Garzon scored 23 points for the Hoosiers (19-12), who shot 39.7% to USC’s 46.8% and were outrebounded by five.
The Trojans played without center-forward Rayah Marshall because of an unspecified illness, taking more than her averages of 7.4 points and 8.6 rebounds off the board. Her absence inside the paint allowed the Hoosiers to pile up plenty of early backdoor points.
After Indiana’s Lilly Meister found a clear path to the basket for a layup, the Hoosiers held a 14-11 lead that had their fans roaring and forced Gottlieb to call timeout. Needing their best player to step up, the Trojans got a boost when Watkins drove for a layup and later leaped to steal a pass that led to another layup. USC rolled off eight consecutive points to quiet the crowd. Only for the moment.
After one three-pointer by Garzon rattled out of the rim, causing her to bury her head in her hands in frustration as she ran back down the court, Garzon got her next one to bounce off the front of the rim and hit the backboard before falling through the net. The crowd was rocking again, the Hoosiers showing they would not be intimidated while trailing only 38-34 at halftime.
The Trojans had the answers needed for the Hoosiers and the crowd. In the final minute, a pack of USC fans behind the Trojans bench provided the soundtrack.
“We are SC!” they chanted.