Three Takeaways From No. 13/14 IUWBB's 100-59 Win Vs. Northwestern

Hoosiers Dominate The Wildcats On Sunday Afternoon In Assembly Hall

Assembly Hall Where Indiana Indiana Took On Northwestern Sunday Afternoon

Bench Steps Up Big In Win

For most of the season, IU has relied on its five starters to emerge victorious. With Sydney Parrish out for the foreseeable future, the Hoosiers are forced to go deeper into their bench. Sophomore Lexus Bargesser has moved into the starting lineup and provides defense and hustle but is not a scorer. She has not put up a point in either of the last two contests.

However, the rest of their bench which featured only four healthy bodies had its best game of the season. With these players likely to see extended time next season due to the expiring eligibility of Mackenzie Holmes and Sara Scalia, it was extremely encouraging to have them contribute in the fashion they did. The combination of freshmen Lenee Beaumont and Jules LaMendola, along with sophomores Lily Meister and Henna Sandvik put up a combined 37 points on Sunday with Beaumont and Meister both reaching double figures. While the result was never in doubt, to see this production from the reserves is extremely encouraging going forward for the team in the rest of 2024 and next season as well.

A Crowd of 10,776 Is No Longer Noteworthy And That Is A Good Thing

10,776 fans filled almost the entire main level of Assembly Hall on Sunday with a few trickling into the balcony. This represented the second-largest crowd this season and the seventh-biggest in program history.

What is noteworthy is not too long ago, the program would promote this number everywhere on social media and in their game wrap for how large it was. On Sunday however, other than a brief mention of this final number by PA announcer Jeremy Gray while giving the postgame stats, no one discussed the size of the attendance much.

While on the surface this may seem like a bad thing, it is actually a very positive development for the team. It says that the IU administration now expects crowds this big and no longer is it a stand-out accomplishment. This is yet another example of what seemed once out of reach for this program for years is now the norm which should make every Indiana fan smile widely.

How Does Team Respond Without Sydney Parrish Going Forward

Parrish missed her second consecutive game on Sunday and was still on crutches and in a walking boot. So far, her presence has not been missed against two of the bottom teams in the Big Ten as IU improved to 8-1 in the conference and 17-2 overall.

However, the true test of her absence comes in the next trio of contests. Indiana faces postseason-bound Maryland (7 pm Wednesday on Peacock), Ohio State (noon next Sunday on FS1), and Michigan State (7 pm Thursday, February 8 on Peacock), with the first two on the road.

The Hoosiers have done a solid job of surviving injuries the past two seasons when Mackenzie Holmes and Grace Berger were out for an extended period. Now Indiana will once again have to prove they can win when not everyone is healthy as they chase another league championship and a deep run in March.

The postgame show with Jeff Marlow and Kathy Amos can be seen here: