Moore-McNeil’s Triple-Double Highlights No. 14 Indiana’s Win Over Michigan State
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil recorded her first ever triple double as all five starters scored in double figures as No. 14 Indiana gritted out a 94-91 win over Michigan State in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Thursday.
KEY MOMENTS
● It was a combined 59 points for both teams – as Michigan State shot 70 percent while the Hoosiers went 71.4 percent – in the first quarter alone. The two teams traded buckets for the first four minutes before the Spartans took an 18-14 lead on one of its four 3-pointers. Indiana (19-3, 10-2 B1G) came back within one on a Scalia triple but MSU would hold IU without a field goal for a nearly three minutes at the end of the frame as it built a 32-27 lead.
● Sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser got back-to-back buckets for the Hoosiers and another senior guard Sara Scalia 3-pointer sparked a 7-0 run as Indiana came back within one, 35-34, with 5:25 to play.
● Indiana faced as many as an 11-point deficit in the second half with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter as sophomore guard Yarden Garzon’s 3-pointer at the top of the key followed by back-to-back buckets from Holmes got it back within four with just under three minutes to play.
● Sophomore guard Henna Sandvik banked in a baseline three with 1:07 to keep the game at one possession while Garzon added another with 28 seconds remaining in the third. MSU (17-6, 7-5 B1G) would come down and get the final shot of the third, taking a 68-66 lead.
● Michigan State pushed ahead by as many as five in the early parts of the fourth quarter, but the Hoosiers worked their way back as Scalia’s little floater in the lane tied the game at 74-all. She kept the lead with IU with her fifth 3-pointer of the night and Garzon scored the next five IU points as she helped stretch the lead to 82-78 with 4:35 on the clock.
● The Spartans continued to have answers, tying the game at 86-all with 1:55 to go but Indiana took control for good on a feed from Moore-McNeil to Holmes with 1:12 left. Getting stops on the defensive end, Indiana was able to capitalize down the stretch in the bonus as Scalia and Moore-McNeil went 4-for-4 at the line in the final 11 seconds of the game.
NOTABLE
• Moore-McNeil’s triple double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists is the fourth overall triple double in school history and the first for the senior guard. She joins Grace Berger as the only players in IU women’s basketball history with triple doubles. Moore-McNeil also tied a career-high with her 11 dimes in the effort.
• The Hoosiers shot a blistering 67.5 percent in the win, the third-highest single game shooting percentage in school history. The Hoosiers have set two of the top three best single game field goal percentages this season including a 71.7 percent clip against Evansville in non-conference action.
• All five starters scored in double figures as Holmes led the way with 28 points. Scalia added 21 points and Garzon had 20 as the Hoosiers placed three with 20-points in the same game in school history.
• Holmes ended the night with 2,348 career points and is now 17 points shy of becoming the program’s all-time scoring leader. She will continue to chase Tyra Buss’ record of 2,364 career points.
• Scalia hit five 3-pointers in the win, bringing her season total to 71 and moving into fourth place in a single season in 3-pointers made.
• Indiana defeated Michigan State in the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Spartans 24-19.
• Bargesser went 4-for-5 overall from the floor in the win to also add double figures with 10 points and six assists.
• The game featured seven ties and seven lead changes throughout the 40 minutes.
• Indiana has now won eight of the last 10 in the series with Michigan State.
QUOTABLE
Indiana head coach Teri Moren
“Well, if you didn’t enjoy that, you’re not a basketball fan and I want to give Michigan State just what a terrific team, what a terrific performance from them tonight. We really had a hard time, especially early, trying to keep them in front and they forced us to make adjustments in the second half, which kudos to our staff, but also our players have to execute those adjustments especially the highball screen. And then our players, just their toughness that they showed in the third and especially in the fourth, the big shots that were made. I thought Chloe was terrific with her first triple double of her career but you know it took all of Mack’s 28 points. It took all of them to put 94 points on the board tonight against a really good team. I’m really thrilled that we were under 10 turnovers and we were able to rebound them by five, those are always goals for us and 25 assists tonight. We did a lot of really good things but as we know there’s also things that we have to continue to get better at. I thought our gaps, especially in the second half, and the activity we had to help each other, were better. We got a little bit better as the game went and progressed, and it needed to be. Because you had two teams, that when I look at the percentages, I just can’t imagine if you’re watching this game tonight that you know it was a thriller, back-and-forth really, really good basketball. A lot of made shots but I’m really happy for my kids.”
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers host Purdue on Sunday in a 2 p.m. ET tip on B1G+.