No. 4 Hoosiers Advance To Regional Final With Win Over Top Seeded NC State

MAKE IT ELITE! No. 4 Hoosiers Advance To Regional Final With Win Over Top Seeded NC State

SAN ANTONIO, Texas. – All five starters scored in double figures along with two double-doubles as No. 4 Indiana took down No. 1 seed NC State, 73-70, in the Mercado regional semifinal on Saturday night at the Alamodome.

KEY MOMENTS

• In a game of runs, the Hoosiers (21-5) fell behind 7-0, but quickly found their rhythm and went on their own 7-0 run over the course of 1:13 to tie the game 7-all. NC State (22-3) responded with a 15-2 run with the largest lead of 11. Senior guard Ali Patberg hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the Wolfpack’s run and cut the deficit, 22-14.
• Sparked by Patberg, Indiana continued on a 13-2 run to tie the game back up at 24 at the 4:47 mark in the second quarter. The teams would exchange buckets as but sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes laid it in with 17 seconds left to push the Hoosiers ahead at the break, 34-33.
• The Hoosiers started the second half with an 8-2 run forcing an NC State timeout after a bucket and the foul by Patberg. It would go on to take its largest lead of the game at 14 with 3:25 remaining in the third period.
• Indiana continued to pour it on, as they went on another 9-0 run shooting five-of-five from the field to take a commanding lead, 47-37. After another 9-3 run by the Hoosiers, they would keep a distanced lead 58-48 to start the fourth.
• To start the fourth, Holmes scored back-to-back buckets followed up by junior forward Aleksa Gulbe for a quick 6-0 run extend their lead. NC State buried a pair of triples with just under three minutes to go to pull within four. The Wolfpack

NOTABLE

• Indiana advances to its first NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Elite Eight in school history. The Hoosiers also advanced to the Elite Eight in the AIAW Tournament in 1973.
• The win marked the
• All five starters ended the night in double figures, behind 17 points and five assists and three rebounds from Patberg.
• Holmes added 16 points while Cardaño-Hillary added 14 points and a game-high four steals.
• Juniors Aleksa Gulbe (11 point, 10 rebounds) and Grace Berger (12 points, 12 rebounds) added double-doubles.
• Gulbe and Berger become the first Hoosier duo with a pair of double-doubles in an NCAA Tournament game. They are the first to record a double-double in the Big Dance since Kym Royster did against Notre Dame in 2016 (10 points, 10 rebounds).
• The Hoosiers shot 47.7 percent from the floor including a 56.7 clip in the second half and a game-best 68.8 percent in the third quarter.
• With the win, senior guard Keyanna Warthen becomes the program’s all-time winningest players with 89 victories, surpassing Royster (2014-18).
• Indiana outrebounded the Wolfpack, 35-12, and forced them in to 17 turnovers which turned in to 20 points. The Hoosiers also had 18 points from fast break opportunities.
• The Hoosiers also halted NC State’s 11-game win streak.

UP NEXT

The Hoosiers advance to its first NCAA Regional Final and will face No. 3 seed Arizona on Monday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.