Indiana’s 69-56 loss to Michigan on Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals was sad. Due to an injury, All-Big Ten standout Mackenzie Holmes did not participate for the Hoosiers until the latter part of the fourth quarter.
Indiana was able to establish a 17-point lead and seemed to be in total control of the game at halftime even without Holmes. However, the Wolverines had a different attitude after leaving the locker room, defeating the Hoosiers 48–21 in the last 20 minutes.
With 30 points in the victory, Michigan’s Laila Phelia was outstanding.
Sydney Parrish, a senior guard, and Indiana coach Teri Moren met with the media to discuss Friday’s heartbreaking loss.
Teri Moren’s opening statement ..
It was a story with two parts. We were off to a great start. I admired our intense play. We needed to rearrange our components. In the first half, I believed we had recovered the ball. We were doing some pretty excellent work, in my opinion. was aware that Michigan would persist.
Appeared; the second part told an entirely different tale. We sometimes seemed to panic, judging from our forced and poor shots. Even though we had only committed four turnovers by the half, they managed to score 24 points off of our mistakes. Of those, nineteen came from our ten mistakes in the second half.
“Michigan deserves praise. Laila Phelia was excellent, in my opinion, tonight. She simply lowered her head and attacked us. Cameron Williams, in my opinion, was also a weight on the inside. And when we switched defences, that three was knocked down by (Lauren) Hansen. For them, she needed to step up and make some huge shots.
We’re quite sad, but even in situations like this, we must keep learning, as I told our boys. We have addressed the issue of turnovers. We’ve addressed the ability to guard the dribble more effectively. In the second half, neither of those performed well enough for us.
On Parrish getting shaken up during the game .
Parrish: “March is a month of happenings. Having to leave the court is annoying, but I wanted to be there and offer my assistance as much as I could. You have to move past it and return to the court.
On Parrish’s emotion after the loss .
Parrish: “I believe that my biggest disappointment is that I am aware of this group’s potential. We definitely could have made it to Sunday’s final game. We’re definitely among, if not the top squad in the league, from what I’ve seen. And I believe that’s when I started to get very sensitive and agitated. Despite Mackenzie Holmes and Lilly Meyer’s injuries and other challenges, I am confident that we possess the necessary skills and abilities. We still have the necessary pieces to contend for championships. Thus, I’m just a little let down.
On what Michigan did in the second half …
Parrish: “They got right into a hard-line basket-attacking mode. Phelia was difficult to keep in front of us. They began to hit shots as soon as we entered the zone. Fastbreak layups are the result of turnovers, and playing defence is difficult when there are turnovers. In actuality, that’s what transpired when the game was over.
On looking ahead to the NCAA Tournament …
Parrish: “In the locker room, we discussed how teams throughout the nation are losing this week and that their seasons are finished. In March, we have the chance to go out and do something spectacular. We are aware of that. Therefore, let’s strive to get as healthy as we can and recover more quickly over the next week or two.
We were eliminated early from the NCAA Tournament the previous year, but this year, I believe we’ll be more determined and with a chip on our shoulder.
On plans during the time off before March Madness …
Parrish: “Just going to the gym and attempting to be in shape, you know. Step back and forth a little while, and get ready. viewing the video for this week’s match. Simply prepare for the competition. We can’t wait to put this behind us and focus on the upcoming season because it’s going to be a great one.
