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Champaign, Illinois — Indiana’s women’s basketball team continues to climb the rankings week after week. Whether it’s No. 6 on the Associated Press rankings or Teri Mollen’s win over Illinois as the all-time winningest coach, there’s a lot to celebrate.
The most responsible player for many successes is senior forward Mackenzie Holmes. Wednesday night, the Gorham, Maine, player scored 30 points and had 10 rebounds to complete his eighth double-double of the season, his 18th in his career, and the program’s all-time record. Ranked tied for 8th place.
Additionally, Holmes achieved a career-high six steals in an 83-72 win over the No. 21 Fighting Illini on the road. Since coming to her Indiana, her great game plan for Indiana has been to find her at her post.
“I knew I had to give her the ball,” Moren said.
Since her freshman season, Moren said Holmes has improved a lot mentally.
“I think I’ve probably gotten better at using my right hand than when I first came here,” said Holmes. “I’ve always naturally gone left-handed. It’s always been something I’ve been good at. Sometimes I think I go a little too far left.”
Holmes said her teammates do a great job finding her low no matter what hand she uses, even if she misses a few shots. .
When senior point guard Grace Berger went down with a right knee injury at the Las Vegas Invitational in late November, Holmes faced a strong double team in eight games without his right-hand woman.
“When it comes to the double team coming, we did a really good job of actually working on it. The coach believes that if I put the ball in and the double comes, I will make the right decision,” Holmes said.
At 6-foot-3, Holmes remains the Hoosiers’ leading scorer, typically avoiding double teams and scoring 21.7 points per contest. She ranks her second in the Big Her Ten, behind Iowa guard Caitlin Clark in scoring.
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Mackenzie Holmes added a career-high double-double with 30 points and 10 rebounds in the Hoosiers’ 83-72 victory over Illinois on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. Got 6 steals.
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On Wednesday night, Moren said Illinois forward Kendall Bostic also put up a strong showing, but Holmes was clearly in control of the block.
“I thought Bostik did a great job,” Moren said. “It was a great battle on the block. It was a shame she got into foul trouble, but so did Mack, but two great posts really had to fight.”
Bostic finished the night with 17 points and 3 personal fouls while Holmes led the line with 4 fouls.
The score and Holmes’ 30 might make one think it was another cruise to victory, but the match actually got off to a rocky start. Illinois won 9-0 in the first quarter and Indiana finished the first half just 6 points behind him. Then, when the third frame rolled around, it was all Holmes.
Indiana scored 30 points in the third frame, 14 of which went to Holmes. She said she and the team were just reacting to what the defense was giving with coverage on the ball screen.
With a healthy Berger and Holmes as healthy as they are in the post, the Hoosiers are now 17-1 to get off to their best start to the season since the first in the 1971-72 season.
Holmes himself knows the pain of injury, having missed eight games last season with a left knee injury. All of the healthy healing and new player pieces seemed to show up at just the right time for the women to win their first banner.
There are still plenty of balls to play, and Mollen doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, but at the end of the big dance he’s one step closer to the hardware with Berger and Holmes leading the way.
- HOOSIERS TOP ILLINOIS ON THE ROAD The No. 6 Indiana improved its record to 17-1 with an 83-72 victory over the No. 21 Illinois on Wednesday night. This was a record break for his coach Terry Mollen. She is currently the most winning women’s basketball team in Indiana’s history.click here
- GARZON TOP FRESHMAN AGAIN: Indiana women’s basketball freshman guard Yarden Garzon was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, and USWBA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week was named the first Hoosier to earn the honor. rice field. click here
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