'Out of sorts," Indiana women's basketball can't find hot hand in loss at Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa — After Indiana women's basketball wilted down the stretch Saturday here at Carver Hawkeye Arena Saturday night, Hoosier coach Teri Moren offered a distinct assessment of her team's 84-57 loss to Caitlin Clark and No. 3 Iowa.

“We weren’t very good,” Moren said after a prolonged post-game meeting in the locker room. “I would love to be able to give you reasons why that was. We looked out of sorts.”

Offensive efficiency has been the 14th-ranked Hoosiers' catalyst for recent success as three different players scored 30 points in a three-game stretch. That wasn't the case Saturday as those hot hands cooled in the Hawkeye State.

“We just weren’t hitting shots,”  Moren expanded. “There were a couple of moments where we looked not as organized offensively as we’d like to look and we were kind of going off script, just sort of one-on-one.”

More:Indiana women's basketball can't keep pace with Iowa's Caitlin Clark

All-American Mackenzie Holmes led IU with 16 points, but shot shot 46% from the field, her second lowest percentage of the season (25% at Stanford). Other than that, the Hoosiers (14-2, 5-1 Big Ten) got 11 points each from Yarden Garzon and Sydney Parrish and nine from Chloe Moore-McNeil. The rest of IU's team managed 10 points.

The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, continued to click offensively with Clark and her supporting cast all making key contributions. The reigning National Player of the Year was harassed into six turnovers by IU's defense, but still finished with a game-high 30 points.

Three of Clark's teammates also finished in double digits. That's what bothered Moren most as she was not displeased with the way Clark was defended, but rather the others. 

“[Clark] is an extraordinary player and she makes things look easy out there," Moren said. "I thought both Chloe (Moore-McNeil) and Lexi (Bargesser) knew the assignment and I’m proud of their effort, there’s no doubt about that. It’s the other pieces that you’re frustrated by.”

Iowa guards Molly Davis (18 points), Gabbie Marshall (12) and Kate Martin (10) were the main instigators of Moren's frustration as Clark drew in the defense and they hit the open shots.

Indiana's offense could not replicate that strategy of perimeter shooting opening up the inside presence of Holmes who is shooting 65% on the season, mostly from the paint. Against the Hawkeyes IU sharpshooters were a combined 5-of-20 from 3-point range. 

“It’s not the second game of the season where you can say this is a good wake up call for us," Moren said referring to the 96-64 loss at Stanford on Nov. 12, 2023. "That should have already been done."

More:Indiana women's basketball players do some ‘soul searching’ after crushing loss to Iowa

Moren does not believe it was the pressure of this nationally-televised, primetime (FOX) matchup that hurt the Hoosiers.

“I don’t feel like the moment was too big for us," Moren said. "I just don’t think we played our best basketball and that was disappointing."