AP

No. 6 Indiana tops Nebraska 72-66 without Holmes

Jan 13, 2022, 3:22 AM | Updated: 6:40 pm

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana was missing leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes and still found a way to beat Nebraska.

Grace Berger scored 22 points, helping the No. 6 Hoosiers survive a late push from Nebraska and held on for a 72-65 victory Thursday night.

“They didn’t flinch,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said. “They stepped up to the task at hand tonight in a big time kind of way. The response that we got from these guys after getting some news today that we weren’t expecting, give our kids a ton of credit.”

Holmes missed the matchup with a left knee injury, and Moren said she didn’t have a timeline for her return. Kiandra Browne had her first career start in Holmes’ place and had two points and five rebounds in 25 minutes.

“Kiandra coming in, rebounding and playing really great defense, taking a charge and just filling in nicely for Mackenzie, it just says a lot and it makes us really dangerous as we get into the postseason,” Berger said.

Aleksa Gulbe added 17 points and Nicole Cardaño-Hillary scored 13 for the Hoosiers (13-2, 5-0 Big Ten), who are 5-0 in the conference for the first time.

Alexis Markowski led Nebraska (13-3, 2-3) in scoring with 17 points and Jaz Shelley added 15.

Nebraska, which came into the game shooting 36% from 3-point range, made 6 of 21 shots from beyond the arc. The Cornhuskers also shot 40% from the floor and took advantage of the Hoosiers’ lack of size, outrebounding them 41-35.

Indiana shot 42.4% from the field and made 6 of 18 from 3-point range.

“There’s no doubt that based on the number by your name, that we’re gonna get everybody’s best,” Moren said. “We just expect that. But these kids are just built different. They’re so, so stinking competitive.”

Indiana was outscored 22-15 in the final quarter.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers fell to 2-3 in conference play and narrowly missed upsetting its second ranked team in three games after beating Michigan on Jan. 4.

Indiana: Holmes’ absence highlighted Indiana’s lack of depth. None of the Hoosiers’ bench players are averaging more than 3.4 points per game and they only had 8 points off the bench Thursday, all from Chloe Moore-McNeil.

TURNING POINT

After Browne was subbed out halfway through the first quarter with Indiana trailing 10-9, the Hoosiers went on a minute-long run that included eight unanswered points, three steals and two Nebraska turnovers. They never trailed again.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Indiana remained steady in the AP Poll heading into this week. It has two games against unranked Big Ten opponents and beating Nebraska will help the Hoosiers maintain their ranking.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Stays on the road to play Iowa for the second time in three games Sunday.

Indiana: Plays in-state rival Purdue in West Lafayette on Sunday.

___

More

AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

No. 6 Indiana tops Nebraska 72-66 without Holmes