On Feb. 22, the IU Indianapolis women’s basketball team played their last home game of the season in a tight match against the Detroit Mercy winning 74-72. The night also served as senior night, honoring guard Sydney Bolden, who would go on to score 15 points, and graduate student Camron Blank, who also plays guard.
The two teams had met earlier in the season with the Jags having lost that game by just five points (69-74). In that game, Bolden led the Jags in points with 15 and Blank was the third highest scorer with 11 points. Coming into this game, the Jags were on a two-game losing streak with an 11-15 record and were looking to take the win at home for the last time this season.
The first quarter set the tone for the tight game. Both offenses and defenses were playing intense with neither team able to score until the Jags finally broke through first. Detroit quickly responded and the teams went back and forth for the lead throughout the period. The Jags shot 50 percent from the floor and held a two-point advantage heading into the second quarter, 17-15.
The second quarter looked similar to the first with both teams continuing to play intensely, but the Jags found themselves and had their highest scoring quarter of the game. Bolden and guard/forward Olivia Smith led the charge as the team scored 24 points that quarter. The team “connected on 7-of-12 shots” and made four three-pointers. The Jags would go into halftime up 41-34, the biggest lead that the team would have in the game.
That momentum was lost early in the third quarter as the Jags were held to no points for several minutes, allowing Detroit to close the gap. With frustrations mounting, Head Coach Kate Bruce called a timeout to help the team refocus. However, the team’s struggles showed up in the stat sheet as they went just 5-of-17 from the field and scored only 16 points, their lowest quarter of the game, while Detroit outscored them for the first and only time. Still, the Jags managed to head into the fourth quarter 57-55.
The fourth quarter was intense as both teams continued to put pressure on each other and would fight back and forth for the lead. The Jags played aggressively to keep the lead, but Detroit kept matching them. The pressure could be felt in the final minute as the teams were tied at 66 points. Detroit had struggled with turnovers throughout the entire game and those mistakes cost them as the Jags would steal the ball, resulting in many free throw opportunities. With the Jags' intense defense, they held onto the lead despite allowing Detroit to score one last time, but with no time to make another shot.
As the final buzzer sounded, the bench and fans leaped to their feet as the Jags secured the victory. The team won the game 74-72, which reflected just how tough and close the game had been. It was a fitting sendoff, as the Jungle will no longer serve as the team's home next season. The Jags will move into the new James T. Morris Arena, set to open later this year.
“It leaves a good taste in your mouth to finish with the win,” Bruce said. “I didn’t think we played great, and we missed 14 free throws, but I am proud of us for finding a way to win that game.”
The Jags will play two more games to close out the regular season against Green Bay and Milwaukee. Following the end of the regular season, the Horizon League tournament will run from March 2-10 beginning with a play-in for the bottom two teams, followed by campus-site games before the final rounds at the Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis. The winner of the tournament will earn an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Citlali Sanchez is a senior majoring in sports journalism, with a minor in sport marketing. She enjoys going out for boba and watching soccer and anime. She can also be found volunteering at sporting events in town or out at coffee shops.
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