Indiana native Sydney Parrish has said that the biggest thing talked about in the Hoosier locker room this offseason and season was the two points Indiana was unable to get last year against South Carolina when they fell short of upsetting the 1-seeded Gamecocks.
With Indiana meeting the Gamecocks yet again in this year's NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, this time in the second round instead of the Sweet 16, the Hoosiers were ready for their revenge. After a strong second half where the Hoosiers went into halftime up 26-25 on the back-to-back NCAA Champions, it seemed like something special was brewing for the Hoosiers.
However, on their home court, South Carolina wasn't going to go away quietly. The Gamecocks came out of halftime looking like a new team, and their defense is what led the charge. South Carolina outscored Indiana 26-14 in the third quarter, making a one-point lead an 11-point deficit.
Indiana was unable to complete the comeback in the fourth quarter and fell to the Gamecocks 64-53 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers were unable to accomplish two of the feats they needed to in order to give themselves the best opportunity to win the game and that was either score 70+ points or make 10+ 3-pointers.
The Hoosiers scored just 53 points, but they came close to their other feat with seven 3-pointers. Shay Ciezki, Yarden Garzon, and Sydney Parrish each made two 3-pointers for the Hoosiers, and Chloe Moore-McNeil added the seventh.
However, when Ciezki was the leading scorer with just 12 points, the Hoosiers were going to struggle. Ciezki is a great player, but they need more than 12 points from their leading scorer. The Hoosiers also just lost the rebounds battle, as the Gamecocks had 37 and Indiana had just 27. South Carolina's eight offensive rebounds were a game-changer compared to Indiana's two offensive rebounds.
Indiana's season now officially comes to an end, as does the college career of Senior Sydney Parrish, a long-time Indiana fan. The Hoosiers will look to rebuild in the offseason just as they did this past year and keep their NCAA Tournament streak alive next season.