BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Mackenzie Holmes got her second double-double of the season, Grace Berger scored 16 points and No. 10 Indiana beat Western Michigan 67-57 on Sunday.
Holmes grabbed her 10th rebound just under two minutes into the second half and finished the game with 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Hoosiers (9-2). She set a career high in rebounds one game after scoring a career-best 30 points against Ohio State.
“As coach (Terin) Moren says, do the work,” Holmes said. “I’m doing it every day, I’m not really changing who I am and what I’m doing. Just staying the course.”
Reilly Jacobson led Western Michigan (6-3) with 16 points. Taylor Williams had a double-double of her own for the Broncos, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Indiana shot only 2 for 16 (12.5%) from 3-point range but attacked the basket down low and scored 38 points inside. Indiana also outrebounded Western Michigan 47-29 and turned 18 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points.
“We really want to focus on getting paint touches,” Berger said. “If we get a kick out 3 and it’s a good shot we’re always going to take it, but we know what our strengths are.”
The Broncos relied on 3-point shooting, taking 25 of their 58 shots from beyond the arc, but only shot 8-25 from 3-point range, allowing Indiana to pull away.
Kiandra Brown scored 9 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Hoosiers, falling just short of her second career double-double. Brown, who had only taken seven free throws all season headed into Sunday, scored 7 of her points at the line.
“I can’t wait to get in the locker room and tell her, tell our team just how well I thought she played today,” Moren said. “As disappointed as I am in us defensively, I’m as excited for her because she had a great day.”
BIG PICTURE
Western Michigan: The Broncos’ leading scorer, guard Lauren Ross, was not available Sunday. Ross is averaging 20.8 points per game.
Indiana: The Hoosiers, who entered the game shooting 48% from the field, struggled to make shots and ended the game shooting 39% (23 of 59).
TURNING POINT
Indiana went on a 14-0 run directly out of the halftime break, extending its lead to a game-high 20 points. Moren said her team got a jump-start over the break with a “spirited halftime talk.”
STAT OF THE DAY
Indiana turned the ball over 11 times, its lowest total since its loss against Stanford on Nov. 25. Moren said she wants her team to stay below 11 turnovers, a mark Indiana has hit only twice this season.
UP NEXT
Western Michigan: Stays in Indiana to play Ball State in Muncie in the MAC opener.
Indiana: Continues a three-game nonconference homestand against Wright State on Tuesday.
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