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Indiana women’s hoops hangs on, upsets top-seeded NC State to advance to first ever Elite Eight
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Indiana’s women’s hoops team just punched a ticket to the Elite Eight, securing a bit of history in the process!
Entering Saturday’s contest with top-seed North Carolina State, the Hoosiers were underdogs and facing a tough task. But after falling behind in the first quarter, Indiana took control coming out of halftime to build a 58-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Late in the game, the Hoosiers still had the Wolfpack on the ropes with a 10 point lead with just 2:53 remaining. However, Indiana faced the task of closing out the game without Mackenzie Holmes who had just fouled out.
NC State immediately went on an 8-0 run to close the gap, making the closing moments much more intense than it initially would have been. Fortunately for Indiana, Nicole Cardano-Hillary sank a pair of clutch free throws as the Hoosiers did enough to hang on for the upset, 73-70.
Ali Patberg led the way for Indiana offensively with a team-high 17 points, leading five Hoosier players in double figures. Holmes put in 16 points before fouling out while Cardano-Hillary scored 14 and snagged four steals in the upset.
With the win, Indiana is in the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. The Hoosiers will now wait to face the winner of Texas A&M vs Arizona with a shot to reach the Final Four up for grabs.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.