The Online Reflector

The University of Indianapolis women’s basketball team (19-10, 11-8 GLVC)  lost 82-81 in the semifinal game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference on March 3. The Greyhounds were defeated by seventh seed Kentucky Wesleyan.

The first half proved demanding as both teams together amassed 101 points before half time.

UIndy’s offense was well balanced but the Greyhounds’ defense struggled to keep the Panthers from shooting outside the arc.

The Panthers made 10 of 12 three-pointers before the end of the first half. Despite that, the Greyhounds led by three going into the break.

Sophomore forward/center Eliza Wortman made two foul shots with 3:50 left in the second half which put the Greyhounds on top 75-74.

With less than a minute to play, UIndy was down by five; however, back-to-back threes by freshman guard Kelly Walters and junior guard Kristin Turner cut the Panthers’  lead to one. UIndy had the final shot of the game but could not convert to a win.

The Greyhounds upset the No. 3 seed Drury University 60-54 on March 1 in the quarterfinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

Turner led the Greyhounds with 16 points and six assists. Sophomore guard Katy McIntosh added 13 points and a season-high eight rebounds.

UIndy’s defense shut down the Panthers for the first 24 minutes of the game.  Drury made only five of 28 shots and committed 13 turnovers.

After UIndy held Drury to 13 points in the first half,  the Panthers fought back at the start of the second half to close within four, 34-30.

However, Turner assisted Wortman for a layup, which built the Greyhounds’ lead. UIndy stayed on top and made four-of-four free throws in the last 23 seconds to secure the win.

UIndy defeated the Bellarmine University Knights 84-56 on Feb. 26 in the first round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

The team scored a season-high 84 points, led by Turner. Turner ended the evening with 29 points. McIntosh added 22 points for the Greyhounds.

The Greyhounds’ defense allowed the Knights a one-time lead 9-7 early in the game.

Head Coach Constantin Popa was pleased with the win.

“It was a great win for us,” Popa said. “We played both ends of the floor with the same aggressiveness and intensity.”

The Greyhounds allowed the Knights only 22 second-half points.

The team’s biggest adjustments came at the defensive end, running a man-to-man defense as opposed to a zone defense.

“The coaching staff did a really good job with getting the team prepared and helping guide the players through the defense and keeping them [the team] focused,” Popa said.

Senior guard Megan Gardner had eight points and sophomore forward/center Chas Lecher had a career-high nine rebounds and five blocks.

Lecher and Wortman have had their minutes increased since junior forward Sydney Weinert has been sidelined with an injury.

“Eliza and I both knew that whenever we’re in, we have to do everything possible to contribute,” Lecher said.

Popa wants his team to have a similar performance throughout the GLVC tournament.

“The win gave us a fresh start. That’s all we need, for everyone to be on the same page,” he said. “I think everyone understands that this is a whole new season, and it’s great to see that kind of effort.”

McIntosh was confident that her team was capable of winning in tournament play.

“With our talent and doing the jobs we’re supposed to do, then we can win the tournament,” McIntosh said.

The Greyhounds’ win came after a loss to Saint Joseph’s College in which the Pumas offense carried them over the Greyhounds 86-70 on Feb. 23.

The Pumas made eleven 3-pointers, while the Greyhounds were led in scoring by Turner, who scored 30 points and was the seventh player in the program to have a 500-point season.

McIntosh also scored in double figures, finishing with 14 points. But the Greyhounds couldn’t answer the scoring onslaught from the Pumas, who had four players scoring in double figures.

“The teams are getting better and better throughout the season,” Popa said.  “They’re better at playing and better at knowing what the other teams are doing.”

Popa wants to instill consistency in his team. He believes that his team can outperform any of its opponents.

“It’s all about consistency,” Popa said. “That’s when we are going to be a really good team, when we are consistent on both ends of the floor.”

UIndy will now await the results of the 2012  NCAA Tournament field. The top eight teams from the nations’s eight regions will battle it out for the Division II National Championship title. The annual selection show will air on March 11 at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.