Balanced effort helps Indiana topple NC State, securing her first spot in Elite Eight women’s basketball

Balanced effort helps Indiana topple NC State, securing her first spot in Elite Eight women’s basketball

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8:37 PM ET

  • Mechelle VoepelESPN.com

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      Mechelle Voepel covers WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports for ESPNW. Voepel started covering women’s basketball in 1984 and has been on ESPN since 1996.

SAN ANTONIO – The first seed No. 1 in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament lost, as No. 4 Indiana defeated NC State 73-70 in the semifinals of the Market Region on Saturday, giving the Hoosiers their first trip to the Elite Eight .

Indiana had been on Sweet 16 only once, in 1983, the second year of the NCAA women’s tournament, when the field was just 36 teams and the Hoosiers needed to win just one game to reach the regional semifinals.

Indiana had all five holders of double-digit matches on the scoreboard on Saturday, led by Ali Patberg with 17 points.

The Hoosiers finished second in the Big Ten regular season ranking, losing to Maryland, the runner-up in the Hemisfair region who will play Sweet 16 on Sunday against Texas. But Indiana was upset at the Michigan state conference tournament before coming to San Antonio and winning victories against VCU, Belmont and NC State. This is Indiana’s seventh trip to the NCAA tournament, and it is the third under coach Teri Moren.

Wolfpack did not have titleholder Kayla Jones, who suffered a knee injury in the first round win and did not return. NC State was the champion of the ACC tournament and had victories this season against then-No. 1 South Carolina in December and after – No. 1 Louisville in February.

Indiana won despite making only 2 of 14 attempts in the 3-point range, compared to nine of 3 points in the NC State.

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