The second day of the women’s NCAA Tournament kicked off with another No.1-seed win as Indiana topped Tennessee Tech 77-47 on Saturday.
Top-seeded teams defended their rankings on the opening day of play, but will the trend continue or will underdogs prevail?
The Athletic has you covered with takeaways from the biggest games of the day:
Indiana cruises past Tennessee Tech, but Holmes’ absence gives pause
With first-team All-American center Mackenzie Holmes watching from the bench, No. 1 Indiana and No. 16 Tennessee Tech were level at 18 apiece following the first quarter of Saturday’s round of 64 matchup. But over the ensuing 30 minutes, the Hoosiers clamped down defensively — allowing just 29 more points — and saw their offense flourish. Junior guard Sydney Parrish and senior guard Grace Berger combined for 36 points in IU’s victory. As they await the winner of Oklahoma State-Miami, the biggest question about IU pertains to their star center, who did not play Saturday due to knee soreness.
Indiana coach Teri Moren confirmed after her team’s Big Ten semifinals loss to Ohio State that Holmes was not 100 percent. After exactly two weeks between games, the team said Holmes was available to play Saturday. Holmes said afterward she has been practicing, but the team has…
