Indiana women hold VCU to 32 points in 1st round of NCAAs

Indiana (19-5) faces the winner of Gonzaga-Belmont in the second round on Wednesday in the Mercado Region

Grace Berger scored 13 of her 20 points in the first half, Ali Patberg scored 12 of her 17 after halftime, and No. 4 seed Indiana held 13th-seeded VCU to 24.1% shooting in a 63-32 victory on Monday in the opening round of the women's NCAA Tournament.

Indiana (19-5) faces the winner of Gonzaga-Belmont in the second round on Wednesday in the Mercado Region.

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Berger scored all but nine of Indiana's first-half points as both teams struggled from the floor, shooting below 34%. Mackenzie Holmes, Patberg and Berger each made a basket in the second quarter, that ended with each team scoring just six points.

It was Holmes' turn in the fourth, scoring six points in the opening four minutes, and the Hoosiers ran away with it during a 22-3 quarter as VCU did not make a field goal.

Holmes finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocks for Indiana. Berger also grabbed eight rebounds, and Aleksa Gulbe had seven points and 10 boards.

Berger was 9 of 16 from the field, Patberg 7 of 12, and Holmes 5 of 6 with the rest of their teammates going 3 of 20..

Chloe Bloom and Sam Robinson each scored eight points for VCU (16-11), which entered its second NCAA Tournament having won seven of its last eight including the Atlantic 10 championship.

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AAU CONNECTION

Indiana starter Nicole Cardano-Hillary and VCU guard Madison Hattix-Covington are longtime friends, having played with-and-against each other during AAU play in Texas.

Cardano-Hillary had five points and five rebounds in 34 minutes, and Hattix-Covington was scoreless in 24 minutes.

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