Indiana Advances with Win over Utah in NCAA

Indiana's women's basketball team, seeded ninth, triumphed over eighth-seeded Utah with a 76-68 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking their sixth consecutive tournament opener win. Key players Yarden Garzon and Shay Ciezki led Indiana with 17 and 16 points, respectively, as a significant third-quarter run helped the Hoosiers pull ahead. Indiana's defense was crucial in the win, overpowering Utah in the second half despite Utah's Gianna Kneepkens scoring 24 points. The Hoosiers now anticipate a challenging matchup against top seed South Carolina, after narrowly losing to them in last year's Sweet 16. Under coach Teri Moren, Indiana has reached 20 wins for the sixth consecutive season, reflecting her successful tenure since taking over in 2014. The game highlighted the similar offensive styles of the two teams, heavily reliant on 3-point shooting, but Indiana's effective post-play and superior second-half performance made the difference.