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Alexa Philippou, ESPN
Indiana Hoosiers All-American Mackenzie Holmes left Sunday’s eventual 71-54 win over the Maryland Terps with a left knee injury and did not return to game action.
Holmes appeared to injure her knee going up for a layup in the third quarter with a Maryland defender sliding in front of her, hopping on one foot after realizing she was hurt.
The 6-foot-3 center was able to walk off the floor under her own power and went back to the locker room for evaluation before returning toward the end of the game to sit on the Hoosiers’ bench.
The fifth-year senior — Indiana’s leading scorer (20.7 PPG) and rebounder (7.1 RPG) — has previously missed time or been limited throughout her career due to injuries in that same knee, including in the 2023 postseason.
To make matters worse for Indiana, sophomore Lilly Meister also left the game later on with an ankle injury.
Indiana coach Teri Moren said after the game that both players would be evaluated in hopes they’ll be available for the Big Ten tournament, which kicks off Friday for the No. 3 seed Hoosiers.
“You try like crazy to not let your mind go anywhere that it shouldn’t,” Moren said according to the Indy Star. “In that moment, your job as the coach is to make sure that your focus is on the kids that are out on the floor. And so that’s what I tried to do. Again, I don’t know [what to take] right now from it, emotionally, I just don’t know. I’m going to be optimistic until they tell me differently.”
Added Moren on Holmes: “She certainly has had some bad luck, especially in late February. We’re going to be hopeful and optimistic that it’ll turn out the way that we want it to. Mack is a very, very resilient, tough kid, as we know.”
