March Madness 2022: Grace Berger's late layup sends Indiana past Princeton

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Indiana guard Grace Berger worked too hard for too long to watch everything slip away Monday night at home.

So the senior guard did what she does best — took the ball, put her head down and drove to the basket for the tiebreaking layup with 28.2 seconds as the loud, large crowd roared.

A few minutes later, after Ali Patberg’s steal and Aleksa Gulbe’s free throws closed out the 56-55 second-round win over 11th-seeded Princeton and the Hoosiers second straight Sweet 16 trip, the players jogged into the student section and celebrated with their fans.

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Indiana guard Grace Berger (34) shoots over Princeton guard Julia Cunningham (24) in the second half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Bloomington, Ind., Monday, March 21, 2022. Indiana defeated Princeton 56-55. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

"I asked coach (Teri Moren) if we could go thank them and when I got there, I said ’Screw it, I’m just going up there with them," said Mackenzie Holmes, who led the Hoosiers players up the steps. "I just wanted them to know we appreciated them being here and thank them for showing up."

It was a fitting home finale for so many seniors who returned for one more NCAA Tournament run — and a party unlike any other.

After hearing the band play the school’s alma mater, Indiana's players lifted Moren into the air and later doused her with liquid, prompting her to bring a towel to the postgame news conference.

The party was well-deserved. Berger finished with 15 points and Nicole Cardano-Hillary had 12 as the Hoosiers (24-8) tied the school record for single-season victories in