INDIANAPOLIS — While she was making the hour-long trip from Bloomington, Heather Cassady knew the four most important days of her basketball life lie before her.

At the tip-off of each of her Indiana Hoosier's three games in the Big Ten women's basketball tournament, the senior point-guard knew it could be her last time stepping onto the floor.

Standing 14-13 entering the tournament with a level 8-8 conference record, the Hoosiers had no guarantee of any post-season play.

So all Cassady did was string together the best three games of her career while leading Indiana to its first Big Ten tournament win with a 75-72 victory against Penn State March 4 and capturing tournament MVP honors for herself.

What's more, no one would have faulted Indiana had it wilted in its March 1 opener against a run-and-gun Iowa team that had upset conference heavyweights Purdue and Penn State earlier in the season.

That is because head coach Kathi Bennett sat through her teams' games, her motion restricted by a neck halo, required after a Feb. 8 car crash broke Bennett's second vertebra.

Still, the Hoosiers did not yield. With assistant coach Trish Betthauser, who was promoted to associate head coach in the wake of Bennett's accident, patrolling the sidelines, Indiana rallied to win its final three regular season games to give the team a head of steam coming into its most important week.

"We have come together after the accident," Cassady said.

"We are playing inspired and believing in ourselves."

That inspiration was lacking in the early going against Iowa, with Indiana trailing 29-16 midway through the first half.

That's when Cassady, with a sense of desperation sinking in, went to work. She hit a pair of long threes, sparking a 9-0 run to end the half and pulling Indiana to within two. Iowa never regained its early fury and fell 78-76.

After spending a night in their own beds while Saturday's day off passed, Cassady and fellow senior, center Jill Chapman, who was also named to the All-Tournament team, had their last opportunity to beat intrastate rivals Purdue.

The top-seeded Boilermakers entered Conseco Fieldhouse with all the strut and swagger their rank allowed, but Chapman made Purdue center Mary Joe Noon look slow-footed and inept in the lane, scoring a game-high 17 points en route to a 55-41 Indiana romping.

"This senior class has never beaten Purdue and we wanted one more crack at them to get our shot," Cassady said.

"It's just an overwhelming feeling to finally beat them."

In order to capture the title, Indiana would have to go through the Lady Lions, perhaps the hottest team in town, having run through Ohio State and Wisconsin.

This was the game where Cassady cemented her MVP status, matching Penn State guard Kelly Mazzante's three-point baskets in the early going and making clutch shots down the stretch on her way to a 21-point performance.

Chapman and forward Erin McGinnis were able to work over the Lions post players while totaling 14 and 17 points respectively.

When asked after the game what about Indiana's offense made it so effective, Penn State coach Rene Portland said simply, "Cassady goes nuts."

Minutes after Penn State guard Jess Strom's pass to Tanisha Wright sailed out of bounds to end the game, Bennett, clutching the trophy, put things in perspective calling it a "great day to be a Hoosier".

"I don't think I have ever been prouder of a team in my whole life," Bennett said.

"The run they put on is very special. They saw greatness and I am very proud of it."