The women’s basketball team will continue to play deep into March tonight as they play host to the Indiana Hoosiers in the third round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Falcons, 29-4, advanced to the third round after a dramatic come from behind victory over the Syracuse Orange on Sunday. Now the Falcons will have the opportunity to once again play a school from a BCS conference. ‘It’s not easy to attract BCS conference teams and get them to come play here, so to have a second team come into Anderson Arena is a great opportunity for us,’ head coach Curt Miller said. Indiana, 20-10, of the Big Ten Conference, earned a spot in the third round after they defeat the Dayton Flyers on Sunday. ‘They (Indiana) play hard, they play with a lot of pride, a ton of passion, and are going to work hard for 40 minutes,’ Miller said. Indiana leads the all-time series between the two teams 3-2, having taken the last match up 75-67. That game, however, was in Indiana. The series now shifts to BG, where the Falcons are an outstanding 14-0 at home this season. Also playing in the Falcons’ favor is the fact that Anderson Arena is expected to be packed for the game. This plays to BG’s strengths because the Falcons are 20-1 this season when playing in front of a crowd of more than 1,000. A coaching connection is once again in the works as well, this time in the form of former co-workers. Miller, and Indiana head coach Felisha Legette-Jack coached together on the Syracuse staff for four years earlier in their respective careers. ‘We’re like brother and sister,’ said Miller. Still, there is one overriding story line on the minds of Falcon fans, that being the right knee of Lauren Prochaska. Prochaska injured her knee as time expired in the team’s second round victory over Syracuse. On the game’s final play, Prochaska blocked a shot to end the game, but after coming down awkwardly, needed to be helped off the court. On Tuesday the team said Prochaska had suffered a major hyper extension of the knee, and bone bruise. But perhaps the most alarming news was that she was given a 25 percent chance of playing against Indiana. ‘We’re just ecstatic that it’s not an ACL injury, and that it won’t require surgery,’ Miller said. Prochaska, aside from being named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, is also now an All-America candidate in this, her sophomore season. If Prochaska cannot play, as it appears she won’t be able to, then the Falcons will need a number of players to step up. ‘It’s difficult when you lose a teammate, especially one that means what she does to this team,’ Lindsey Goldsberry said. ‘But it’s just another thing we’re going to have to face and overcome.’ Prochaska leads the offense on a consistent basis, and also is the most dominant rebounder on the team. With Prochaska out, Niki McCoy and Tracy Pontius will have to step up each of their games. Niki McCoy has already done a fine job of stepping up her game lately, having averaged 17.4 points on 54.2 percent shooting in the team’s last five games. Against Syracuse, when Prochaska struggled to score early in the game, it was McCoy who repeatedly drove to the basket to score or get to the line. Her play in the early stages of the Syracuse game was largely responsible for the Falcons being able to remain in the game despite a slow start. Tracy Pontius has also played well as of late, averaging 18.0 points in that same five game span. Pontius, who has scored over 30 points in a single game twice this season, has shown flashes of brilliance at time this season, and her ability to knock down shot from deep may be the best of any BG player. Those players who usually see limited time will also need to step up. Sarah Clapper will likely see an increased role, as will Victoria McGowan. McGowan could see meaningful time at the point as Pontius will likely see time on the wing, as more of a shooting guard. Whatever Miller plans to do, it’s likely he’ll have his team ready. A win would match the Falcons up against either Marquette or Illinois State in the quarterfinal round, and would extend Goldsberry’s career another game. Goldsberry, who is already the winningest play in any sport in school history, will look to add yet another win to her fantastic legacy. Without Prochaska in the line up, it could be one of the most impressive of all.