Local Sports News: October 31, 2024

#25 Indiana University Women’s Basketball cruises to an exhibition win over Division II Maryville The #25 Indiana Hoosiers Women’s Basketball Team cruised to an 95-27 over the Division II Maryville Saints from Missouri Wednesday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in the lone exhibition contest for the Hoosiers. Indiana will open up the Regular Season on Monday Night against the Brown Bears. The Hoosiers started Yarden Garzon, Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish who started a season ago along with Lilly Meister and Transfer Shay Ciezki from Penn State. The Hoosiers started doing what they did a season ago scoring inside early and often and once that got going the three-point game opened up. All 11 Hoosiers that played scored and the Hoosiers were missing Lexus Bargesser, Lenee Beaumont and Sydney Fenn due to injuries. “I didn’t want to treat it like an exhibition game I wanted to treat it like it means something” Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game. Coach Moren said in the Press Conference after the game that Barggeser is dealing with a foot, Beaumont is dealing with a nagging a knee injury and both will be back, and Sydney Fenn has knee surgery from an injury she has dealt with in high school, and she will redshirt this season.

Four Hoosiers scored in double figures led by Yarden Garzon with 20 points, Lilly Meister with 19 points, Shay Ciezki with 14 points and double-double from Sydney Parrish with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Juliana LaMendola pulled down 10 rebounds and had 7 points. The Hoosiers finished 37-70 from the field for 53%, 10-27 from three-point range for 37% and 11-13 from the free throw line for 84 %. Indiana pulled down 60 rebounds, 21 assists, 9 steals, 8 blocks, 44 points in the paint, 22 bench points and committed 12 turnovers. Madyson Rigdon led Maryville with 8 points as the Saints finished the game 9-67 from the field, 3-36 from three-point range and 6-13 from the free throw line.

Indiana scored 25 seconds into with a Lilly Meister layup. Maryville took their only lead of the game when Greenwood, Indiana native and Center Grove graduate Claire Rake hit a pullup three pointer to lead 3-2 with 9:08 left in the first quarter for her only points of the game. Indiana retook the lead with 8:58 left in the opening quarter on a driving layup by Chloe Moore-McNeil to make it 4-3 Hoosiers and Indiana did not trail the remainder of the game. The Hoosiers did what they always do under Teri Moren play lockdown defense alter shots force turnovers and make big runs and IU outscored the Saints 24-5 the rest of the quarter to lead 28-8 after the first quarter. Indiana outscored Maryville 22-6 in the second quarter to lead 50-14 at halftime. Indiana used a 14-3 run in the last 6:21 and 10-0 run over the last 4:34 but the Hoosiers did not score the last 2 Minutes and 3 seconds of the half. Maryville was held scoreless for the final five minutes and thirteen seconds of the second quarter and were 1-14 from the field and missed the last 11 field goal. Lilly Meister had 12 points along with 10 Points from Yarden Garzon. Sydney Parrish had 11 rebounds and 9 points in the first half.

In the second half Sydney Parrish opened with a pull up three to give herself a double-double just 40 seconds into the third quarter. Parrish was shaken up with 6:45 left in the third quarter and helped to the locker room after colliding with a Maryville player. Parrish emerged midway through the fourth quarter with an ice pack taped around her right ankle from the locker room on crutches. Moren used the third quarter to get Freshman Faith Wiseman and Valentyna Kadlecova some playing time. Kadlecova missed both three-point shots and Wiseman scored two free throws with 53 seconds left in the quarter. The Hoosiers outscored the Saints 26-7 in the third quarter to lead 76-21 going into the final ten minutes.

Indiana did not score for the final two minutes and thirty-five seconds of the third quarter. Sharneece Currie-Jelks made her first appearance with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter and scored her first basket on a layup with 3:57 left. Indiana outscored the Saints 19-6 in the final quarter and Maryville ended the game not scoring for the final two minutes and 14 seconds. Moren mentioned after the game that Parrish could have come back in the game, but they kept her out for precautionary reasons. Coach Moren was pleased with what she calls “Kills” which is three defensive stops in a row and the Hoosiers had 12 kills and her goal is to have between 5 and 7 kills per game. Indiana will get the chance on Monday when the games count starting with Brown.

Indiana University Men’s Soccer puts six goals past Northwestern and clinches a share of the Big Ten Championship The Indiana Hoosiers closed out October with a 6-1 rout of the Northwestern Wildcats Tuesday Night at Bill Armstrong Stadium in the Big Ten Regular season finale for the Hoosiers. Indiana finishes with a 7-1-2 record and 23 points, and the Hoosiers have a share of the Big Ten Championship after Ohio State and Michigan State played to a 2-2 draw in Columbus, Ohio and Rutgers beat Maryland 3-1 in Piscataway, New Jersey on Tuesday Night. Ohio State and Maryland will play Sunday afternoon in College Park at 1pm and the Buckeyes must win to get share the Big Ten Regular Season title with the Hoosiers. The Regular Season winner will get a bye into the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals in Bridgeview, Illinois as they will host the Quarterfinals and Semifinals, and highest seeded team will host the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Ohio State has 20 Points and Maryland 17 points, and the Terrapins are eliminated from regular season championship race but will play a major factor in the result on Sunday.

The Hoosiers have won 19 Big Ten Regular Season Championships and at the end of September they were 2-3-4 and every year Indiana catches fire in the month in October and this year is no different as the Hoosiers are 7-0-1 in October to going to their final regular season match on Friday against Trine with a 9-3-5 record. This is Todd Yeagley’s Fifth Big Ten Regular Season Championship as a head coach to go with 2010, 2018, 2019, 2020-21 and 2023 seasons. Yeagley has won 202 games at Indiana and 209 overall. The Hoosiers. This is Indiana’s 831st victory all-time and 151st in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have won 370 games at Bill Armstrong Stadium and lead the all-time series with Northwestern 37-4-7 and 11 of the last 12 matchups after losing in Evanston a year ago.  

Indiana scored 3 goals in the first half as Tommy Mihalic scored two goals for the brace which is his third of the season after home matches against Yale and Kentucky. Mihalic scored his first goal at the 34:58 rocketing a shot outside the box and then scored on a penalty kick at the 37:57 for his 9th and 10th goals of the season and an assist to lead the team in scoring with 10 goals and 2 assists for 22 points on the season. Samuel Sarver scored the first goal at the at the 16;49 mark with a shot from outside the box for his 5th goal of the season and 4th assist of the season for Collins Oduro. Alex Barger and Charlie Heuer got their first assist of the season on the first Mihalic goal. The Hoosiers outshot Northwestern 17-2 in the first half and went into the locker room up 3-0.

In the Second Half Justin Weiss who played for Northwestern for the last three seasons scored a brace and has 6 goals on the season. Weiss scored at the 57:32 mark and the 71:59 mark as Weiss has scored in the last four matches including his second brace of the season after getting one a Michigan. Sarver assisted on the second Weiss goal and has 8 assists on the season. The Wildcats got on the board at the 63:11 mark as Brandon Clagette scored his second goal of the season with the assist to Bryant Mayer for his 7th assist of the season. Freshman Charlie Heuer got his third goal of the season at the 87:09 with Mihalic getting his second assist of the night.

Indiana outshot Northwestern 24-10 and 11-1 in shots on goal. Northwestern Goalkeeper Rafael Ponce De Leon made 5 saves and Indiana Goalkeeper JT Harms did not make a save. There were 24 fouls committed as Northwestern had 13 and Indiana had 11. Indiana had seven corner kicks and Northwestern had three. Northwestern was called offside three times and Indiana had two offside calls. Bryce LeBel received a yellow card at the 14:59 mark and Patrick McDonald picked up a yellow card at the 51:10 mark.

Indiana will turn its focus to the Big Ten Tournament where they will go for their 17th tournament championship. The Hoosiers have won 12 Championship Doubles, and a 13th is possible this season and the way the Hoosiers have performed in late season stages they are peaking at the right time in a quest for a ninth National Championship. 

Indiana University Men’s Basketball Big Man Oumar Ballo selected for Two Player of the Year Watchlists Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo was named to the NABC Division I Player of the Year and Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year presented by AXIA Time Watchlists on Wednesday afternoon. The 2025 NABC Division I Player of the Year – selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches – will be announced the week of the 2025 Men’s Final Four. The Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year presented by AXIA Time is presented annually to the men’s college basketball player who achieves great success on the court. 

Ballo averaged 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game in three seasons at Arizona. He shot 64.6% (466-of-721) from the floor and posted 34 double-doubles, third most in Arizona basketball history. He was one of 10 players in program history to accumulate at least 1,000 career points and 800 career rebounds. The 7-0, 260-pound center was twice named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, selected to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team two times, and voted to a pair of Pac-12 All-Tournament Teams. He was named the 2022-23 Pac-12 Most Improved Player, the 2022 Maui Invitational Most Outstanding Player, and the 2021-22 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year. 

Ballo began his career at Gonzaga with a redshirt season in 2019-20 before earning a spot in the rotation for a Bulldog program that finished 31-1, won both the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Championship game. Overall, Ballo has won 84.8% (112-of-132) of the games he has appeared in throughout his career. The Indiana Hoosiers will open the home slate of the 2024-25 season with an exhibition against Marian at 7pm on Friday. The regular season will start at 8pm on Wednesday, Nov. 6 against SIUE at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. 

Yarden Garzon Named to the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watchlist Indiana Junior guard Yarden Garzon is one of 20 preseason watchlist honorees for the 2025 Cheryl Miller Award. The Cheryl Miller Award, in its eighth year, honors the top small forwards in women’s Division I women’s college basketball. It is named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer. The Ra’anana, Israel native appears on the preseason watch list for the second-straight season and was a Top 10 finalist for the award as well. She’s coming off a sophomore campaign that earned her All-Big Ten honorable mention honors, averaging 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and shot 44.9 percent from the floor and 42.2 percent from the 3-point line. She connected on 62 triples in 2023-24 and reached double figures 18 times while connecting on multiple 3-pointers on 19 occasions.

The Hoosiers have placed a player on the Cheryl Miller award preseason watch list for the fifth-consecutive season as Grace Berger appeared on the list from 2021-23. Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, November 1. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving, Miller, and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards are composed of top men’s and women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers. For more information on the 2025 Cheryl Miller Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com

Time Change announced for the Indiana-USC Volleyball Game on November 10th Due to scheduling conflicts with football and men’s basketball, the Indiana Volleyball team has moved its match with USC to Sunday, November 10th at 4:00 PM. The Hoosiers will play the Trojans for the first time since 2010. It will be the first meeting between the two sides in Bloomington. IU will host its 50th Year Anniversary and Alumni Weekend from November 8th-10th. In-state rival Purdue comes to Wilkinson Hall on Friday (Nov. 8) before the Sunday (Nov. 10) showdown with USC. Bloomington will be the site of an important football game with Michigan on the Saturday (Nov. 9). The Hoosiers have five remaining home contests this year, beginning with the visit from Purdue on the 8th. Along with USC, fellow Los Angeles program UCLA will make its first-ever trip to Bloomington. Head coach Steve Aird will also play Michigan (Nov. 27) and Illinois (Nov. 29) over Thanksgiving break.

Lexie Hull of the Indiana Fever becomes the first player from the Team to join the New Unrivaled 3X3 Basketball League Lexie Hull is Unrivaled. The new 3×3 league announced Hull as one of its 30 players on Wednesday afternoon, after a hint that included Stanford trees, a nod to her college career with the Cardinal, and Mt. Rainer from Hull’s home state of Washington. Hull was the 29th player announced and the first Indiana Fever player to join the league. Unrivaled, which was co-founded by the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, has marketed itself as a league of the top-30 women’s basketball players in the world. The two founders wanted to give the WNBA’s top talent an option to make money in the offseason that didn’t require going overseas.

Hull has a lot of experience in 3×3 — she has been in the USA Basketball pool for the 3×3 team since 2022, her senior season as Stanford. She led the 2022 U23 3×3 team to a silver medal with a tournament-high 63 points and won a bronze medal with the 2022 AmeriCup team. She also won a gold medal with the 2023 Pan American Games team, which competed in Chile in October 2023. Hull was in the pool for the Olympic 3×3 team, as well, but was ultimately not selected for Paris. This type of 3×3 will be different for Hull, though. Unrivaled will have four quarters and a regulation shot clock, as well as a full court, compared to the Olympic half-court game. This will be the second different stateside offseason league Hull has participated in during her young pro career. She competed in Athletes Unlimited in Dallas in 2023 and was named to the AU Player Executive Committee in March 2024.

Unrivaled will be a six-team league with five players on each team playing 3×3. The teams will be picked by a selection committee to ensure it is split by position and skill, Collier said on X. It will be a new type of 3×3, though, with a 70-foot-by-50-foot court, four quarters, a game clock and a shot clock. Olympic and FIBA 3×3 games are 10 minutes total, with a 12-second shot clock. It will be an eight-week season, starting in January 2025. After six weeks of round-robin play, the top four teams will have a two-week postseason. There will also be a 1v1 tournament throughout the season, and Collier said whoever is deemed the best individual player in the world will win a minimum of $250,000. According to the Unrivaled website, the league will have the highest average salaries in women’s sports history, and all players will also receive equity in the league.