Local Sports News: November 5, 2024

#25 Indiana opens the Women’s Basketball Regular Season with a 22-point win over Brown The Indiana Hoosiers kicked off the 2024-25 Regular Season with a win over the Brown Bears Monday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are 1-0 and will host another Ivy League opponent Thursday Night when the Harvard Crimson travel to Bloomington. Brown is 0-1 on the season and will travel to Monmouth on Saturday Afternoon. Indiana leads the all-time series with the Bears as this was the first trip to Bloomington for Brown since 2000. Indiana has won 12 straight season openers but if asked Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren after the game it was not up to her standards despite the 22-point win, and they will have a quick turnaround facing another tough team in 2 days.

Brown scored first working the ball around and making the extra pass to get the shot that they wanted, and Olivia Brown knocked down three 24 seconds into the game to give the Bears their only lead of the game. Sydney Parrish hit a three with 7:36 left in the first quarter to tie the game 3-3 and fueled a 9-0 Hoosier run. Both teams struggled to score as Brown scored at the 3:53 mark to make it 9-5 on a driving layup by Aima Ofunrein. Indiana went on a 7-0 run highlighted by Shay Ciezki getting a steal and driving the length of the floor and nice finish with 1:51 left in the opening quarter as the Hoosiers lead 18-7 at the end of first quarter. The Hoosiers were able to keep the defensive pressure up as they outscored the Bears 21-14 in the second quarter and go into the locker room up 18 at the break leading 39-21. The Hoosiers shot 48% from the field on 15-31 shooting but struggled from the three-point line going 3-13 and were 6-9 from the free throw line in the first half. Indiana held Brown to 21% shooting going 8-28 from the field and 4-19 from three-point range and 1-6 from the free throw line.

Brown showed toughness and resiliency as you would expect anytime you face any a team from the Ivy League. The Bears outscored the Hoosiers 23-21 in the third quarter as the Bears went 9-17 from the field for 53%, 4-9 from three-point range and 1-1 from the free throw line. Indiana went 6-12 from the field for 50%, 1-3 from three-point range and 8-8 from the free throw line. Karoline Striplin scored 10 points going 3-3 from the field and 4-4 from the line in the third quarter. Isabelle Mauricio led the Bears with 13 third quarter points going 5-7 from the field, 2-4 from three-point range and 1-1 from the free throw line.

Indiana outscored the Bears 22-16 in the fourth quarter, but the Hoosiers did not score for the final two minutes and three seconds of the game. Sydney Parrish posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds which is the second 20-10 game of her career. Karoline Striplin scored 17 points in her first official game as a Hoosier after she transferred from Tennessee and she produced being the first player off the bench. Yarden Garzon scored 16 points and drained four three pointers along with 13 points and 6 rebounds from Lilly Meister. Shay Ciezki scored 7 points in her first game since she transferred from Penn State in the offseason. Juliana Lamenodola scored 3 points, Chloe Moore-McNeil, Henna Sandvik and Freshman Valentyna Kadlecova all scored 2 points apiece. Sharneece Currie-Jelks and Freshman Faith Wiseman played but did not score. Sophomore Lenee Beaumont went threw warm ups and had a big brace on her knee and did not play. Lexus Bargesser was on crutches with a foot injury and Freshman Sydney Fenn will redshirt this season after having knee surgery.

The Hoosiers finished the game 30-60 from the field for 50%, 5-20 from three-point range for 25% and 17-20 for 85% from the free throw line. Indiana pulled down 40 rebounds, dished out 20 assists, 11 steals ,2 blocks and committed 12 turnovers. Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren was not pleased with the team after a 22-point victory. “I would be sitting here lying saying that I am happy with our performance, but I was not happy with any of it” Moren said after the game. “This was uncharacteristic of this team and undisciplined and this performance tonight will not win you any Big Ten game” Moren Said.

Brown was led by Isabelle Mauricio with 15 points and 13 points from Olivia Young. The Bears finished 23-60 from the field for 38%, 11-36 from three-point line for 30% and 3-9 from the free throw line for 33%. The Bears pulled down 26 rebounds, dished out 10 assists, 4 steals, 1 block and committed 18 turnovers. Harvard is a team similar to Brown and Coach Moren knows that it will be another tough challenge for this Hoosier team that prides itself on the defensive end and gave up 11 three pointers against Brown and that bothered Coach Moren and She “hates go into the locker room and talk about being undisciplined and you don’t nip that in the bud now you’re going to get your ass beat” Moren Said.

Big Ten Co-Champion Indiana University Men’s Soccer Draws Big Ten Tournament No. 2 Seed Indiana men’s soccer will open the 2024 Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament as the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7-seeded Michigan Thursday in Bridgeview, Illinois. After the Hoosiers clinched a share of the Big Ten regular season championship with a 6-1 victory over Northwestern on Tuesday, Brian Maisonneuve’s Ohio State earned its share with 2-1 against Maryland Sunday as well as the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Indiana and Michigan will kick off at 1 p.m. ET Thursday. SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, will host the first and second rounds of the tournament. The top seed in the final will host the championship match. Indiana is the reigning Big Ten Tournament champion and has reached the conference final in seven consecutive seasons coming in. Tickets for the tournament are on sale now. Fans unable to attend can watch the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on the B1G+ digital platform. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the semifinal and final rounds. Following a 2-1-2 start to its Big Ten slate, Indiana was a perfect 5-0-0 in the second half of league play to clinch a share of its second-straight regular season title, its fifth such title in seven seasons and 19th league championship overall.

Indiana University Field Hockey earns #6 Seed for the Big Ten Tournament Following its 1-0 win over Michigan State Friday afternoon, Indiana Field Hockey finished as the No. 6 team in the Big Ten regular season standings. The Hoosiers will also serve as the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, as well. The 2024 Big Ten Tournament will be played from Nov. 7-10 at the University of Maryland’s Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex in College Park. Indiana will open the tournament on Thursday, facing No. 3 seed Michigan at 5 p.m. This will be Indiana’s first time in the Big Ten Tournament since 2021.

The full tournament schedule is listed below.

Thursday, Nov. 7, Quarterfinals (B1G+)
Game #1 (11 a.m.) — No. 4 seed Rutgers (7-8) vs. No. 5 seed Ohio State (13-4)
Game #2 (2 p.m.) — No. 2 seed Maryland (12-5) vs. No. 7 seed Iowa (9-8)
Game #3 (5 p.m.) — No. 3 seed Michigan (12-4) vs. No. 6 seed Indiana (9-8)

Friday, Nov. 8, Semifinals (BTN)
Game #4 (1 p.m.) — No. 1 seed Northwestern (18-0) vs. Game #1 winner
Game #5 (3:30 p.m.) — Game #2 winner vs. Game #3 winner

Sunday, Nov. 10, Championship (BTN)
Game #6 (11 a.m.) — Game #4 winner vs. Game #5 winner

Stephanie White Named Head Coach of the Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever announced on Friday the team has named Stephanie White as Head Coach. White, a West Lebanon, Indiana native and Purdue alumnae, returns to the franchise where she spent six seasons (as head coach in 2015-16, and as an assistant coach from 2011-14) on the sidelines.  “As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” said Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf. “Stephanie is a part of the fabric of this franchise, both as a former player and as a member of our championship coaching staff, so I’m quite familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style. I am confident there is no one who better understands our culture or is more equipped to lead our group of players to the next level.”

“I am incredibly proud and honored to return home to Indiana and lead the Fever during such a pivotal moment in this franchise’s history, as well as during during such an important time throughout women’s athletics,” said White. “This franchise has and always will be committed to winning and I look forward to working every day to help deliver another WNBA title to the greatest basketball fans in the world.” White spent the past two seasons as head coach of the Connecticut Sun, where she guided the team to consecutive WNBA Semifinals appearances and posted a record of 55-25 during that span. During the 2023 season, she was named WNBA Coach of the Year and the Associated Press Coach of the Year, as well as being named a head coach in the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game.

White will enter 2025 with a combined 17 seasons of experience as a player and coach in the WNBA. Prior to Connecticut, she spent two seasons as the head coach of the Indiana Fever, compiling a 37-31 overall record and a 6-6 playoff record, including a trip to the 2015 WNBA Finals and a 2016 postseason berth. Prior to becoming a head coach for the Fever, White spent four seasons as an assistant coach (2011-14), most notably helping lead Indiana to its first WNBA Championship in 2012. White has also been a head coach at Vanderbilt (2016-21), an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky (2007-10), and an assistant coach at the collegiate level at Toledo (2005-07), Kansas State (2004-05) and Ball State (2003-04). 

As a player, White played five seasons in the WNBA, spending the bulk of her career with the Fever, which acquired her ahead of the franchise’s inaugural season in 2000. She currently sits in the top 20 in franchise history in games played (112), assists (225), steals (115) and three-point field goals made (92).
White also had a standout collegiate career, playing four seasons for Purdue from 1995-99. During her senior campaign, she led the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA National Championship, while also picking up Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and Wade Trophy honors. At Purdue, White amassed 2,182 career points and was inducted into the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. At Seeger High School as a player, White was named USA Today National Player of the Year, WBCA High School All-American, and MVP of the WBCA All-American game. She was a three-time AP all-state selection, set the IHSAA girls basketball scoring record at 2,869 career points, including a single-game high of 66 points.

Indianapolis Colts fall to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football The Indianapolis Colts move from Anthony Richardson to Joe Flacco at quarterback didn’t pay off immediately as they fell to the Minnesota Vikings 21-13 at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday Night Football. The offense didn’t do much as Flacco finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards. Both teams committed turnovers on their first possessions. Flacco and Jonathan Taylor fumbled an exchange at the Minnesota 26-yardline. Safety Harrison Smith recovered to end the scoring threat. The Vikings were then on the verge of points when Sam Darnold threw an interception to Zaire Franklin in the endzone. The first quarter ended scoreless. The Colts opened the scoring early in the second quarter when Grover Stewart stripped Darnold as he threw him to the ground. Kenny Moore II scooped up the ball and returned the fumble 38 yards for the defensive touchdown. Both teams missed 53-yard field goals, before Minnesota kicker Will Reichard botched a 31-yard attempt off the upright to keep the Colts ahead 7-0 at halftime.

The Vikings finally got on the scoreboard with their first possession of the second half, moving 70 yards in nine plays. Jordan Addison capped the drive with a fantastic catch for a four-yard TD to tie the game. Minnesota took the lead on its next possession. Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson for 41 yards down to the Indianapolis one-yardline. Three plays later the veteran quarterback found Jalen Nailor for a seven-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead. The teams swapped interceptions at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Byron Murphy Jr. picked off Flacco, then Nick Cross intercepted Darnold on the very next play. The turnover led to a 42-yard Matt Gay field goal to cut the Colts’ deficit to 14-10. The Colts drove to the Vikings’ 40-yardline on their next possession but turned the ball over on downs. Minnesota put together an 8-play, 60-yard drive capped by a Darnold to Josh Oliver 14-yard touchdown to ice the game. Gay connected from 54-yards to make the game 21-13, but the Colts could not recover the onsides kick. The Colts return home next week after two straight games on the road to host the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills (7-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium at 1:00 p.m.

Indy Eleven’s 2024 Season comes to a close with a home playoff loss to Rhode Island FC Indy Eleven’s first home USL Championship Playoff game since 2019 was an exciting one, but the hosts dropped a 3-2 decision to Rhode Island FC at Carroll Stadium. Rhode Island opened the scoring in the 19th minute when forward JJ Williams converted a penalty for a hand ball in the area. Boys in Blue captain Aodhan Quinn responded with his 55th career USLC goal on a one-touch volley from the top of the area in the 35th minute to tie the match. JJ Williams added goals in the 38th and 52nd minutes to give the visitors a 3-1 lead.

Indy Eleven thought it had narrowed the deficit in the 58th minute when Romario Williams finished off a pass from Hayden White, but the play was ruled offside. Quinn responded once again in the 76th minute with an impressive volley from outside the area to set up forward Douglas Martinez’s header down into the far corner from to narrow the gap to 3-2.  It is the fourth goal this season for Martinez and the 51st career assist for Quinn, who now has 106 career points.  It also was the team’s 51st goal of the campaign, tying the franchise USLC record set in 2019. Indy Eleven had a great scoring chance in the seventh minute of stoppage time, but Romario’s shot was saved by Rhode Island’s Koke Vegas. The Boys in Blue made their fourth playoff appearance in six full seasons in the USLC, recording consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 2018 and 2019.