Indiana Pacers Bounce Back to Beat the Boston Celtics Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points, and the Indiana Pacers rebounded from a 37-point loss to Boston two nights earlier by beating the Celtics 123-114 on Sunday night in the rematch. Andrew Nembhard, who returned after missing Friday’s game with tendinitis in his left knee, added 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam chipped in with 17 points and Bennedict Mathurin had 14. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 31 points and six assists. Jayson Tatum had 22 points, nine boards and six assists. Payton Pritchard added 21 points and Derrick White scored 17. The Celtics lost their sixth game at home already this season. Last season, they went 37-4 at TD Garden during the regular season and 9-2 in the playoffs en route to the NBA championship. Coming off a blowout loss, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle wanted to see his team respond by getting off to a physical start. The Pacers went inside instead of setting for jumpers and outscored Boston 66-48 in the paint to make up for the loss of injured forward Obi Toppin (sprained left ankle). After coasting to the lopsided win on Friday when they hit 23 3-pointers, the Celtics followed that by going only 16 of 54 from beyond the arc while missing starters Jrue Holiday (shoulder injury) and Kristaps Porzingis (sprained left ankle). Indiana made 22 free throws to just 16 for Boston. The Pacers wrap up the 2024 Calendar by hosting the Milwaukee Bucks this afternoon at 3 PM.
Indiana University Tight End Brody Kosin Enters the Transfer Portal Indiana has only seen a handful of defections since the transfer portal opened this month, but a promising young tight end was added to the list on Friday. Freshman Brody Kosin announced he was leaving IU after just one season. Kosin did not see the field at all in 2024. “After a long conversation with my family I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal with 4 years of eligibility left, thank you to everyone at Indiana University who helped me out on and off the field,” Kosin wrote on his X account. The 6-foot-6 Kosin came to IU out of Clarkston H.S. in Michigan, where he was a consensus 3-star prospect. Kosin was one of several young tight ends thought to be potential candidates to fill IU’s need for a tall, athletic, playmaker in the passing game.
After the departure of Kosin, Indiana is currently projected to have six tight ends on the roster for 2025: Riley Nowakowski (via Wisconsin), James Bomba, Brody Foley, Sam West, along with incoming freshmen Blake Thiry and Andrew Barker. IU coach Curt Cignetti has spoken highly of West as it relates to that playmaking role. This move by Kosin may also signal IU is actively seeking a second tight end in the transfer portal market. One player we’ve mentioned here worth keeping an eye on is Tulane transfer Alex Bauman.
Indianapolis Colts Eliminated from the Playoffs after a Road Loss to the New York Giants The New York Giants snapped a franchise-record 10-game losing streak and ended the Indianapolis Colts’ slim playoff hopes Sunday as Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in a 45-33 victory. New York earned its first home win of the season, and it no longer has control of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Lock sandwiched touchdown passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers around TD passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and 5 yards to Wan’Dale Robinson in leading the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on Oct. 6. Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league’s worst offense set a season high for points.
Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of 3 and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), while Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and 7 yards to Michael Pittman, the last bringing the Colts within 35-33 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter. Lock, who finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards, iced the game by leading a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 5-yard run. The 45 points were the most for New York since putting up 49 in a 52-49 loss to the Saints in 2015. It’s the Giants most in a win since a 45-14 rout against Washington in 2014 and most at home since a 52-27 win against the Saints in 2012. Nabers finished with seven catches for a career-high 171 yards. Flacco was 26 of 38 for 330 yards with two interceptions, the second by rookie Dru Phillips shortly after Lock’s TD run. Taylor, who rushed for 218 yards in a win over Tennessee last weekend, finished with 125 yards on 32 carries. Pierce had six catches for 122 yards. Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy become the third pair of rookies to have more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same season. The previous duo was running back Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006. The Colts will close out the Season Hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 1PM inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indiana University Football Cornerback JoJo Johnson Enters the Transfer Portal Indiana’s significant 2025 depth at cornerback has led to the departure of veteran JoJo Johnson. After two seasons in Bloomington, Johnson announced on Saturday he’s entering the transfer portal. Johnson only appeared in two games for Indiana in 2024 after playing in all 12 in 2023 as a reserve. The Merrillville, Ind. product started his career at Notre Dame (2021) and then Iowa Western C.C. (2022). IU is expected to return its top three corners from 2024 D’Angelo Ponds, Jamier Johnson and Jamari Sharpe. After Johnson’s departure the Hoosiers still have nine scholarship players at cornerback for 2025. Johnson is the fourth IU player to announce his departure this month, and tenth overall since the start of the 2024 season.
Indiana University Volleyball Alumna Savannah Kjolhede Signs with Professional Team in Puerto Rico Former Indiana volleyball player Savannah Kjolhede (2020-23) signed her first professional contract, as announced by the club on Friday afternoon. She will join Mets de Guaynabo (Puerto Rico) to start the season at the beginning of 2025. Kjolhede played her graduate season at Arizona State but spent the previous four years with the Hoosiers after committing to IU and head coach Steve Aird in 2018. During her time in Bloomington, the Colleyville, Texas native contributed 668 kills, 385 blocks and hit .300 for her career. She finished her time at IU among the top 10 in program history in blocks (10th) and hitting percentage (t-3rd). She improved in each of the four years in the program, taking her season hitting percentage from .194 (2020-21) to .361 (2023) by the time she graduated. Kjolhede hit .379 in Big Ten play in 2023, the highest single season mark in conference games only in program history. Kjolhede graduated with a degree in Management in the spring of 2024 before playing her fifth season (COVID-19 waiver) at Arizona State. She helped the Sun Devils win the Big 12 title this past year. She is the third player from IU’s 2020 recruiting class (Blackwell, Geddes) to sign a professional contract. She and Geddes both played at least four seasons for the Hoosiers.
Hoosiers in the Pros
Paula Cerame – Columbus Fury (USA)
Kaley Rammelsberg – Columbus Fury (USA)
Morgan Geddes – Örebro Volleyball (Sweden)
Savannah Kjolhede – Mets de Guaynabo (Puerto Rico)
Indiana University Football Edge Rusher Venson Sneed Enters the Transfer Portal Edge rusher Venson Sneed became the latest player to enter the transfer portal following Indiana’s 2024 season. Sneed spent three years in Bloomington. He played two games in 2022, 12 in 2023, and three in 2024. He originally committed to Tennessee before flipping to IU out of high school. Sneed had three tackles in 2024. Sneed was a vocal leader during the offseason when it came to supporting the new coaching staff and encouraging new players to join the program. But he couldn’t crack the rotation. And it wasn’t likely he’d be able to next season either. 2024 starting edge Mikail Kamara announced his return earlier in the week, meaning it was going to be difficult for Sneed to earn a significant role. Sneed is the fifth IU player to announce his departure this month, and 11th overall since the start of the 2024 season.