Indiana University Men’s Basketball looking to Snap a four-game losing streak to Northwestern The Indiana Hoosiers will look to extend their winning streak to two games tonight at 7 PM on the Big Ten Network as they battle the Northwestern Wildcats at Welsh Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois. The Hoosiers are coming off a 77-76 overtime win at Ohio State last Friday Night after losing their previous two games by a combined 50 points. Indiana is 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten and it’s been Jekyll and Hide type of season for the Hoosiers as you don’t know which team is going to to show up night in and night out. Luckily the Hoosiers showed up last Friday as Oumar Ballo scored 21 points and pulled down 15 rebounds along with a career high 23 points and the game winning threw pointer. Anthony Leal who started over Trey Galloway blocked John Mobley Jr’s shot with a second left to give the Hoosiers their second Big Ten in away from home and key win after what was an ugly scene in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall last Tuesday losing to Illinois at home by 25 points and fans booing and started changing to fire the head coach.
Oumar Ballo leads the team with 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. The seven-footer has 3 straight double doubles and has 5 in the last games and six on the season. The transfer from Arizona has established himself as the go to guy with Malik Reneau out the last five game with a knee injury but he is closer to a return. Reneau is averaging 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Mackenzie Mgbako is averaging 11.9! Points and has only scored 16 points in the last four games since scoring 20 points against Penn State in Philadelphia on January 5. Myles Rice is averaging 11.9 points and leads the team with 1.2 steals per game. Trey Galloway averages 7.2 points and leads the team with 4.1 assists per game. The Hoosiers are averaging 77.5 points and committing 12.2 turnovers per game. Indiana is shooting 46 percent from the field, 31 percent from three-point range and 72 percent from the free throw line. Mike Woodson has faced a lot of criticism from the Hoosier Fan Base even though he is 77-45 in his fourth season with NCAA Tournament Appearances and 3 winning seasons. The Hoosiers have been blown out in all five games by 16 or more points and many question the heart and effort of this team. With the Hoosiers responding with a big road win at Ohio State but if the Hoosiers falter in Evanston that pressure and criticism will fire right back up.
Northwestern is 11-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten as the Wildcats lost at Michigan 80-76 in overtime Sunday afternoon. It’s the second straight overtime game the Wildcats have played after Nick Martinelli beat the buzzer against Maryland 76-74 on January 16 at home. The Wildcats have played four overtime games this season and have won three of them. The Wildcats are 9-1 at home this season with their only loss coming to Michigan State 78-68 on January 11. Nick Martinelli leads the Wildcats with 20 points per game. Lafayette, Indiana native Brooks Barnhizer averages 18.4 points and leads the team with 9.3 rebounds, 4,1 assists, 2,2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game as a 6-6 230-pound Senior. Jalen Leach is averaging 13.7 points per game as the Wildcats average 73.9 points and commit 10.2 turnovers per game. Northwestern shoots 44 percent from the field, 31 percent from the three-point line and 72 percent from the firee throw line. Chris Collins is 189-181 in his 12th season as Head Coach and has led the Wildcats to their only NCAA Tournament Appearances in Program History in 2017, 2023 and 2024.
Indiana leads the All-Time series 119-57 and are 49-37 all time in Evanston. Northwestern has won the last four meetings and five of the last six. Indiana’s last win against Northwestern came on February 10, 2021, in Evanston 79-76 in Double Overtime. Mike Woodson is 0-4 against the Wildcats as a Head Coach and a second straight road win in a tough Big Ten Conference would go a long way in helping Indiana improve its chances for an NCAA Tournament Bid.
Indiana University Women’s Soccer Signs Two Players for the 2025 Season Indiana women’s soccer has announced the addition of Sally Rainey and Grace Hamm to the program for the 2025 season.
Sally Rainey- Rainey joins the Hoosiers after a successful three-year career at the University of New Hampshire where she is coming off back-to-back America East Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024. The West Lebanon, New Hampshire native’s list of accolades also includes United Soccer Coaches All-Region second team (2024) and third team (2023) along with America East All-Conference first team honors. In 2024, Rainey started all 18 games for UNH, posting a 12-5-1 overall record and 0.78 GAA. She collected 55 saves and recorded nine shutouts, which led the league. In 2023, Rainey started in all 16 games and recorded eight shutouts which led the America East. Additionally, she was second in the America East in goals against average (.821) and save percentage (.843). A five-time America East Defensive Player of the week through her career, Rainey also excels in the classroom where she has been a two-time America East All-Academic Team and two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree. A graduate of Lebanon High School, Rainey was a four-time All-State first team selection and three-time team captain in soccer and basketball.
Grace Hamm-Hamm will begin her collegiate career at Indiana after a successful stint at San Marcos High School. She was an Open Division CIF champ, two-time All-League selection including first team honors. Hamm played club soccer with Legends FC, where her club made it to back-to-back Final Fours. Her athletic career also saw numerous accolades in lacrosse where she was a CIF Division 2 semi-finalist, First-Team All-League and helped her squad to a league championship. She is the sister of former Hoosier, Camille Hamm, who played for the program from 2021-24.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball Signee Neveah Caffey Scores 32 Points in a Nationally Televised Game on ESPNU Monday The streak is over. No. 18 Etiwanda (Calif.) beat No. 15 Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis, Mo.) 74-65 on Monday morning at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, MA to snap the longest win streak in high school girls’ basketball history at 141 games. It was the first loss for Incarnate Word Academy since Feb. 8, 2020. Cal commit Aliyahna Morris, who finished with 26 points, set the tone early Monday with a barrage of 3-pointers for Etiwanda. She hit from each wing, added a NBA-range triple and closed the first quarter with a trey from the top of the key as her Eagles took an 18-13 lead. But Indiana commit Nevaeh Caffey of Incarnate Word Academy poured in 32 points of her own to keep the Red Knights hanging around. Incarnate Word took its first lead midway through the second quarter but couldn’t keep it as the Eagles took a 35-34 edge into intermission.
Morris and LSU commit Grace Knox shined late for Etiwanda. Morris scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a 61-54 edge with 4:12 left. Knox then scored five straight, including a big 3-pointer from the left wing. She finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. The Eagles led 70-60 with 1:10 remaining before Incarnate Word Academy mustered one final push, closing to 70-65 before running out of steam. Incarnate Word Academy broke the consecutive wins record Jan. 11, beating Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kan.) 68-51 at the Sophie Cunningham Classic for its 139th straight victory to pass Central Plains (Claflin, Kan.). The Red Knights tacked on two more wins before heading to Springfield for the Hoophall Classic. Head coach Dan Rolfes said after the record-breaking win that his squad knew the day would come that the streak would end, but that it wasn’t what they were playing for. “What am I going to tell them after we lose? Let’s get 139 more,” Rolfes said. “No one wants to lose, but there’s obviously huge lessons in every victory and every defeat. If it makes us better and helps us win a state championship, then we have to learn from it.”
Indiana University Men’s Basketball Signee Trent Sisley shines for Montverde Academy on ESPN2 against Utah Prep Trent Sisley played a key role in helping lead Montverde Academy to a big-time win over Utah Prep in a battle of national top 5 high school basketball teams at the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, MA. The Indiana class of 2025 signee had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists to help drive national No. 4 Montverde to a 74-60 win over national No. 5 Utah Prep in Sunday’s marquee game on ESPN2. “Sisley has been terrific this year for Montverde, really stepped up his game,” ESPN national analyst Paul Biancardi said on the TV broadcast. Sisley had 16 points, 2-for-2 from 3-point range, 5-for-10 from 2-point range, five total rebounds, four offensive rebounds, four assists against one turnover in 24:49 of action. Sisley entered the holiday weekend shooting 40 percent (8-for-20) from 3-point range and leading Montverde in offensive rebounds. Montverde is now 13-2 on the season. Against Utah Prep on Sunday, Montverde went on a 27-0 run to take a 42-15 halftime lead in the annual event in Springfield, Mass. CJ Ingram (Florida signee) had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists; Kayden Allen scored 12 points, four rebounds, four assists; Hudson Greer (Creighton) nine points, Dante Allen (Villanova) scored eight points, 11 rebounds, three assists. AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1-ranked player in the country in the 2025 class and a BYU signee, had 25 points to lead Utah Prep, which is now being coached by former IU star Keith Smart.
Indiana University Water Polo announces 2025 Schedule No. 11 Indiana water polo has announced its slate of games for the upcoming 2025 season, which begins this weekend at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The Hoosiers will host two tournaments in non-conference play beginning with the Indiana Classic on Jan. 25-26. They will also hot the Midwest Invite on Feb. 8-9 in home waters. Non-conference action will also take Indiana to familiar tournaments including the Bruno Invite (Jan. 31-Feb. 2), Kalbus Invite (Feb. 21-23) and Aztec Invite (Mar. 15-16). MPSF play begins on March 25 when Indiana heads to Arizona State followed by back-to-back home games against California (Mar. 29) and San Jose State (Apr. 5). IU visits Stanford (Apr. 12) and has a non-conference matchup with rival Michigan (Apr. 19) to close out the regular season. UCLA will host the 2025 MPSF championships which will run April 25-27. All Indiana home games are free admission at CBAC inside the SRSC on Indiana’s campus. Indiana is coming off a 21-10 campaign in 2024, its most wins under head coach Taylor McInerney, which included nine ranked wins. Highlighting its returning players are top scorer and All-MPSF selection senior center Sophia Sollie (57 goals) and junior goalie Jasmine Higgs (282 saves).
Indiana University Women’s Tennis wins the Season Opener against Cincinnati Indiana women’s tennis starts the season off with a 6-1 win against Cincinnati. Elisabeth Dunac and Nicole Sifuentes got the Hoosiers rolling with a dominant 6-0 win in No. 3 doubles which was followed by a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles, Lara Schneider and Nicole Teodosescu which gave Indiana the 1-0 lead. Freshman Marina Fuduric got her first season win at No. 2 singles which gave the Hoosiers the 2-0 lead. Magdalena Swierczynska extended the Hoosiers lead to 3-0 with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles. Freshman Nicole Sifuentes clinched the match for Indiana with a 7-6, 6-4 win at No. 4 singles.
Elisabeth Dunac fought back to win in the third set after falling in the first. Lara Schneider took the final match for the Hoosiers in a 10-point tiebreak at the No. 3 singles.
Notre Dame falls to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game Notre Dame’s second half comeback was not enough, and Ohio State went on to win the National Championship, 34-23. After Notre Dame scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game, Ohio State rattled off 31 unanswered points on their first five drives. “We didn’t execute, and we had some self-inflicted wounds that we have to clean up,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said.
“You see the next three drives after that, penalties and miscommunications, and all that stuff’s on me,” Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard said. “That first drive we just came out and played Notre Dame football.” Notre Dame started their comeback late in the third quarter and brought it back to a one possession game with 4:15 left in the fourth quarter. “Got nothing else to lose,” Leonard said about the message at halftime, when Notre Dame was down 21-7. “It’s the last game no matter what. Might as well go out there and sling the rock and trust your guys.”
The Fighting Irish forced a third down with under three minutes to go, but Ohio State quarterback Will Howard completed a bomb down the sideline to Jeremiah Smith for 57 yards, which all but sealed the game for the Buckeyes. Leonard threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns, which was his season-high for passing yards. Notre Dame finished the season 14-2 and made their first national championship since the 2012 season. They set the record for the most wins in a single season in program history. “The reality is, we all had a little bit of doubt,” Freeman said. “But we all chose to work, and we all chose to trust each other and chose to love each other and be selfless and put the team in front of ourselves.”
“I’m just proud of them,” Freeman said. “Proud of what they’ve done and proud of who they are, the way they represent themselves and it’s just an honor to be on this journey with them. There’s going to be a lot of guys, seniors that this was their final game with Notre Dame football, but they’ve left this place a better place.”