The Indiana Pacers Take 2-0 Series Lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers with an Epic Comeback For the second time in three games, the Indiana Pacers made a miraculous comeback. With 12 seconds left and the Pacers down by three points, Tyrese Haliburton was sent to the free-throw line to shoot two. He made the first and missed the second. But he got his own rebound. Haliburton dribbled back out towards half-court, with the Pacers down by two. He stepped back at the top of the key. Haliburton hoisted a three-pointer and nailed it with just one second left on the clock. The Cavs desperation heave did not get off in time and the clock ran out. The Pacers were down as many as 20 points and came back to beat the Cavs in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, 120-119.
“I’m at peace with my game,” Haliburton said. “Understanding that I’m trusted in these moments. I have all the confidence in the world to make these shots. My teammates and my coaching staff give me that confidence and just trying to make plays out there.” “You don’t see this very often, let alone twice in one week,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’re very fortunate.” “This is the most fun I’ve had playing basketball ever,” Pacer’s center Myles Turner said. “This group is special. I don’t want to stop playing anytime soon. We’re just going to continue keep getting better and better, drowning out the noise.”
The Pacers were down by seven points with 48 seconds left and found a way to come back and get the win. Turner and Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with 23 points each. Haliburton added 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 48 points. The Pacers now have a 2-0 series advantage. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday at 7:30 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Ten Indiana University Athletic Teams earn Perfect APR Scores Indiana University students who compete in intercollegiate athletics continue to excel in the classroom according to the latest NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) data released Tuesday Ten of IU’s 22 programs earned perfect 1,000 APR scores for the 2023-24 academic year. The 10 IU programs that earned a perfect APR score for the 2023-24 academic year are Men’s Basketball, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Basketball, Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Golf, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Track, Volleyball, and Water Polo. As a department, IU’s combined single-year APR score was 987, and all of IU’s 22 programs easily met the required four-year average of 930 to be eligible for NCAA Championship competition during the 2024-25 season.
“Supporting and celebrating our students’ opportunities to succeed academically is one of the primary goals for IU Athletics, which makes this type of success so meaningful to our students as well as our departmental staff,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. “Congratulations to our students, coaches, and staffs for never losing sight of our ultimate goal of seeing our students earn their Indiana University degrees.” The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team’s academic performance. The most recent APR scores are based on a multi-year formula of scores from the 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. To compete in 2025-26 NCAA championships, teams must earn a 930 four-year average APR. The goal of the NCAA’s academic performance program is improvement, not punishment. Not only does the program ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams and institutions, but it also provides fairness by considering individual circumstances.
Daniel Seiffert Joins Indiana University Women’s Soccer as Assistant Coach Indiana women’s soccer head coach Josh Rife has announced the addition of Daniel Seiffert as assistant coach for the program. Seiffert arrives in Bloomington after successful stints as head coach at Indiana Wesleyan (2018-25), Indiana Union, and Mount Vernon Nazarene (2009-17), where he combined for a career total of 185-109-28. During his time with IWU, he guided the program to six NAIA Tournament appearances and a 2021 Crossroads League conference championship. “I’m thrilled to have Daniel join our staff,” Indiana head coach Josh Rife said. “His experience as a head coach for over a decade will prove invaluable to our program. Even more than his experience and knowledge of the game, it’s his demeanor and how he interacts with student-athletes that adds to the amazing staff we already have in place.”
In his tenure with the Wildcats, Seiffert was a two-time Crossroads League Coach of the Year (2019, 2023) and two-time regular season champions (2019, 2023) while his players pulled in 13 NAIA All-American honors, three Crossroads League Midfield of the Year two Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year and 31 All-League first team honorees. “I’m incredibly honored to join the staff at Indiana University,” Seiffert said. “Josh Rife and his staff have a terrific vision for this program and I’m definitely excited to go and be a part of it! There is a high level of excellence that is being pursued while still focusing on the holistic growth of these student-athletes. With that being said, I’m really thankful for this opportunity and excited to see what all is in store for this program moving forward.” He holds a bachelor’s degree in integrated mathematics education (business administration minor) from Mount Vernon Nazarene and a master’s degree in sports science & coaching from Ohio University. His certifications also include USSF “A-Senior” License and USC “Premier” Diploma and “National Goalkeeping” diploma.
Assembly Ball is Returning to The Basketball Tournament with James Blackmon Jr. and Yogi Ferrell committing to play Assembly Ball, the Indiana alumni team hosting The Basketball Tournament’s (TBT) Indianapolis regional alongside All Good Dawgs (Butler Alumni) at the Hinkle Fieldhouse from July 19-22, today announced the roster additions of former IU stars Yogi Ferrell and James Blackmon Jr. Ferrell and Blackmon Jr. join Assembly ball as the first two roster commitments. Additional players will be announced in the coming weeks. Ferrell returns to TBT for the second consecutive summer, leading Assembly Ball to a regional championship appearance in 2024 with 20.3 points per game.
Yogi Ferrell was a four-year starter at Indiana University (2012–2016), setting program records for both career assists (633) and starts (137). He made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning Big Ten All-Freshman honors while helping lead the Hoosiers to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Over his final three seasons, Ferrell averaged 17 points per game and was named First-Team All-Big Ten in both his junior and senior years. As a senior, he also earned First-Team Wooden All-American honors. Yogi Ferrell was a four-year starter at Indiana University (2012–2016), setting program records for both career assists (633) and starts (137). He made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning Big Ten All-Freshman honors while helping lead the Hoosiers to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Over his final three seasons, Ferrell averaged 17 points per game and was named First-Team All-Big Ten in both his junior and senior years. As a senior, he also earned First-Team Wooden All-American honors. After leaving Indiana, Ferrell played five seasons in the NBA, playing for the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers. Ferrell’s most productive NBA campaign came in the 2017-18 season, where he appeared in all 82 games for the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 10.2 points and 2.5 assists per game. Ferrell has played for multiple teams across Europe and Asia since leaving the NBA, currently playing for Budućnost in Montenegro.
James Blackmon Jr. will be making his TBT debut this summer for Assembly Ball. Blackmon Jr. made a significant impact during his three seasons at Indiana University (2014–2017), appearing in 76 games for the Hoosiers. A McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit, Blackmon Jr. delivered a standout freshman campaign, averaging 15.7 points per game and setting an Indiana freshman record with 77 three-pointers made. Despite a sophomore season shortened by injury, he returned as a junior to post a team-best 17.0 points per game while shooting 43 percent from three-point range. Blackmon Jr. decided to forgo his senior season to declare for the 2017 NBA Draft. Blackmon Jr. signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2017, going on to spend multiple years in the NBA G-League. He has since played professionally in Italy and Turkey. The winner of the Indianapolis Regional will advance to TBT’s quarterfinals on July 28. The semifinals will be held on July 31, and TBT’s $1 million championship will be played on Aug. 3. For the first time, TBT will give each host team the opportunity to have home court advantage for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the $1 million championship game. Should two regional hosts face off, the tie breaker will be determined by which host sells 4,000 tickets the fastest. Tickets are now on sale to the general public. Tickets are available for purchase at tbthoops.com/tickets. For more information on this year’s TBT or Assembly Ball, visit tbthoops.com.
Norte Dame and Clemson announce a 12 Year Football Scheduling Agreement Notre Dame and Clemson already know each other pretty well in football. That relationship will become even more familiar in the future after the two college football powers announced a 12-year home-and-home scheduling agreement on Tuesday that will pit them against each other annually from 2027 through 2038. Clemson and Notre Dame were already scheduled to play in 2027, 2028, 2031, 2034 and 2037. Under the revamped schedule, the Tigers will host the games during odd-numbered years during that time frame, while the Fighting Irish will host the games in even-numbered years. Clemson holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, which has been highlighted by some memorable matchups. The teams have played six times since 2015 with Clemson winning four times, including both postseason matchups.
Clemson defeated Notre Dame 30-3 in the College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in 2018 before winning the national title two weeks later. In 2020, Notre Dame, playing as a full-time member of the Atlantic Coast Conference because of COVID-19 scheduling concerns, beat the Tigers in a shootout, only to lose to Clemson in the ACC championship. “Even in just the last decade, matchups between Clemson and Notre Dame have produced incredibly memorable moments and games,” Clemson director of athletics Graham Neff said in a release. “We have immense excitement for the creation of this 12-year series between these two premier programs, as we know these will be must-see matchups for fans at Memorial Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium as well as television audiences nationwide.”
Both teams reached the expanded College Football Playoff field last year, with the Irish advancing to the national championship game before losing to Ohio State 34-23. Clemson has won nine or more games in 14 straight seasons — the nation’s second-longest active streak and the fourth-longest streak in major college football history. Notre Dame has won nine or more games in the last eight seasons. “We strive to consistently create a football schedule that positions us for success in the College Football Playoff, and that goal requires us to form historic partnerships like this one with Clemson,” Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Pete Bevacqua said. “This rivalry has already produced some of the most memorable moments in recent college football history, and our fans deserve these matchups to continue to make those indelible memories.”
Taylor Trojans Men’s Golf Slide to Fifth at Crossroads League Championships A rough round on Tuesday dropped the Taylor men’s golf team from second to fifth in the team standings at the Crossroads League Championships. TU posted a pair of sub-300 scores on Monday, before a 322 on Tuesday spoiled the final result. Each of TU’s five individuals posted their worst round of the tournament on Tuesday, but all five Trojans still finished inside the top 25 on the individual leaderboard. Tanner Conklin and Will Schuitema paced the group in 13th and 15th, with Ben Oakley ending in 18th, Porter Dick taking 20th and Adam Kasitz finishing 24th. Taylor’s fifth place team finish brings a close to the 2024-2025 campaign for the men’s golf program.