The Indiana Pacers Take a 2-1 Series Lead with a Game 3 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, 116-107. The Pacers now hold a 2-1 lead in the series. “This is the kind of team that we are,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “We need everybody to be ready. It’s not always going to be exactly the same guys that are stepping up with scoring and stuff like that. But this is how we got to do it, and we got to do it as a team. And we’ve got to make it as hard as possible on them.”
“Our second unit did a great job of giving us energy to start that second quarter, and we just rode the wave from there,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “Definitely got to get better starts. The first three minutes and last three minutes of every quarter are so important especially in a time like this. We weren’t good to start the third quarter either. So, watch the film and see where we can get better and continue to improve.” “I think you just have to get in the game with the right mindset and give it all you’ve got to win the game,” Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin said.
“Never be too high. Never be too low,” Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith said. “Still made mistakes today. Still going to learn from them. We’ll be better on Friday and we’re going to out and try and win that game too.” “To do it here for this amazing organization is obviously great,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “You can see how energetic the fans were. It was cool to get that first Finals under our belt, but like I said, we got to move on and get ready for the next game.” Mathurin led the Pacers with 27 points off the bench. Haliburton added 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. The Pacers outscored the Thunder 32-18 in the fourth quarter. Game 4 is scheduled for this evening at 8:30 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Bloomington South Girls Basketball to Compete at the IBCA/IHSAA Team Showcase in Fishers Bloomington South is one of 113 Girls Basketball Teams around the State of Indiana that will compete in the Annual IBCA/IHSAA Girls Baseball Showcase event that starts today and goes through tomorrow. It has become the Main High School Summer Basketball Tournament in the State of Indiana during the Month of June when High Schools Teams are allowed to get together and play games. College Coaches can be in attendance from the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA. Admission for fans is $10 per day for adults $5 for Students ages 6-17 and kids six and under are admitted free.
The event honors the Memory of Charlie Hughes who passed away of an extended illness on December 29, 2014 at age 74. Hughes organized and coached amateur basketball in Anderson in 1962 and organized countless boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments throughout Central Indiana including this tournament that was named in honor of him after his passing. In 2024 Charlie Hughes Basketball and the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association donated $12,000 to the Riley Children’s Foundation.
The event will take place in Fishers at three different venues. Fishers High School will have 7 Courts; Hamilton Southeastern High School will have 6 Courts and Fishers Junior High School will have 2 Courts. Games will kick off This Morning at 10:30 AM and last games will start at 7:50 pm this evening. Tomorrow games get underway at 9 AM and the last games will start at 5:10 PM. Most teams will play four games in two days, but some teams will play just two games on one day. Bloomington South will play Belmont this afternoon at 3:10 PM and Northridge at 6;40 PM this evening with both games taking place in the Fishers High School Auxiliary Gym. Tomorrow the Panthers will move over to the Hamilton Southeastern Auxiliary Gym to face Penn at 10:10 AM and DeKalb at 12:30 PM. Other local teams competing include Bedford North Lawrence, Linton, Monrovia and Mooresville.
Several South-Central Indiana Boys Basketball Players to play in All Star Game at Anderson University The 17th Annual Indiana Boys Basketball All Star Classic takes place today at the Kardatzke Wellness Center on the Anderson University Campus in Anderson, Indiana as Indiana High School Boys Basketball Players from all over State will be on hand to showcase their talents in front of College Coaches and Fans. There will be two futures games at 10:30 AM and 1 PM featuring the Classes of 2027 and 2028 which were this year’s freshman and sophomores followed by two Junior games featuring the class of 2026 at 4 and 6:30 PM.
While there are no players from Monroe County competing in this year’s event. There are several area players to watch in today’s games. Eastern Greene’s Coby Sykes will be playing for the White team at 10:30 AM. Sykes averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Thunderbirds as a Sophomore. Martinsville Junior Grady Gardner will play for the White Team at 4 PM along with Gavin Robinson from Mitchell. Gardner averaged 22.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Artesians while Robinson averaged 16.3 points and 8 rebounds per game for the Bluejackets. Linton’s Paul Oliver and Connor Daily will play for the White team at 6:30 PM and their Head Coach Matt Britton will be the Co-Head Coach along with Brad Lindsay from Eastern Greentown. Oliver averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds per game and Daily averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds per game for a Linton Team who finished
Tickets are available at the door for $15 for adults. Seniors 65 and over and Kids 11 and under are $10. A family of four is $50. Children 5 and under are free. High school teams with their coach are $60 and. Coaches are free but sign in at the ticket table. The games will be televised on the Indiana Sports Network which is available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV+, Google Chromecast, Facebook Live and You Tube Live. Indiana Sports Network will be broadcasting the game for free on its X (Formerly Twitter Page and you can visit their websites at www.indianasportsnetwork.com and www.indianasportsnetwork.net.
Indiana University Football Flips Four Star Edge Rusher Kevontay Hugan from The University of Louisville When class of 2026 edge rusher Kevontay Hugan took an official visit at IU this weekend, he was a Louisville commit. But on Wednesday afternoon Hugan announced he was backing off that verbal pledge he made in March. And hours later, Hugan announced he has committed to Indiana. The 6-foot-3 and 235-pound Hugan attends Booker H.S. in Sarasota, Fla. As a junior for Booker, Hugan produced118 tackles, 36 of which were for a loss, as well as 18 sacks. Hugan is a 4-star according to the average of the national recruiting sites. He’s the No. 41 edge and No. 379 overall player in the 2026 class. A multi-sport athlete, Hugan also competes in track & field. He was a state qualifier in the shot put, as well as regionals in both the discus and 100-meter dash. Hugan originally chose Louisville over offers from Baylor, Georgia Tech, Miami, Missouri, Penn State, USC and others. Hugan is now the 14th commit in Indiana’s 2026 class and the fourth 4-star. IU’s class is 31st in the nation and 11th in the Big Ten.
Indiana’s Martin Segurola Advances to 1,500 on Day One of NCAA Outdoor Championship Indiana track and field completed the first day of competition from the NCAA Outdoor Championship. The day saw two Hoosiers competing in events with one making their national debut. Sean Mockler made his third appearance for the Hoosiers in Eugene. His mark of 64.07m/210-2 placed 21st among the competition. Martin Segurola made his NCAA Outdoor Championship debut when he competed in the 1,500 semifinals. Competing in the second leg, Segurola earned his spot in Today’s final. He will look to make the podium when he runs at 5:12 pm (PDT).
Indiana University Athletic Director Scott Dolson states intent to Maintain 24 Varsity Programs after House Settlement One of the main questions stemming from the recent approval of the House settlement is whether sports that don’t generate positive cash flow will be impacted. With schools like Indiana now facing a new $20 million annual expense in the form of revenue sharing, cuts have to be made somewhere. Around the nation going back five years colleges have been eliminating programs to ward off budgetary concerns. Those instances have accelerated over the last year as schools have anticipated the House settlement. Title IX, which requires schools to provide equal opportunities to male and female athletes, puts men’s sports at even greater risk. Will IU be able to maintain all 24 of its varsity sports? In a statement released Wednesday in response to the House settlement, IU AD Scott Dolson signaled it is Indiana’s intent to do just that. But he also suggested continuing financial support from fans and alumni is critical to holding it all together.
Here’s the full statement Dolson e-mailed: Dear Hoosier Nation, Friday was a landmark day for college athletics. The U.S. District Court for Northern California granted final approval for a settlement in the House vs. NCAA litigation, paving the way for a new and exciting era of intercollegiate athletics. Our department has been anticipating and preparing for this settlement for an extended time, and we are excited that we can move forward with a new level of confidence about what our world will look like in the coming years.
As a passionate IU fan, you likely have questions about what the future looks like. While a lot has changed in the last several years, our quest remains the same – to bring you and fellow Hoosier fans to your feet as you cheer on your beloved IU programs as they pursue championships and provide us all with cherished experiences and memories.
With that in mind, I want to highlight a couple of things as we embark on this journey together.
First, IU Athletics’ core principles are our foundation, and they remain as solid as ever. We are committed to supporting student-athletes’ opportunity to excel academically, athletically, and personally. We want to see our students challenge themselves academically and earn their IU degrees. We want them to maximize their athletic abilities and compete for championships. And when their time in Bloomington is done, we want them to be well prepared to succeed in the next chapter of their lives, whether that is in athletics or in any other professional pursuit or journey.
Second, the successes that we can enjoy moving forward are inextricably linked with you, our passionate and dedicated supporters. IU Athletics is excited to support our student-athletes’ opportunities to the fullest in terms of both revenue sharing and NIL. We plan to do that while maintaining a broad-based athletic program that features 24 varsity programs with their own proud traditions. To make all of that happen, we need Hoosier Nation to rally together and propel our programs and student-athletes to the upper echelon in all areas on and off the field.
We can do this, but we need to do it together. Over the course of time, new challenges have always meant new opportunities for IU Athletics, and this is no different. We are Never Daunted, and with your support, we can and will build on our tradition of championship success in this new era of college athletics.
Scott Dolson Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics