#2 Indiana University Football Dominates Purdue to Clinch a Spot in the Big Ten Championship Game The #2 Indiana Hoosiers scored five rushing touchdowns and threw for three more in a 56-3 win over the Purdue Boilermakers Friday Night at Ross Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. The Hoosiers finish the regular season with a 12-0 record and 9-0 Big Ten record and clinch a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game Next Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Purdue ends the season with a 2-10 record and 0-9 Big Ten Record as Purdue has lost 18 straight Big Ten Games since a 35-31 win over Indiana at Home on November 25, 2023. The Boilermakers are 3-21 in the last two seasons while Indiana is 23-2 overall under Curt Cignetti and 17-1 in the Big Ten the last two seasons.
Indiana keeps the Old Oaken Bucket for the second year in a row and has outscored Purdue 122-3 in the last two seasons after the Hoosiers shut out Purdue 66-0 in Bloomington a season ago. The Hoosiers will find out who they will play in Indianapolis after the completion of Saturday’s Games. Ohio State and Michigan will battle in Ann Arbor and if Ohio State wins the Buckeyes will be in the Big Ten Championship Game as both Ohio State and Indiana will enter the game with a 12-0 record and 9-0 record in the Big Ten. If Michigan beats Ohio State and Oregon loses to Washington, they will be in the Big Ten Championship Game. Oregon needs to beat Washington in Seattle and Ohio State to lose to Michigan for the Ducks to make it to Indianapolis for the second year in a row.
The game time temperature was 24 degrees at kickoff which was lowest for an Indiana-Purdue Game and the lowest ever for a Purdue Home football game. When the second half started the temperature was 20 degrees and it was 20 degrees when the game ended. There were a lot of Cream and Crimson in the stands to witness IU completing just the second ever regular season without a loss in program history when the 1945 team won the outright Big Ten Championship with a 9-0-1 record and in 1967 the Hoosiers shared the Big Ten Championship and went to the Rose Bowl finishing the season with 9-2 record. Now the Hoosiers are one game away, adding a 2025 Big Ten Championship to the program record books.
Purdue got the ball first and two plays later Quarterback Ryan Browne was picked off by Amare Farrell. Farrell got his fourth interception of the season, and it is the second year in a row that Farrell has had 4 interceptions in a season. Indiana was unbale to move the ball running 3 plays for 0 yards and had to punt the ball away. The Hoosiers scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Kaelon Black with 8:03 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0. After Purdue punted the ball away twice the Boilermakers scored their only points in the game with a 22-yard field goal by Spencer Porath with 46 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 7-3.
The Hoosiers punted the ball away a second time and once they got the ball back Fernando Mendoza scored from 7 yards out to make it 14-3 IU with 10:29 left in the second quarter. Purdue punted three more times and missed a 56-yard field goal to close out the first half. Indiana punted the ball away for third time and then scored on the next two drives. Kaelon Black spun his way to end zone for 16 yards to make it 21-3 with 3:40 left before the break and then Roman Hemby ran 83 yards to the house as Indiana led 28-3 at halftime with 209 rushing yards to just 22 for the Boilermakers.
Indiana scored on all three possessions in the third quarter as Fernando Mendoza threw two touchdown passes on 17 yards to Elijah Sarratt and 43 yards to Omar Cooper Jr. Khobie Martin ended the third quarter with a 21-yard touchdown run to make it 49-3 Hoosiers in control. The Hoosiers forced a Boilermaker fumble when Ryan Browne ran up the middle for 8 yards and Stephen Daley knocked the ball out and Devan Boykin recovered. Alberto Mendoza replaced his brother Fernando towards the end of the third quarter and threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Davion Chandler with 9:29 left in the fourth quarter. Purdue punted the ball away twice along with a turnover on downs and Indiana punted the ball away once and took a knee to end the game.
Fernando Mendoza was 8-15 for 117 yards and 2 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Mendoza has thrown 32 touchdown passes on the season adding the Hoosiers single season record for touchdown passes in season breaking Kurtis Rourke’s record of 29 touchdown passes in 2024. Fernando rushed 2 times for 27 yards and a touchdown. Roman Hemby ran 12 times for 156 yards and a touchdown and Kaleon Black had 13 carries for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Hoosiers racked up 355 rushing yards and held Purdue 44 yards which is the 10th time this season that Indiana has held a team under 100 yards rushing. Alberto Mendoza completed both his passes for 76 yards, and a touchdown pass along with two carries for 59 yards. The Hoosiers racked up 548 yards of offense while Purdue had 282 yards total offense. Ryan Browne was 25-47 for 238 yards Passing and an interception. Nitro Tuggle had 5 catches for 80 yards and Antonio Harris had 15 carries for 31 yards. Purdue did control the clock using up 29:46 and Indiana 25:51. The Hoosiers had 21 first downs to 16 for Purdue as the Boilermakers ran 70 plays and the Hoosiers ran 52.
Indiana continues its mission and Curt Cignetti said on the day he arrived in Bloomington stopping by the Big Ten Network Set during the Big Ten Championship Game in 2023 that he was going to be playing in this game next season. Well, it wasn’t the next season but two years later the dream is now reality as the Hoosiers continue to change the narrative of what Indiana University Football has become after many years of frustration. Now the Hoosiers move on to the Big Ten Championship Game and keep their hopes for a top four ranking in the College Football Playoff Alive but for now the Hoosiers make history with 12-0 regular season record and Old Oaken Bucket staying in Bloomington for another season.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball Holds Off Gonzaga to Advance to the Championship Game of the Coconut Hoops Tournament The Indiana Hoosiers Women’s Basketball Team is 7-0 after a 76-72 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs Friday Afternoon in the GIECO Coconut Hoops Tournament at Alico Arena in Fort Myers Florida. Indiana will play #10 Iowa State on Sunday for the Championship Game at 1:30 PM. Iowa State beat Marquette 84-73 in the other semifinal and Gonzaga 3-4 will face Marquette on Sunday Morning at 11 AM in the Third Place Game.
Five of the eight Hoosiers that played scored double digits as Shay Ciezki led the way with 24 points. Lenee Beaumont added 11 points along with 10 points apiece from Zania Socka- Nugemen, Neveah Caffey and Maya Makalusky. Valentyna Kadlecova scored 6 points, Phoenix Stojin scored 3 points, and Edessa Noyan scored 2 points as all eight Hoosiers scored. Indiana finished 28-58 from the field for 48%, 5-20 from three-point range for 25% and 15-19 from the free throw line for 79%. The Hoosiers pulled down 33 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and committed 11 turnovers.
Freshman Lauren Whittaker led the Bulldogs with 27 points and went 7-7 from the free throw line. Allie Turner added 21 points, and Jaiden Halle scored 10 points. The Bulldogs finished 26-66 from the field for 39%, 7-19 from three-point range for 37% and 13-16 from the free throw line for 81%. The Bulldogs pulled down 39 rebounds, dished out 18 assists, 7 steals, 3 blocks and committed 11 turnovers. Indiana led 19-18 after the first quarter as the Bulldogs outscored the Hoosiers 18-16 in the second quarter as the Bulldogs led 36-35 at halftime. Indiana outscored Gonzaga 22-16 in the third quarter as the Hoosiers led 57-51 going into the final period. Gonzaga outscored Indiana 21-19 in the fourth quarter. Indiana led 73-72 with 20 seconds left as Shay Ciezki scored on a layup with 17 seconds left and went to the foul line to complete the three-point play to seal the Hoosier victory.
Indiana is 3-0 in the State of Florida this season and 5-0 going back to the 2023-24 season when they beat Tennessee and Princeton in the Fort Meyers Tip Off. The Hoosiers will face their biggest test to date with Center Audi Crooks and the Iowa State Cyclones. Crooks is 6-3 and averages 25 points per game and will pose a huge matchup issue for an undersized Indiana squad. The Hoosiers have found ways to win and if the Hoosiers are able to beat the Cyclones on Sunday will be a huge boost for this young team who remains perfect after seven games.
#25 Indiana University Men’s Basketball looks to Improve to 7-0 Hosting Bethune-Cookman The #25 Indiana Hoosiers return to the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall floor at Noon when they host the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats with television coverage on the Big Ten Network. The Hoosiers are 6-0 and coming off an 86-69 win over Kansas State Tuesday Night at home. Kansas State was averaging 92.8 points per game, and the Hoosiers held the Wildcats to a season low 69 points and leading scorer P.J. Haggerty to 16 points which is 12 under his average of 28 points per game. Reed Bailey led the Hoosiers with 23 points and was 13-15 from the free throw line. Tayton Conerway added 16 points, Lamar Wilkerson scored 14 points and Trent Sisley added 12 points. Tucker DeVries scored 9 points, as Indiana showed that they have many scoring options to go to when their top scorer is having an off night. The Hoosiers jumped out to a 20-4 lead and Kansas State got within two points on two occasions in the first half as the Hoosiers led 39-27 at halftime and outscored the Wildcats 47-42 in the second half.
Tucker DeVries leads the Hoosiers with 17.2 points per game. Lamar Wilkerson is averaging 16.5 points along with a team leading 1.8 steals per game. Reed Bailey averages 12.3 points per game. Tayton Conerway averages 12.3 points along with a team leading 5.3 assists per game. Sam Alexis who is the Hoosiers sixth man averages 10 points along with a team leading 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. The Hoosiers are averaging 87.8 points and committing 10.2 turnovers per game. Indiana is shooting 49% from the field, 37% from three-point range and 75 % from the free throw line. The Hoosiers are averaging 19.8 assists per game for a total 119 and have committed 61 turnovers on the season. Conor Enright who is the fifth starter for the Hoosiers averages 4.3 points, 4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1 steal per game. Enright had the defensive assignment on P.J. Haggerty Tuesday Night and has been not only the Hoosiers floor general but a defensive stalwart for Darian DeVries and wanted the challenge of guarding Haggerty and passed the test.
Bethune-Cookman is 2-5 on the season with wins over Coastal Georgia 101-60 and at Ohio University 76-73. The Wildcats have played a tough schedule with road losses at Auburn 95-90, Miami 101-61 and Dayton 91-82. The Wildcats lost at home to Jacksonville 69-64 and Stony Brook 61-54. Jakobi Headdy leads the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game. Arterio Morris averages 14 points along with a team leading 3.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Quinten Headdy averages 12.4 points and 4 rebounds per game. Daniel Rouzan is averaging 11.7 points per game. Ariel Bland leads the team with 6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while averaging 3.7 points per game. The Wildcats average 75.4 points and commit 11.2 turnovers per game. Bethune Cookman is shooting 45% from the field, 34% from three-point range and 59% from the free throw line. The Wildcats have a 16-player roster that represents Florida, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Cameroon. The Wildcats have 9 Seniors, 4 Juniors and 2 Freshman.
This will be the second time that Bethune-Cookman has visited Bloomington after the Hoosiers blew out the Wildcats 101-49 on November 10, 2022. Wildcats Assistant Coach Billy Garrett returns to a place that means so much to him and his family. Billy is the son of Bill Garrett who played three years for Branch McCraken at IU and was the first African American to play in the Big Ten. Bill Garrett was the programs all-time leading scorer in 1951 and was drafted by the Boston Celtics and Harlem Globetrotters and was a Hall of Fame High School Coach Leading Indianapolis Crispus Attucks to 1959 State Championship become the first to win a State Championship as both a player and a coach winning the 1947 State Championship with Shelbyville as player and was named Indiana Mr. Basketball. Billy Garrett and his family were honored the last time the Wildcats visited Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in 2022. Garrett has been an assistant coach at Bethune-Cookman for five seasons under Head Coach and Former NBA Player Reggie Theus. Garrett played football at Illinois State and has his degree from the University of Indianapolis and has coached High School Basketball in Illinois and has been an assistant at Siena, Seton Hall, Iowa Texas A&M Corpus Christi and DePaul.
South Putnam Wins their First IHSAA Football State Championship Since 1986 South Putnam took down Pioneer, 55-29, in the 1A state championship. South Putnam won its second football state championship in school history and its first since 1986. A huge third quarter propelled the Eagles to victory, as they outscored Pioneer 20-0 in the third after being tied at halftime. Ty Benton led the way on the ground for South Putnam, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown. Drew Cline attempted just nine passes for the Eagles, but he completed eight of his nine attempts for 189 yards and two touchdowns. South Putnam had seven touchdowns by seven different players in the game. The win capped off a 13-2 season for South Putnam.
Cascade Wins their First IHSAA State Football Championship knocking off Fort Wayne Luers Cascade wrapped up a perfect season with their first-ever football state championship. The Cadets jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first quarter and didn’t look back, defeating Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 29-14 in the Class 3A title game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Senior quarterback Brady Trebley threw for a touchdown and ran for another, while Dayton Mink rushed for a pair of scores in the win. Terrance Epperson scored a pair of rushing touchdowns to account for all of the Knights’ scoring. Cascade opened the scoring just over two minutes into the game, driving 75 yards in seven plays before Mink ran in from two yards out for a 6-0 lead. After forcing a Luers punt, the Cadets went 57 yards in five plays, going up 13-0 on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Trebley to senior Delton Howrey.
The Cascade defense forced a three-and-out on the Knights’ next possession and Trebley’s 1-yard run put the Cadets on top 19-0 with 38 seconds left in the opening quarter. Epperson got Luers on the scoreboard 2 1/2 minutes into the second quarter with a 3-yard scoring run. Brogan Trump kicked a 21-yard field goal to give Cascade a 22-7 lead at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Epperson’s second touchdown of the game pulled Luers to within eight, but Mink’s second touchdown put the game away with 3:31 remaining. Michael Langley intercepted a Thomas Reichert pass near midfield to seal the state title for the Cadets, who finished the season 15-0. Trembley was named the school’s first IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner after the game.
Indiana Pacers beat the Washington Wizards in the Battle of the NBA’s Two Worst Teams Pascal Siakam had 24 points and 11 rebounds and the Indiana Pacers beat the Washington Wizards 119-86 on Friday night in an NBA Cup game between two of the league’s worst teams. Bennedict Mathurin added 20 points, and T.J. McConnell had 14 points and eight assists to help Indiana end a three-game losing streak and improve to 3-16. Washington dropped to 2-16 to replace the Pacers in last place. Injury-ravaged Indiana has plummeted without Tyrese Haliburton, the star guard who tore his right Achilles in the Pacers’ Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. Alex Sarr had 24 points and eight rebounds for Washington. The Wizards ended a 14-game losing streak Tuesday night with a 132-113 home victory over Atlanta in NBA Cup play. The Pacers host the Chicago Bulls this evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.