Indiana’s Big Run Breaks Northwestern as Indiana Gets Their First Big Ten Win of the Season The Indiana Hoosiers scored 30 first quarter points and used a 30-0 run to beat the Northwestern Wildcats 89-75 Sunday Afternoon in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers led 30-3 at the end of the first quarter which is the most points the Hoosiers have scored in the opening quarter this season. Indiana led 55-26 at halftime as they scored more points in first half than they did in loss to Minnesota when they scored 48 for the entire game. The Hoosiers scored in the fifties three times for an entire 40-minute game this season when they scored 53 against Iowa and 57 against Marshall and Illinois. Indiana is 12-11 overall and snaps a nine-game losing streak as they are 1-10 in the Big Ten as the Hoosiers keep their Big Ten Tournament hopes alive now sitting one game behind Northwestern for the 15th and final spot in next month’s Big Ten Tournament and the head-to-head tiebreaker in their favor. Indiana will travel to Wisconsin on Wednesday Night at 7:30 PM. Northwestern is 8-14 overall and 2-9 in the Big Ten and return home on Thursday when they host USC at 9 PM.
Shay Ciezki scored 33 points to lead Indiana to get her sixth 30-point game of the season. Lenee Beaumont added 24 points and Maya Makalusky scored 21 points as they combined for 78 of the 89 points. Neveah Caffey added 7 points. Edessa Noyan added 3 points, Faith Wiseman added 1 point and Jerni Kiaku played but did not score. Indiana finished 33-57 from the field for 58%, 10-22 from the field for 45% and 13-16 from the free throw line for 81%. Indiana had 37 rebounds, dished 17 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 14 turnovers. Indiana scored 44 points in the paint, 20 fastbreak points and 11 points off turnovers. Grace Sullivan led Northwestern with 35 points and Caroline Lau added 10 points. Sullivan was 15-28 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. Casey Harter added 9 points, Xamiya Walton scored 8 points, Dajia Turner scored 7 points, Tayla Thomas and Amparo Lopez scored 3 points each. Northwestern finished 30-71 from the field for 42%, 5-16 from three-point range for 31% and 10-12 from the free throw line for 83%. The Wildcats had 28 rebounds, dished out 17 assists, 6 steals, 1 block and 9 turnovers. Northwestern scored 38 points in the paint, 11 fastbreak points and 11 points off turnovers.
Edessa Noyan hit two free throws 39 seconds into the game as Tayla Thomas scored and completed the three-point play 15 seconds later as Northwestern led 3-2 with 9:06 left in the opening quarter. The Hoosiers finished the quarter, scoring the next 28 points and holding the Wildcats scoreless as the Hoosiers were driving the basket hitting 13 of 16 from the field and 2-2 from beyond the arc and 2-2 from the free throw line. Northwestern was 1-17 from the field missing 15 in a row and going 0-4 from beyond the arc and making their only free throw attempt of the quarter. Maya Makalusky scored 44 seconds into the second quarter to increase Indiana’s lead to 32-3 as Casey Harter hit a three pointer at the 8:39 mark in the second quarter to break a scoring drought of ten minutes and forty-seven seconds. The Hoosiers outscored the Wildcats 25-23 in the second quarter as Indiana led 55-26 at halftime. Shay Ciezki led the Hoosiers with 17 Points, Maya Makalusky added 16 points, and Lenee Beaumont scored 15 points as they combined for 48 of the Hoosiers 55 first half points. Grace Sullivan scored 17 of the 23 Northwestern second quarter points.
The Hoosiers were 20-33 from the field for 60%, 6-13 from three-point range for 42% and 9-12 from the free throw line for 75%. Indiana pulled down 25 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Blocks and 4 Turnovers in the first half. The Wildcats were 11-36 from the field 30%, 1-8 from three-point range for 12% and 3-4 from the free throw line for 75%. Northwestern pulled down 13 Rebounds, 8 Assists ,0 Steals, 0 Blocks and 6 Turnovers. It was a first half performance that we have not seen from this Hoosier Team all season. This was the most first half points the Hoosiers have scored all season and seventh time they have scored forty or more points in the first half of game this season Hoosiers scored 43 vs Lipscomb 44 vs Butler, 43 vs Iowa State in Fort Myers, Florida 42 vs UL Monroe, 42 at Ohio State and 40 Western Carolina. Northwestern outscored Indiana 26-20 in the third quarter as the Hoosiers led 75-52 going into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats chipped away at the lead cutting it to ten points 77-67 with 4:51 left in the game as part of 12-0 run as the Wildcats outscored the Hoosiers 17-2 up that point in the fourth quarter and held the Hoosiers scoreless for five minutes. Indiana closed out with a 14-8 run to extend their win streak against Northwestern to seven games and leads the all-time series 29-17 overall and 18-5 in Bloomington as the Wildcats last win against Indiana came on January 18, 2020, 71-68 overtime in Bloomington.
Indiana outscored Northwestern in the Paint and Head Coach Teri Moren Said after the game that “Their aggressiveness especially Lenee Beaumont and the first quarter run getting downhill and getting to rim was a great start.” The Hoosiers responded after their worst loss of the season against Michigan and Lenee Beaumont said after Thursday night’s game “Were Desperate” to get their first Big Ten Win of the Season and Indiana played like that and Coach Moren said that when Lenee Beaumont plays more aggressive the team plays better and Coach Moren praise Beaumont and said “She sets the table for us.”
Before the game Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren gave Northwestern Head Coach Joe McKeown a gift as an acknowledgement of his retirement at the end of the season. McKeown is in his 18th and season at Northwestern and 40th overall with a record of 785-446 and was asked after the game about his impact on her and impact in the Women’s game. “Joe is Not only a colleague and good friend and he is a great coach and has had a lot of success” and gave a quick story about when they attend Big Ten Coaching Meetings in California that she in charge of him because he is not in seat and she has to text him to find out where is he is at and he responds with “Oh are we meeting again” Moren said. He just had a grandchild, so he is going to be able to relax and enjoy his new grandbaby once the season ends. For Indiana they get a Conference win and with 7 games left and just 1 game behind for that 15th and final spot for the Big Ten Tournament Coach Moren wants the Hoosiers to play Hungry and Desperate like they did against Northwestern that keep the hopes alive for the Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in March.
Indiana University Football Lands Michigan City HS Offensive Lineman Jeremiah Jones for 2027 On Saturday evening, the Hoosiers received a commitment from Jeremiah Jones, an Indiana native hailing from Michigan City. During his time at Michigan City high school, Jones has played on both sides of the ball along the line. At the collegiate level, he projects as an Offensive Tackle. The football standout also plays Basketball for the Wolves. Jones made his commitment during his Junior Day visit, making him the Hoosiers’ fifth commitment in the class of 2027. He appears as an under-the-radar prospect, but his size makes him an intriguing piece that could make a significant impact at the Big Ten level. According to 247 Sports, he committed to the in-state Hoosiers over the likes of Western Michigan, Toledo, and Miami (OH). Jones is the first offensive line commitment for the Hoosiers and offensive line coach, Bob Bostad, in the class of 2027.
Indiana University Hoosiers Track and Field Close Weekend with Three School Records Indiana track and field closed the weekend from the Meyo Invitational on Saturday inside the Loftus Sports Center with multiple personal best and three consecutive school records. “I was really pleased with the way we competed this weekend,” said associate head coach Eric Heins. “Year in and year out [the Meyo Invitational] provides some of the toughest competition we will see. It is great preparation for the championship portion of our season just around the corner. “Obviously the highlights are the school records, but we had a number of people compete really well in their respective races and gain some confidence and momentum.”
In South Bend, the day opened with the men’s and women’s 3,000 open races. Sam Quagliaroli (8:18.45), Cole Raymond (8:25.51), and Liam Bauschke (8:26.40) all finished in the top 15 of the men’s race, while Jessica Hegedus (9:51.27) ran a personal best time to finish ninth in the women’s run. D’Angelo Brown and Nola Somers Glenn had strong performances in the open 800-meter races. Brown ran a personal best time (1:51.83) to finish third overall. Somers Glenn earned a fourth-place finish with her time of 2:08.92. In the women’s pole vault, Kailen Kramer (3.98m) and Isabel German (3.83m; season best) placed second and third, respectively. In the open mile competition, Michaela Quinn (4:42.32) and Catie McCabe (4:45.27) saw personal best marks to finish third and fourth, respectively.
The Hoosiers found their stride in the championship competitions, recording three consecutive school records. Veronica Hargrave started the streak with her performance in the 800. She ran an indoor record time of 2:04.05, passing Molly Beckwith for the school record. Camden Marshall continues his senior year when he took first place in the men’s 800 championship race with a time of 1:45.99. Marshall is now the indoor and outdoor 800-meter school record holder. Lily Myers completed the trio with her time in the women’s mile championship. She ran a 4:34.88 to pass Bailey Hertenstein for the indoor all-time record. Tony Provenzano closed the day with a new lifetime best in the 3,000-meter championship of 8:04.55. The Hoosiers will head back to Bloomington, Ind. before heading to Chicago, Ill. for the Windy City Classic on February sixth and seventh.
Indiana University Women’s Tennis Improves to 4-0 with wins over Cincinnati and Eastern Kentucky The Indiana women’s tennis team (4-0) took both matches during its doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, clinching the 4-1 decision against Cincinnati and sweeping Eastern Kentucky, 4-0, continuing its undefeated home stand. Williams (6-2,6-4) and N.Teodosescu (6-4,6-2) clinched No.5 and No.4 singles, respectively, to help Indiana finish with a 4-1 win over Cincinnati. Senior Nicole Teodosescu and Chase Boyer clinched No.3 doubles (6-1) to give IU the one-point edge over UC going into doubles play. Freshman Alessandra Teodosescu and freshman Hi’ilani Williams also secured their No. 1 doubles match (6-1) to contribute to the effort. Alessandra Teodosescu fought for No.2 singles in three sets, dropping the first 1-6 but making a comeback (6-3,6-2) to add to the score.
The Hoosiers continued their momentum in doubles play, not allowing Eastern Kentucky to take a set. Two doubles pairs, A.Teodosescu/ Williams and N.Teodosescu/ junior Chase Boyer both clinched their respective matches 6-2, helping Indiana secure the doubles point. Williams clinched her match against Olcer (6-0,6-1) to go undefeated on the day, while allowing her opponent to take just one set to give the Hoosiers their first singles point, putting 2-0 on the board. Freshman Ameia Sorey was victorious against Parkhomenko (6-3,6-2) to help keep Indiana on the board and move the score to 3-0. After the first two singles points, A. Teodosescu found herself in a tight second set against Fedenko of EKU. She secured the first set to give her the advantage, but the match got abandoned at 6-all when Indiana took the last point it needed to win the contest (4-0), courtesy of Sorey, who defeated her opponent in two sets, 6-3,6-2. Indiana women’s tennis will stay home as they face West Virginia on Friday, Feb. 6 and Virginia Tech on Sunday, Feb.8.
Indy Ignite Sweeps the Dallas Pulse to Extend their Winning Streak to Four Games The Indy Ignite swept the Dallas Pulse in Saturday night’s home game! The Ignite moved to 5-1 this season with the 25-14, 25-14, 29-27 win, ending Dallas’ four-match win streak. The Pulse now stand at 4-2. The Ignite had a varied offensive attack that saw four players score in double digits, a defense that totaled 51 digs and kept numerous rallies alive and a service attack that yielded seven aces. “We played a great game,” head coach Lauren Bertolacci said. “Very happy with the overall performance. I think our defense was phenomenal again. We were able to transition into some pretty good situations and, yeah, it was a dominant game for us, bar maybe seven minutes.”
The Ignite’s defense was led by outside hitter Kayla Lund’s 15 digs, 12 from libero Elena Scott and seven by setter Mia Tuaniga. “This league is so tough and so tight all the time, so we’re expecting sets like 29-27 every game,” Bertolacci said. “We even knew we went into the locker room (after the second set). We said, ‘OK, 2-0 is not a game. There’s no way that they’re not going to come back out and fight again and claw back. They are a top team for a reason and we need to be ready for their best at any moment.’ “Even with that stress of them clawing back a lead, we stayed strong in the money time and we were able to get the win,” Bertolacci added. The Ignite’s next game is Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. ET when they play against Grand Rapids at home. The game will stream live on WTHR+.
11 more Indy Ignite matches are streaming on WTHR+! Here’s the full schedule: Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.: Grand Rapids at Indy Monday, Feb. 9 at 10 p.m.: Indy at San Diego Sunday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m.: San Diego at Indy Thursday, Feb: 19 at 8 p.m.: Indy at Dallas Saturday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.: Indy at Atlanta Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.: Indy at Columbus Sunday, March 8 at 6 p.m.: Grand Rapids at Indy Saturday, April 4 at TBA: Indy at Omaha Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m.: Indy at Grand Rapids Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m.: Columbus at Indy Sunday, May 3 at 3 p.m.: San Diego at Indy
The Indiana Pacers overcome Jalen Johnson’s Triple Double to beat the Atlanta Hawks Andrew Nembhard scored 26 points, Pascal Siakam added 25 and the Indiana Pacers held off the Atlanta Hawks 129-124 on Saturday night. Indiana nursed a single-digit lead for much of the third quarter and led 103-100 entering the fourth. It was tight the rest of the way before Siakam hit a crucial 12-foot jumper with 18.6 seconds remaining to push the Pacers ahead 127-123. Aaron Nesmith added 23 points; Nembhard had 10 assists and Siakam shot 11 of 15 from the field. The Pacers won despite 23 turnovers.
Atlanta dropped its second straight game despite Jalen Johnson’s eighth triple-double of the season. The forward finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 21 points. The Pacers have won seven of their past 12 games, enjoying a solid stretch of basketball after starting the season with a 6-31 record. Indiana has played all year without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season. Indiana jumped to an 80-73 lead by halftime, spurred by a 45-point second quarter. Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points before the break while Nembhard also had 21 for the Pacers. It was Indiana’s highest scoring half of the season. The Pacers shot 58% from the field, including 11 of 20 (55%) 3-pointers. Indiana hosts the Houston Rockets tonight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7 PM.
Indy Fuel Hockey defeats the Iowa Heartlanders in a Shootout Victory The Indy Fuel visited the Iowa Heartlanders on Saturday night in Coralville, Iowa after a rare Friday night off. This was the first of two games against Iowa this weekend. After forcing overtime tied at 2-2, Indy killed off two penalties to win 3-2 in a shootout. In the first period Brett Moravec opened the scoring at 10:06 to put the Fuel on the board first. Lee Lapid and Matt Petgrave earned the assists. At 16:48, Iowa’s Alexander Stensson took the game’s first penalty for holding. This put the Fuel on the power play; however, they did not score. Indy outshot the Heartlanders, 12-11 in the first period which ended with some feistiness between both teams.
Just 29 seconds into the second frame, Thomas scored for Iowa to tie the game at 1-1. Christian Berger took Indy’s first penalty at 12:34. He was called for hooking. Indy was able to kill it off before going on the power play themselves at 17:40 when Rasmus Kumpulainen was called for holding. That penalty was killed off as well and the period ended soon after, with Indy outshooting Iowa 13-6 in the frame. In the third period at 2:10, Sahil Panwar took a slashing penalty which put the Heartlanders back on the power play early in the third period. Iowa’s Matthew Sop scored on the power play to give the Heartlanders their first lead of the game. Indy tied it up again less than three minutes later with a goal from Eric Martin. This made it 2-2. At 11:17, Will Ennis was called for delay of game, putting the Fuel back on the penalty kill. They successfully killed it off. Iowa’s Elliot Desnoyers earned a penalty shot at 15:56 but Indy’s Mitchell Weeks was able to stop it, keeping the score 2-2. Keltie Jeri-Leon was called for slashing at 17:11, giving Indy an important late power play. That one was killed off as well before the game headed to overtime, tied 2-2.
Less than a minute into the overtime period, the Fuel’s Jesse Tucker headed to the penalty box for boarding, putting the Heartlanders on a 4-on-3 power play. The Fuel were able to kill that penalty off before taking another at 5:20. They would spend the remainder of the overtime period, killing off the bench minor for too many men on the ice. After time expired, the game headed to a shootout. In three rounds, the only goalscorer was Eric Martin for the Fuel. This secured the Fuel’s victory over the Heartlanders after they outshot them, 35-25. These two teams will meet again at 4 PM in Iowa.