#13 Seed Indiana University Women’s Basketball Runs out of Gas in a Loss to #5 Seed Ohio State In the Big Ten Tournament After completing the largest comeback in program history yesterday the #13 Seed Indiana Hoosiers ran into the #5 Seed Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday in the second round of the Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Thursday as the Buckeyes took down the Hoosiers 83-59. Ohio State improves to 25-6 on the season and will take on #4 Seed Minnesota tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 PM in the Quarterfinals. Indiana is 18-14 and will have to decide whether to accept a postseason tournament bid. The Hoosiers started the Big Ten 0-10 and finished the regular season winning six of the last eight to get themselves into the Big Ten Tournament and guarantee a winning season for the 11th consecutive time. Indiana was down 20 points to #12 seed Nebraska in the first round and came back to win 82-79 to tie for the fourth largest comeback in a conference tournament game since 2013-14. Indiana played just six players against Nebraska and three played the entire game. Indiana had a quick turnaround and knew it was going to be a challenge against Ohio State team that did not have to play the day before.
Maya Makaluksy led Indiana with 21 points, Shay Ciezki scored 12 points and became the second Indiana Women’s Basketball player to score 700 points in a season Ciezki ended the game with 708 points this season and trails Tyra Buss who scored 763 points in the 2017-18 season. Ciezki scored 1,097 points in her two seasons in Bloomington after starting her career at Penn State. Neveah Caffey added 10 points and Edessa Noyan pulled down 11 rebounds and scored 6 points. The Junior from Sweden had double digit rebounds for the second straight game and the sixth time this season. Lenee Beaumont scored 6 points, Jerni Kiaku and Jade Ondineme scored 2 points apiece and Chloe Spreen played but did not score. Faith Wiseman and Phoenix Stotjin did not play for the Hoosiers.
Indiana was 19-57 from the field for 33%, 5-21 from three-point range for 23% and 16-19 from the free throw line for 89%. Indiana had 33 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, no blocks and 15 turnovers. The Hoosiers had 20 points in the paint, 10 second chance points, 8 points off turnovers, 5 fastbreak points and 4 bench points. Jaloni Cambridge led Ohio State with 19 points, Chance Gray scored 18 points, and Kennedy Cambridge added 14 points and Buckeyes got 13 rebounds from Elsa Lemmila along with 6 points for her eighth game with double digit rebounds and her fifth consecutive game as she is force on the glass for the Buckeyes. Ohio State finished 30-74 from the field for 40%, 10-25 from three-point range for 40% and 13-16 from the free throw line for 81%. Ohio State had 45 rebounds, 21 assists, 8 steals, 5 blocks and 8 turnovers. The Buckeyes scored 34 points in the paint, 21 points off turnovers, 21 second chance points, 22 bench points and 12 fastbreak points.
Indiana jumped out to 12-6 lead with 3:02 left in the first quarter as the Buckeyes used a 6-0 run to tie the game 12-12 at the end of the first quarter. Shay Ciezki opened the second quarter 57 seconds in to give the Hoosiers a 14-12 lead. Ohio State tied the game 14-14 with Jaloni Cambridge free throws with 8:09 left before the break. Chance Gray hit a three to give the Buckeyes a 17-14 lead with 7:36 left as Buckeyes never trailed the rest of the way. Ohio State led 36-24 at halftime with 19-10 run after the Buckeyes took a three-point lead.
Ohio State outscored Indiana 25-16 as the Buckeyes led 61-40 at the end of the third quarter and the Buckeyes outscored 22-19 in the fourth quarter and 47-34 in the second half. The Hoosiers battled foul trouble throughout the game as Lenee Beaumont picked her third foul with 4:36 left in the second quarter and Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren “Needed our best payers on the Floor” and brought her back in the game and with 2:40 left before halftime she picked up her fourth foul. Neveah Caffey picked up her third foul 317 left in the second quarter. Edessa Noyan picked up her fourth foul with 7:58 left in the fourth quarter but no Hoosiers fouled out.
Ohio State will prepare for Minnesota in the Quarterfinals while Indiana heads back to Bloomington with a lot of decisions to be made including postseason bids, who returns and who leaves and how many players will have to be recruited out of the transfer portal. It’s a new era of College Basketball where if you don’t make the NCAA Tournament do want to play in another tournament and if decide to end the season then you get ready for a very busy offseason putting your next team together that could look completely different from year to year and that makes every offseason uncertain in this new era of College Basketball.
Former Notre Dame Head Football Coach Lou Holtz Passes Away at Age 89 Lou Holtz, a legendary football coach who helped University of Notre Dame win the 1988 National Championship and coached at six colleges and universities, has died. He was 89. The University of Notre Dame confirmed his death Wednesday in a news release, and the Holtz family issued a statement on X. The family said the Hall of Famer football coach died in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by loved ones. Spokeswoman Katy Lonergan said a cause of death was not provided by the family. Funeral arrangements will be announced soon, according to the statement. “Holtz is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others,” the statement reads. “His influence extended far beyond the football field through the Holtz Charitable Foundation and the many players, colleagues, and communities shaped by his leadership.” His son Skip also shared a statement on X on Wednesday. “My father passed away today resting peacefully at home. I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers over the last couple months! He was successful, but more important he was Significant,” he said on X. The news of the legendary coach’s death comes months after Holtz reportedly entered hospice care.
The 89-year-old coach held the reigns of the Fighting Irish football team from 1986 until 1996, recording 100 wins — the third most in school history. Holtz initially retired from coaching following the 1996 season, but he put the headset back on in 1999 to take over head coaching duties at South Carolina. Holtz retired for the second and final time following the 2004 season. The diminutive coach captivated fans with his occasionally fiery sideline demeanor, his self-deprecating wit and folksy phrases all while demanding excellence, on and off the field, from his much larger players.
After retiring from coaching, Holtz worked in television, including more than a decade with ESPN. As a college football head coach, Holtz won 12 bowl games during his tenure from 1969 to 2004. He won the 1972 Peach Bowl and 1973 Liberty Bowl as head coach at North Carolina. While serving as head coach for Arkansas between 1977 and 1983, Holtz’s teams won the 1977 Orange Bowl, 1980 Hall of Fame Classic and 1982 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2020, Holtz was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Holtz is survived by his four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Indiana University Wrestler Tyler Lillard Wins the National Jackie Robinson Community and Impact Award Indiana Wrestling redshirt junior Tyler Lillard was announced as the national male honoree for the 2026 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award presented by Discover on Tuesday afternoon. Lillard was presented with the award by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten and Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. The reveal took place before Tuesday’s practice while surrounded by teammates and coaches. “Tyler Lillard has been a tremendous representative of our IU Wrestling program and our department throughout his time on campus,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. “He has made a tremendous impact on our wrestling program with his skills on the mat. But his biggest impact on those he’s around has come thanks to his leadership abilities and his selfless character, which make him a most deserving winner of this prestigious honor. Tyler is an inspiration to his teammates, our department, and our university community. We couldn’t be more proud to see him recognized for the incredible human being he is. He represents the very best of IU Athletics.” Lillard was chosen as the national recipient from a pool of 18 institutional winners around the Big Ten. His institutional award was announced by the conference in November. The national female winner will be announced later this spring from a group of women’s honorees representing all 18 Big Ten institutions.
As a child, Tyler was diagnosed with epilepsy and, at the age of nine, doctors discovered a brain tumor on his optic nerve that would dramatically reduce his vision. Throughout a decorated high school wrestling career in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, Lillard was subjected to racial harassment as one of the few competitors of color.
As an Indiana student-athlete, Lillard has transformed his own adversity into opportunities and support for others. Along with his mother, Tina, who surprised him during Tuesday’s award presentation in Bloomington, he created the Team Tyler Epilepsy Foundation to aid families with children in the hospital. He is active in mentoring young wrestlers, as well as with organizations such as Read Across America and Recess Buddies. Lillard, a redshirt junior, is a two-time NCAA Qualifier and is currently ranked No. 16 in the country at 165 lbs. He will be the No. 9 seed at 165 lbs. in the Big Ten Championships this weekend hosted by Penn State.
Now in its second year, the Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award was established in 2025 to recognize student-athletes at Big Ten institutions who strive to have a positive impact not only in their chosen sport, but also within their community. Jackie Robinson was a standout student-athlete at UCLA, where he was the school’s first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Beyond his athletic prowess, he continues to be recognized and honored for his contributions off the field: integrating Major League Baseball and his lifelong commitment to social justice. “It is a great honor to present this award in Jackie Robinson’s name to these extraordinary Big Ten student-athletes,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti, “and to express our sincere appreciation for the ongoing support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.”
Honorees were selected based on the following criteria: Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement. Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact. Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time. Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.
As part of the program, presenting sponsor Discover delivered custom letterman jackets to all 36 institutional winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award. Each university’s male and female honoree will receive a customized, one-of-one gift featuring unique school elements and visuals. The first two custom jackets were presented in December at the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game to 2025 national winners Dillon Fontus, from Maryland football, and Iowa wrestler Nanea Estrella. In recognition of their achievement and as an expression of the conference’s appreciation, each of the 36 campus winners also receive a medal bearing the likeness of Jackie Robinson and the logo of the Big Ten Conference in addition to their custom jacket.
The Big Ten Conference’s commitment to athletics, academics and service goes back to the conference’s founding. Coupling the academic goals set forth by leaders of the charter members of the conference with their steadfast commitment to athletics, the conference instituted the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1915, the first award to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on intercollegiate athletics. It is awarded annually by each member institution to one male and one female student of the graduating class who has attained the greatest proficiency in scholarship and athletics.
Nine Indiana Women’s Swimmers and All Five Relays Qualify for NCAA Championships No. 6-ranked Indiana swimming and diving will send nine swimmers and all five relays to the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships following the NCAA’s announcement of selections to the national meet on Wednesday. The four-day meet will run March 18-21 inside the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Indiana can secure additional qualifiers via the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, March 9-11 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. IU will have a representative in 16 of the 19 swimming events as well as multiple swimmers in eight of the 14 individual events. Three Hoosiers are qualified in each of the following events: the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstroke.
Including relays, Hoosiers own 12 top 10 seeds and seven top 5 seeds in their events. Freshman Alex Shackell is the No. 3 seed in both the 100-yard butterfly (49.95) and 200-yard butterfly (1:50.71) after medaling and setting the program record in both events at the Big Ten Championships. Classmate Liberty Clark is also projected to have a strong NCAA debut as the No. 3 seed in the 200-yard freestyle (1:40.84), No. 5 seed in the 100 free (46.22) and No. 9 seed in the 50 free (21.47). Clark is the program record holder in the 50 and 100 and gets closer to the 200-school record with every swim. Grace Hoeper is the third freshman on the NCAA roster and will compete in the same events as Clark.
Junior Miranda Grana ranks No. 4 in the 200-yard backstroke (1:49.06), No. 5 in the 100-yard butterfly (49.98) and No. 6 in the 100-yard backstroke (49.89). Last season, Grana finished third in the 100 back, fourth in the 100 fly and ninth in the 200 back. This season, she has already gone faster in the 100 fly and 100 back than her NCAA times last March. Four of Indiana’s relays project to reach the podium (top eight). IU’s Big Ten record-breaking 400-yard freestyle relay ranks No. 3 nationally after the quartet of Shackell, Clark, senior Kristina Paegle and Hoeper won the conference title in 3:07.72.
INDIANA WOMEN’S SWIMMING QUALIFIERS- 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships
Liberty Clark – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle
Mya DeWitt – 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke
Miranda Grana – 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 100 butterfly
Macky Hodges – 200 backstroke, 200 IM, 400 IM
Grace Hoeper – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle
Jonette Laegreid – Relay alternate
Kristina Paegle – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Alex Shackell – 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly
Reese Tiltmann – 200 breaststroke, 200 IM, 400 IM
200 freestyle relay
400 freestyle relay
800 freestyle relay
200 medley relay
400 freestyle relay
#11 Seed Oregon Knocks off #6 Seed Maryland in the Second Round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament The #11 Seed Oregon Ducks took down #6 Seed Maryland Terrapins 73-68 in the second round of the Allstate Big Ten Tournament Thursday Night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Oregon improves to 22-11 and will face #3 seed Michigan 24-5 in the Quarterfinals tomorrow night at 9 PM. Maryland is 23-8 and will await their NCAA Tournament fate on March 15 at 8 PM when the NCAA Tournament field of 68 is announced on ESPN. Ehis Etute had her second straight double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Katie Fiso scored 14 points and Avary Cain added 13 points off the bench for the Ducks. Oregon was 26-41 from the field for 44%, 6-16 for 37% from three-point range and 15-19 from the free throw line for 79%. Oregon had 27 rebounds, 17 assists, 8 steals, 5 blocks and 15 turnovers. The Ducks scored 32 points in the paint, 17 bench points, 14 fastbreak points, 14 points off turnovers and 7 second chance points.
Oluchi Okananwka led Maryland with 27 points going 10-18 from the field, 0-2 from three-point range and 7-8 from the free throw line. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu added 10 points. Yarden Garzon struggled by scoring just 3 points, going 1-11 from the field and 1-9 from three-point range with 6 assists, 4 rebounds and a block. Maryland finished 26-60 from the field for 43%, 1-15 from three-point range for 6% and 15-17 from the free throw line for 88%. Maryland had 35 rebounds, 14 assists, 10 steals, 2 blocks and 17 turnovers. Maryland scored 48 points in the paint, 21 bench points, 13 points off turnovers, 13 fastbreak points and 10 second chance points. This was back and forth game as there were 10 ties and 11 lead changes as Maryland led 21-15 at the end of the first quarter. Oregon responded with a 16-11 second quarter run as Maryland led 32-31 at halftime. The score picked up in the third quarter as Maryland outscored Oregon 25-21 in the third quarter as Maryland led 57-52 going into the fourth quarter. Oregon outscored Maryland 21-11 in the fourth quarter. The Ducks get ready for their third game in three days against Michigan and Maryland heads back to College Park to get ready for the NCAA Tournament.
#10 Seed Illinois knocks off #7 Michigan State in the Second Round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament The #10 Seed Illinois Fighting Illini knocked off the #7 Seed Michigan State Spartans 71-69 in the Second Round of the Allstate Big Ten Tournament Thursday Night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Illinois is 21-10 and will face #2 Seed Iowa 24-5 tomorrow night in the Quarterfinals. Michigan State is 22-8 and will wait for their NCAA Tournament fate on March 15th at 8 PM on ESPN when the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament field of 68 is announced. Five Fighting Ilini scored in double figures led by Cearah Parchment with 15 points, Destiny Jackson added 14 points, Maddie Webber scored 13 points off the bench, Jasmine Brown-Hagger scored 12 points, and Barry Wallace added 10 points. Illinois went 25-49 from the field for 51%, 6-14 from three-point range for 43% and 15-19 from free throw line for 79%. The Fighting Illini scored 34 bench points, 15 points off turnovers,
Kennedy Blair led Michigan State with a career high 30 points as the Sophomore from Dearborn, Michigan went 11-18 from the field, 1-2 from three-point range and 7-9 from the free throw line along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Grace VanSlooten added 13 points, and Jayln Brown scored 12 points. The Spartans went 26-61 from the field for 42%, 3-12 from three-point range for 25% and 14-17 from the free throw line for 82%. Michigan State pulled down 33 rebounds, 12 assists, 9 steals, 4 blocks and 14 turnovers. The Spartans scored 42 points in the paint, 13 points off turnovers, 10 second chance points, 6 fastbreak points and 2 bench points. Michigan State led 6-0 to start the game as there were 5 lead changes and 3 ties. Illinois led 20-17 after the first quarter and outscored the Spartans 16-12 in the second quarter to lead 36-29 at halftime. Michigan State outscored Illinois 40-35 in the second half. Michigan State outscored Illinois 19-17 in the third quarter as Fighting Illini led 53-48 going to the fourth quarter. The Spartans outscored the Fighting Illini 21-18 in the fourth quarter as Illinois ended the game by hitting 4 of their last 5 from the field. Illinois led from the 4:41 mark of third quarter when the game was tied 42-42 until the end of the game. Illinois will face Iowa as Alliyah Guyton who scored six points for Illinois will face her former team that she played for a year ago. Michigan State will be in the NCAA Tournament but now they have a long week and half ahead waiting to see who and where they will play in the Big Dance.
Washington’s Avery Howell Falls One Rebound Short of a Double-Double Against USC in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament #8 Seed Washington Huskies take down #9 Seed USC Trojans 76-64 to start the second round of the Allstate Big Ten Tournament Thursday Afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Washington is 21-9 and face Top Seed UCLA 28-1 in the first quarterfinal at Noon tomorrow. USC is 17-13 and will await a postseason tournament bid. Elle Ladine scored 25 points as four Huskies scored in double figures. Avery Howell who transferred from USC scored 18 points and 9 rebounds against her former team. Hannah Stines added 12 points, and Brynn McGaughy added 10 points along with 10 rebounds from Yulia Grabovskaia. Washington was 29-58 from the field for 50%, 6-20 from three-point range for 30% and 12-17 from the free throw line for 70%. The Huskies had 44 rebounds, 16 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 18 turnovers. Washington scored 40 points in the paint, 10 second chance points, 9 points off turnovers, 7 bench points and 5 fastbreak points.
Londynn Jones scored 19 points to lead USC in scoring with Kennedy Smith adding 14 points. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson scored 8 points and Laura Wiliams pulled down 13 rebounds and scored 9 points. USC was 18-58 from the field for 31%, 8-30 from three-point range for 26% and 20-29 from the free throw line for 69%. USC had 27 rebounds, 13 assists, 7 steals, 3 blocks and 9 turnovers. USC scored 19 second chance points, 14 points in the paint, 14 points off turnovers, 8 bench points and 6 fastbreak points. Washington jumped out a 4-0 lead with former USC Player Avery Howell scoring the first basket of the game a minute and three seconds into the game. The Trojans answered with a 6-0 run as a bucket by Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson that was waived off due to a shot clock violation. Washington scored the next three points to end the first quarter, leading 8-6 and a rough start for both teams as there were four video reviews in the first quarter including at the end of the quarter when Davidson’s bucket was taken away that would have tied the game to 8-8 after ten minutes of action. There were 2 ties and 2 lead changes.
Washington used a 6-0 run to lead 16-10 with 5:32 left in the second quarter. The Huskies came out of the timeout with an Avery Howell triple to make it a nine-point lead at 19-10 as the Trojans were held scoreless for three minutes and two seconds until Jazzy Davidson made two of her three free throws to make it 19-12 with 4:54 left before halftime. After hitting to free throws to make 21-12 Elle Ladine hit a triple to make 24-12 and the Trojans broke their three-point shooting slump with a Kara Dunn triple as USC started the game 0-7 from beyond the arc as Trojans trailed 24-15 with 3:32 to go. Washington outscored USC 8-5 for the remaining 3:32 of the second quarter as Elle Ladine scored on a catch and shot to beat the buzzer and the Huskies outscored the Trojans 24-14 in the second period to lead 32-20 at halftime as Huskies made their last seven shots from the field and the Trojans made one of their last seven going into the break.
Elle Ladine and Avery Howell combined for 23 of the Huskies 32 first half points as Ladine scored 13 and Howell scored 10. Washington went 13-31 from the field for 42%, 2-12 from three-point range for 16% and 4-7 from the free throw line for 57%. The Huskies had 26 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, no blocks and 11 turnovers. Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith had 5 points each as the Trojans struggled in the first half going 6-24 from the field, 2-10 from three point for 20% and 6-9 for 66% from the free throw line. USC had 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and 7 turnovers. In the third quarter Washington pulled away as the Huskies outscored the Trojans 24-16 in the third quarter to lead 56-36 going to the fourth quarter. USC battled back in the fourth quarter outscoring the Huskies 26-20 in the fourth quarter but the deficit at the end of the third quarter was too much and Trojans did not hit a field goal for the last 2:27 of the game as the Huskies advanced to face UCLA and Trojans head back to Los Angeles to await their postseason fate.