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Indiana Men’s Basketball Hosts Eastern Michigan in Season Opener
The Mike Woodson Era kicks off this evening when Indiana Hosts Eastern Michigan inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall tonight at 6 PM and the game can be seen on the Big Ten Network. Woodson who played for the Hoosiers from 1976-1980 and is the 5th all-time leading scorer in school history with 2,061 points. Woodson returns to Bloomington as the first-year head coach replacing Archie Miller who was let go in March. Woodson is the first Hoosier graduate to lead his alma mater at the start of the season since Lou Watson in 1965. Dan Dakich served as interim coach at the end of the 2008 season.
IU opens its 122nd season of Men’s Basketball and has won 21 of the last 22 season openers with the only loss coming at home to Indiana State 90-69 in 2017 which was former head coach Archie Miller’s debut.
Eastern Michigan is in the Mid-American Conference and 1987 graduate Stan Heath returns to his alma mater in his first season. Heath has coached at Kent State, Arkansas and South Florida. Heath was the coach at Kent State in 2002 when Indiana beat them in Elite 8 81-69 in Lexington Kentucky. Indiana assistant coach Dane Fife played for the Hoosiers in that game and Indiana lost to Maryland in the National Championship Game which was the last time Indiana got to the Final Four. This the first meeting between the two schools since November 24, 2017 when Indiana won 84-64 in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are 4-0 all time against the Eagles.
Indiana is 74-12 all-time against the Mid-American Conference and will welcome in fellow MAC opponent Northern Illinois on Friday. The Hoosiers are looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 when they lost to North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
Indiana Men’s Soccer Beats Rutgers in Big Ten Quarterfinals
3 Seed Indiana beat 6 Seed Rutgers 1-0 in the Big Ten Men’s Soccer Quarterfinals Sunday afternoon on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium before 1,200 fans. The Hoosiers scored the only goal of the game at the 26:53 mark when Samuel Sarver found the net for his 7th goal of the season with Daniel Munie and Hebert Endeley getting the assist. Sarver is the team’s leader with 18 points and has 4 assists on the season and is one point ahead of Victor Bazerra who has 6 goals and 5 assists for 17 points.
The Hoosiers were outshot 8-5 and 3-2 in shots on goal. 2 Time Big Ten Goalkeeper Roman Celentano had 3 saves and his 9th shutout of the season along with 2 combined shutouts with Bryant Pratt against Trine and VCU. Rutgers had 1 save 5 corner kicks and 14 fouls. The Scarlet Knights are 9-6-2 and 3-5 in the Big Ten. Indiana had 4 corner kicks and 11 fouls. The Hoosiers are 13-4-1 and 5-3 in the Big Ten and move on to Wednesday’s semifinal matchup at 2 PM on the Big Ten Network with 7th seed Northwestern who upset 2nd seed Maryland 3-2 on penalties after 0-0 draw. The Game will be played on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The winner will face either 4 Seed Michigan or Top Seed Penn State in the Championship game Sunday at Noon.
Edgewood Faces Bloomington South in Girls HS Basketball
It’s time for Girls HS Basketball, as the first Girls Basketball matchup of Monroe County Schools takes place tonight on the southside of Bloomington when Edgewood takes on Bloomington South at 7:30 PM. Edgewood is 2-0 after a 47-25 win at Greencastle Saturday Night with Edgewood Head Coach Gary Sims getting his 200th career win at Edgewood. Bloomington South comes in 0-1 after a blowout loss to Indianapolis Pike at home Saturday afternoon 61-29. The Panthers have dominated the Mustangs winning every meeting since the 2000-01 season. The Panthers only won last years matchup by 2 points in Ellettsville 40-38 on November 10th, 2020. Bloomington South head coach Larry Winters is in his 23rd season and has a 313-176 record.
Bloomington North Hosts 4th ranked Bedford North Lawrence at 7:30 PM. The Cougars opened the season last Thursday with a 59-49 loss the Northview before bouncing back Saturday afternoon with a 40-38 overtime win at Greenwood. Bedford North Lawrence who lost in the Class 4A Regional Championship game at home to Franklin a season ago is coming off a 47-44 win at Mooresville last Friday. Sophomore Chloe Spreen leads the Stars and she has several Division 1 Offers scored 13 points in the season opener and pulled down 8 rebounds. Karsyn Norman led the way with 21 points.
Lighthouse Christian is off until Thursday when they host Dugger Union at 7:30 PM. The Lady Lions lost at North Daviess 50-16 last Thursday and looking to find some offense after averaging just 14 points per game in the first two games of the season and giving up 70 points a game. Often struggling with depth, Lighthouse typically only has between 7 and 10 players for the season and no junior varsity team.
Indiana-Minnesota to Kick at 3:30 PM On Big Ten Network
The final home game of the 2021 season for Indiana Football will kick off at 3:30 PM on Saturday November 20th when the Minnesota Golden Gophers visit Memorial Stadium. Indiana is 2-7 and 0-6 in the Big Ten and have officially been eliminated from a bowl game. Minnesota is 6-3 and 4-2 in the Big Ten and has qualified for a bowl game. The Golden Gophers will travel to Iowa this Saturday before making the trip to Bloomington.
The teams will meet for the 69th time in the series history with Minnesota leading 39-26-3 and just the third time since the 2009 season after meeting six straight times from 2003-2008. Minnesota will make its first trip to Bloomington since they beat Indiana 42-39 November 2, 2013. Last time the two teams played, Minnesota beat Indiana 38-31 on October 26, 2018 on a Friday Night in Minneapolis. Minnesota has won three straight and Indiana will be looking for its first win the series since October 6, 2007, when the Hoosiers won in Bloomington 40-20.
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