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Indiana Men’s Basketball Host Penn State
Indiana Men’s Basketball will look to bounce back when they host Penn State at 8:30pm this evening inside Simon Skjdot Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers were blown out Sunday afternoon by Michigan 80-62 for the first loss of the season at home. The Hoosiers are 14-5 Overall and 5-4 In the Big Ten and Head Coach Mike Woodson said on his radio program Monday evening that he will not change his starting five of Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson, Miller Kopp, Xavier Johnson and Parker Stewart. This lineup has started 18 of the 19 games played. Stewart did not start against Northern Kentucky December 22 when Anthony Leal started in his place. Jackson-Davis is averaging 18.6 points per game, Thompson 10.7, Johnson 10.2, Stewart 7.6, and Kopp 6.6 points per game. Trey Galloway is averaging 5.6 points per game and Rob Phinisee 5.4 points per game. Indiana is averaging 74 points per game and giving up 63.7 on defense. IU is first in the Big Ten and 13th in country in field goal percentage defense (37.9%). The Hoosiers also lead the league in scoring defense (63.7) overall and in conference play (65.6). Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 20 points in the first meeting against Penn State on January 2nd.
Penn State is coming off a 68-51 loss at Iowa Saturday. The Nittany Lions are 8-8 Overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten and this will be a homecoming over Penn State Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry who is from Indianapolis. Shrewsberry played at Cathedral High School from 1991-1995 and Hanover College from 1995-1999. Seth Lundy leads the team at 13.7 points, Jalen Pickett at 13.3, Sam Sessoms at 11.7 and John Harrar at 10.1 points per game. Penn State beat Indiana 61-58 on January 2 in State College. Jalen Pickett scored 15 points, Myles Dread had 12 points and Sam Sessoms with 10. Penn State dominated the glass in the first matchup with John Harrar pulling down 12 rebounds and Seth Lundy pulling down 10.
In last year’s meeting Rob Phinisee hit a jumper with 13 seconds left and IU made a defensive stand as the Hoosiers escaped win an 87-85 overtime win against Penn State. PSU’s Myeron Jones tied the game after converting two free throws with 43 seconds left in the extra period.
IU had built up an 11-point second-half lead, but the Nittany Lions came back and led 80-79 on a Sam Sessoms jumper with 23 seconds remaining. Jackson-Davis made a free throw with seven seconds left to force overtime. Jones had 20 and Sessoms had 17 to lead PSU, while Jackson-Davis finished with 21 for the Hoosiers. Indiana leads the All-Time Series 41-13.
Edgewood Girls Basketball Beats Bloomington North 42-38
Edgewood Girls Basketball used a 9-1 run over the last 5 minutes 50 seconds to beat Bloomington North 42-38 on the Cougars home floor. Edgewood is 17-4 on the season and have won 3 in a row. This the 14th time that Edgewood has held their opponent under 40 points. Bloomington North fell to 9-12 and have lost three in a row. Edgewood will close out the regular season at Owen Valley at 6 PM Thursday. Bloomington North will travel to Terre Haute North to close out regular season Thursday at 7:30 PM.
Former Indiana University Track and Field Star Caitlin Engel Dies of Cancer at Age 32
The Indiana track & field program is saddened by the death of former Indiana distance runner Caitlin Engel who lost a long-fought battle with cancer. 32-year-old Engel was a resident of Carmel, Indiana where she worked as a teacher and cross country/track & field coach in the Carmel Clay School System.
“Caitlin was a walk on who made the most of her time at Indiana as a contributing member of our cross country and track and field teams.” Head Coach Ron Helmer said in press release. “She was a joy to coach and to just be around every day. Caitlin took her love of her IU experience into the “pay back” realm helping mentor young athletes as an assistant coach with various Carmel High School cross country and track teams. She has stayed close and stayed loyal to our program and I will miss her terribly. She was a unique personality and an incredible fighter. Every day with Caitlin was a better day.”
As a member of the IU track team, she was a bronze medalist in the steeplechase at Big Ten Championships in 2011. Engel went on to represent the Hoosiers at NCAA First Round in the same event in 2013. Her of time 10:20.68 in the steeplechase is No. 7 all-time.
Indiana Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Earn Scholar All-America Honors
Both the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads were named College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Teams on Tuesday. To be selected as a CSCAA Scholar All-America Team, programs must have achieved a grade point average of 3.00 or higher over the fall semester. IU’s women’s squad led the charge with a 3.30 team grade point average as 38 student-athletes achieved a 3.00 GPA or better. The men’s team saw 40 of its athletes qualify while combining for a 3.19 GPA.
“It’s a huge honor to have so many of our student athletes recognized for both their academic and athletic achievements,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said in press release. This is always priority No. 1 at Indiana University.”
A total of 728 teams representing 450 schools earned the distinction of Scholar All-America team for the Fall 2021 semester.
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