Indiana University Men’s Basketball host Morehead State in season opener
Indiana University opens its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball with a matchup against Morehead State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Tip is scheduled for 7pm this evening and will be televised on Big Ten Network plus. Five Hoosiers tallied 10-plus points in Indiana’s 104-59 exhibition win over Saint Francis on Thursday evening. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a team-best 19 points to go alone with nine rebounds. The freshman duo of forward Malik Reneau and guard Jalen Hood-Schifino each scored 15 points, while Reneau recorded eight rebounds and Hood-Schifino dished out a team-high five assists. Off the bench, sophomore guard Tamar Bates and junior forward Jordan Geronimo each tallied 10 points. Indiana swatted away 12 Saint Francis shots in the exhibition finale on Thursday night, the most since denying Nebraska 12 times in the 2020 Big Ten Tournament.
The Eagles finished 23-11 and third in the Ohio Valley Conference a season ago under seventh-year head coach Preston Spradlin. The two programs have met five previous times on the hardwood with Indiana holding a 5-0 advantage. All five matchups have taken place in Bloomington. Indiana earned a 92-59 triumph over Morehead State the last time the two sides met on Dec. 5, 2015. Five Hoosiers scored in double figures during the game, led by Troy Williams (16). Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (15), James Blackmon, Jr. (15), Thomas Bryant (14), and Max Bielfeldt (12) carried the Hoosiers to the victory. The Hoosiers hold an all-time record of 25-0 against teams currently residing in the Ohio Valley Conference.
The expectations for the Hoosiers are very high under second year head coach Mike Woodson. The Hoosiers lost to Saint Mary’s in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament after beating Wyoming in the First Four last season. Indiana finished with 21-14 record and made the NCAA’s for the first time since 2016. To go along with Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana returns four starters and nine total scholarship letterwinners. Fifth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after putting up 12.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Fifth-year senior forward Miller Kopp tallied 6.0 points per game on 36.1% shooting from the 3-point line. Sixth-year senior forward Race Thomspon finished second on the team in rebounding (7.5) and scored 11.1 points per game. Junior guard Trey Galloway was limited to 20 games with three starts and compiled 5.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. Geronimo played in 34 contests off the bench a season ago and averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Junior guard Anthony Leal started twice across 17 appearances and averaged 1.9 points per game. Bates appeared in 32 games and averaged 3.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest. Sophomore center Logan Duncomb saw game action in nine contests. Non-scholarship players Michael Shipp, Nathan Childress, and Shaan Burke return to the Hoosiers, while Hogan Orbaugh joined the team ahead of the 2022-23 season. Five-stars Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau, four-star-forward Kaleb Banks and Indiana All-Star guard CJ Gunn committed to the Hoosiers to give Indiana the fifth-ranked recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports, eighth by ESPN.com and 13th by Rivals. • Hood-Schifino and Reneau helped lead Montverde Academy to back-to back GEICO High School national championships. Banks was the Georgia Class 4A Player of the Year and a 2,000-point scorer. Gunn is the all-time leader in points per game average at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball wins exhibition game against Kentucky Wesleyan
The Indiana Hoosiers Women’s Basketball handled Division II Kentucky Wesleyan 86-43 Friday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mackenzie Holmes led the way with 22 points on 11-14 shooting from the field. Grace Berger added 16 points and found Holmes underneath with a behind the back pass on the baseline. “I am glad that I get a front row seat to see that kid play” Coach Teri Moren after the game about Berger.” Minnesota Transfer Sara Scalia scored 14 points and hit 3 three pointers in which Hoosier fans are happy to see her hitting those shots in a cream and crimson jersey. Freshman Lilly Meister added 12 points in her college debut and was quick to give her guards the credit. “It felt good and was a great atmosphere to play in, I give all the credit to my guards they found me wide open after I crashed the boards and got down the floor” Meister said after the game.
Indiana shot 58% from the field, 26 percent from three-point range and 72 percent from the free throw line on 13-18 shooting. The Hoosier Defense forced 27 turnovers and four shot clock violations. Indiana pulled down 34 rebounds, dished out 24 assists, 16 steals and 4 blocks. The Hoosiers played 13 players with 12 players scoring with Arielle Wisne the only Hoosier not to score. Junior Kiandra Browne will be out a few weeks with a thumb injury but the depth of the Hoosiers is an advantage with 9 players playing 10 or more minutes.
Croina Conley led Kentucky Wesleyan in scoring with 12 points. The Panthers have five players from Indiana. Fifth year Senior Cali Nolot from North Harrison scored 8 points in 18 minutes. Senior Jordyn Barga from Monroe Central scored 5 points in 28 Minutes. Senior Reeva Hammelman from North Knox played scored 2 points in 19 minutes. Freshman from Southridge Myah Montgomery scored 3 points in 13 minutes and Freshman Hayley Lytton from Heritage Hills played 24 minutes and did not score. Shyia Hoosier who is from Tennessee scored 7 points in 22 minutes and fitting that she played against the Hoosiers with that last name she has in historic Simon Skjdot Assembly Hall.
Kentucky Wesleyan shot 36 percent from the field, 22 percent from three-point range and 2-2 from the free throw line. The Panthers had 22 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Indiana led 23-12 after the first quarter and led 43-22 at halftime. The Hoosiers led 64-33 after three quarters and outscored Kentucky Wesleyan 22-10 in the fourth quarter. Indiana will open the regular season Tomorrow Night when they host the Vermont Catamounts at 7 pm in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Indiana University Men’s Soccer advances to Big Ten Tournament semifinal
The fourth seed Indiana University Men’s Soccer team beat the fifth seed Penn State Nittany Lions 1-0 in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium Friday Night. The Hoosiers will travel to top seed Maryland on Wednesday for the Semifinals and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network at 8 pm. Maryland took down eighth seed Northwestern 1-0. The other semifinal will be three seed Ohio State traveling to second seed Rutgers and that game will be Wednesday at 6 pm and televised on the Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes beat sixth seed Michigan State 1-0 while Rutgers beat seventh seed Wisconsin 5-4 on penalty kicks to advance after a scoreless draw.
Ryan Whittenbrink scored his team leading eighth goal of the season in the 35th minute and the Hoosier defense allowed no shots on goal to earn the clean sheet for the fifth time this season. Whittenbrink has 22 points on the season and four game winning goals which leads the Big Ten. The Hoosiers will be playing in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals for a 10th season in a row. The Hoosiers are 7-1-3 at home this season. The Hoosiers beat Penn State 4-2 in the regular season matchup in Bloomington and lead the all-time series 37-15-5. Indiana is 9-3-6 overall while Penn State finishes 6-6-4.
Six Hoosiers were honored Friday afternoon receiving all Big Ten Honors. Redshirt Senior Daniel Munie was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row and first team all-big ten. Redshirt Senior Ryan Whittenbrink was named first team all-big ten. Forwards Herbert Endeley and Tommy Mihalic were named to the second team. First year Midfielder Jack Waggoner was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and Redshirt Senior Brett Bebej was selected as IU’s Sportsmanship Award winner. 66 Hoosier Soccer players have totaled 117 All Big Ten First Team which is 65 more honors then the next best program which is Penn State with 62. Munie’s achievement marks the second straight year in which an IU player has repeated a specialty award honoree after Roman Celentano became the first ever repeat Big Ten Goalkeeper of the year in 2021. Munie becomes the sixth Hoosier in Big Ten History to win back-to-back awards and just the second player do it in the defensive player category joining Ohio State’s David Tiemstra in 2010-11. The Hoosiers have had a specialty award winner in 13 straight seasons going back to 2010, totaling 24 player or coach of the year selections in that span.
Bloomington South wins Sectional Football Championship over Bloomington North
The Bloomington South Panthers beat the Bloomington North Cougars 28-7 in the Class 5A Sectional 15 Championship Friday night at Fred Huff Memorial Field on the Southside of Bloomington. The Panthers are 9-1 on the season and will take an eight-game winning streak on the road Friday Night to 7-4 Castle for the Regional Championship at 7:30pm. Castle beat Evansville North 28-18 to win the schools 15th sectional title. This will be the fourth straight season that Bloomington South and Castle have met in the postseason, and all have been played at Castle. The teams were in the same sectional the last three season before realignment gave moved them to regional opponents. Bloomington South won 32-6 in 2019 and 16-14 last season. Castle won the 2021 matchup 28-0.
Bloomington South has won 17 sectional championships and leads the all-time series with Bloomington North 48-14 along with a 9-2 sectional record against their crosstown rivals. Bloomington South has won the last five meetings and 13 of the last 14 in the series dating back to 2014. Bloomington North ends the season at 6-5.
Owen Valley dispatched Pike Central 56-9 in the Class 3A Sectional 30 Championship Game in Spencer. Its second straight Sectional title for the Patriots and third in school history. Owen Valley is 12-0 and will host Monrovia 5-7 in the Regional Championship Game Friday Night at 7pm. Linton took care of Sullivan 33-24 in the Class 2A Sectional Championship Game in Sullivan. The Miners are 12-0 on the season and will host 7-5 Lapel in the Regional Championship Game at 7pm. Martinsville lost to East Central 47-0 in the Class 4A Sectional Championship Game at East Central. The Artesians end the season at 8-4 while East Central improves to 10-2 and Travels to Evansville Memorial the Regional Championship game Friday at 7:30pm.
Indiana University Football gets pounded by 15th ranked Penn State
The Indiana Hoosiers Football Team got pounded at home to the 15th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 45-14 Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers are 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten while Penn State is 7-2 and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Indiana now must win out to get to the six-win mark to become bowl eligible and the Hoosiers travel to Ohio State Saturday that will be televised on Fox at Noon followed by road trip to Michigan State and home game against archrival Purdue the next three weeks.
With starting quarterback Connor Bazelak sidelined due to injury the Hoosiers turned to team captain Jack Tuttle who announced in October he was going to enter the transfer portal after this season and play his final season elsewhere. Tuttle who started his career at Utah and never played there came to Indiana and has been in the starting quarterback battle for the last four seasons but losing out three years to Michael Penix Jr and Connor Bazelak this season made his fifth career start with injuries to Penix Jr and now Bazelak. Tuttle had not seen the field all season and was 9-12 for 81 yards passing before being knocked out of the game in the second quarter after being sacked. Brendan Sorsby a freshman from Corinth, Texas came in and was 3-6 passing for 8 yards and an interception. Redshirt Sophomore Dexter Williams from Macon, Georgia who is normally the third string quarterback came in with five minutes left in the third quarter. Williams 4-11 passing for 41 yards and two interceptions. “In order to move the football,” Tom Allen said after the game, “it has to start up front. We have to do a better job in that area. It’s not good enough. It’s killing us”. The running game for the Hoosiers continues to struggle with 65 yards on 34 carries. The offensive line who coming into today’s game had given up 23 sacks gave up another six in the first half to take the total to 29. “There’s no magic scheme. You have to block them up front. When you block them up front, everything works better. It’s about getting our playmakers the football and letting us have a chance on offense” Allen Said. Alfred Bryant did get a big sack on Penn State quarterback early in the game and Taiwan Mullen got an interception but very few bright spots in what was another embarrassing performance for a team who has won 5 games in the last two seasons and just 1 Big Ten game.
Penn State got on the board first with a 1-yard touchdown run by Nicholas Singleton with 6:50 left in the first quarter. Tuttle threw a 11-yard touchdown pass to AJ Barner to tie it up with 4:09 to go in the first quarter. Penn State controlled the rest of the game outscoring the Hoosiers 31-7 Kaytron Allen scored 3 touchdowns with runs of 11, 6 and 6 yards and Jake Pinegar added a 50-yard field goal with 50 seconds left before halftime. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford was 15-29 passing for 229 yards and threw one interception. Backup Quarterback Drew Allar was 5-7 passing for 34 yards and two touchdown passes to Harrison Wallace III and Theo Johnson. Indiana got a 1-yard touchdown run by Jaylin Lucas with 6:16 left in the game. Penn State racked up 179 rushing yards on 49 carries with Allen getting 86 yards and 18 carries and Nicholas Singleton getting 73 yards on 16 carries. Penn State outgained Indiana 483-196. Indiana Football has always been a program that has struggled through the years, and they have FBS record 702 all time losses to prove it.
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