#12 Indiana University Women’s Basketball host Bowling Green
No. 12/9 Indiana returns to Bloomington after starting the season 3-0 as it welcomes Bowling Green tonight at 7pm. Indiana picked up its first ranked win of the season on Monday night when it defeated No. 11/4 Tennessee, 79-67. Graduate student guard Grace Berger (13 points, 10 rebounds) and senior forward Mackenzie Holmes (16 points, 10 rebounds) each turned in doubles in the victory while Holmes and senior guard Sara Scalia each knocked in 16 points each. It marked the first win in the series with the Lady Vols, one that featured just two prior meetings in 1987 and 2020. IU also claimed the first ever win by a Big Ten team against Tennessee inside Thompson-Boling Arena. The win was also historic for the Big Ten conference as the win was the first ever for the league in Knoxville.
Off to a 3-0 start after opening week, IU has won its first three games for the sixth time in seven seasons and seventh time overall under ninth year head coach Teri Moren who is 175-89 at IU and 374-219 overall in 20 seasons as a head coach. The Hoosiers jumped to No. 9 in the WBCA/USA Today coaches poll on Tuesday and came in at No. 12 in the Associated Press top 25 on Monday. Bowling Green will see a familiar face on the Indiana sideline tonight in the program’s Hall of Famer and current IU director of operations Liz Honegger. Honegger is one of the program’s most decorated players who made 127 career starts from 2003-07 where she helped them to a 103-25 overall record, two-time All-MAC selection and finished her college career as the school’s record holder in 3-point field goals made and blocked shots. She is still currently the program’s seventh all-time leading scorer with 1,522 career points.
BGSU opened the season with a pair of wins over St. Bonaventure (77-61) and Wright State (102-72). Senior guard Elissa Brett is leading the way with 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. She is joined in double figures by junior Nyla Hampton (15.5 ppg) and senior forward Allison Day (13.5 ppg.). The Falcons are set to finish third in the MAC this season with a pair of preseason All-MAC second team selections in junior guard Lexi Fleming and senior forward Kadie Hempfling. Robyn Fraclik is in her 5th season as head coach at Bowling Green with a 58-66 record and in 8th season she has an overall record of 161-69. This is eighth all time meeting between the two teams with Indiana leading the series 5-2. Indiana won at Bowling Green 75-67 in the 2009 Postseason WNIT Tournament on March 29.
Anonymous Donor commits $1 Million Dollars in matching funds for Indiana University NIL Collectives
Hoosiers For Good and Hoosiers Connect jointly announced today a difference-making pledge of up to $1 million for donations, sponsorships, and memberships made to the two NIL collectives by December 31, 2022. An anonymous donor has committed to match every dollar either donated to Hoosiers for Good or paid for sponsorships/memberships for Hoosier Connect between now and Dec. 31, 2022, up to $1 million. The two organizations pair charities and businesses with IU student-athletes through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements.
Hoosiers For Good is a 501(c)(3) that’s mission is to raise awareness for charitable causes throughout Indiana, by partnering local charities with community-minded IU student athletes who choose to use their platform and influence to amplify the philanthropic work that helps Indiana communities thrive. The student-athletes are not only able to use their time and talent for good, but it also provides them the mentorship and experience to become lifelong community-minded leaders. Donors, meanwhile, know that they are supporting those student-athletes as well as the charity. You can donate to Hoosiers for Good Here.
Hoosiers Connect, meanwhile, offers two ways to get involved in NIL. First, it provides an avenue for businesses to amplify their commercial brands through NIL sponsorships with IU student-athletes. Secondly, it offers an opportunity for individuals to sign up for monthly NIL memberships that include special perks, including experiences with IU student-athletes. You can sign up for a membership to Hoosiers Connect Here, or you can learn about a Hoosiers Connect Corporate Sponsorship Here.
The announcement is the latest evidence of IU Athletics and its student-athletes being at the forefront of the new era of intercollegiate athletics and NIL. It fits alongside many of the department’s other efforts in this critical area, including Department-wide opportunity for all student-athletes with CampusInk for player-specific Indiana apparel. First NIL Task Force in Intercollegiate Athletics. Second school to partner with NIL industry leader OpenDorse. One of the first schools in nation to partner with NIL industry leader Altius. Elite educational opportunities, including brand-building and financial literacy. Key campus NIL partnerships with Kelley School of Business, Media School, Maurier School of Law. Group licensing opportunities for student-athletes in all sports.
Purdue University Men’s Basketball beats Marquette University 75-70
Zach Edey scored 20 points and had 13 rebounds, Braden Smith scored 20 and Purdue overtook Marquette for a 75-70 win on Tuesday night. Smith went on his own 6-0 run in a 56-second span to turn a 62-59 Purdue deficit with 5:46 left into a 65-62 advantage and the Boilermakers (3-0) led the rest of the way. Edey’s jumper with 47 seconds to go made it 71-62. David Joplin responded by burying a 3-pointer and sinking two foul shots to get the Golden Eagles within 73-70. Ethan Morton sealed it for Purdue making two foul shots with six seconds to go.
Smith and Edey combined to make 14 of 19. David Jenkins Jr. scored 10 points off the bench for Purdue. Joplin, a reserve, scored 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting for Marquette (2-1). Kam Jones added 19 points and Oso Ighodaro 10. It’s the second straight 3-0 start after last year’s team opened the year 8-0 and reached No. 1 in the AP poll in early December. Purdue has played all its games at home this season.
Ball State Football falls at home to Ohio University 32-18
A seven-yard touchdown pass from John Paddock to Brady Hunt midway through the fourth quarter brought the Ball State football team within one score Tuesday night in #MACtion. Unfortunately, the Bobcats (8-3; 6-1 Mid-American Conference) were able to counter with a pair of late field goals to hand the Cardinals (5-6; 3-4 MAC) a 32-18 loss on senior night at Scheumann Stadium. Ball State was able to jump on the board first, thanks to a 27-yard field goal from Ben VonGunten with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter. However, Ohio countered with a pair of touchdowns and a field goal, capitalizing on a pair of BSU turnovers, to take a 17-3 edge into the half. Sophomore Carson Steele led the offense early, rushing for 96 yards on 14 carries for a 6.9 yards-per-rush average, including another highlight reel hurdle of a defender. He would fall just shy of his sixth consecutive 100-yard game, however, as he was forced to leave the game before the half due to injury.
On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals defense came up with a big stop late in the second half, forcing a fumble of its own at the seven-yard line to halt a possible Ohio scoring drive with 18 seconds left in the half. Ball State’s defense came up big once again on the opening drive of the second half, keeping the Bobcats off the board despite reaching the BSU 35-yard line. However, a 34-yard punt pinned the BSU offense at its own one and Ohio managed a safety on the next play. Without Steele in the second half, the Cardinals turned to the passing game, with Paddock connecting with Tanner Koziol for a 10-yard score with 1:13 remaining in the third. Paddock then found Hunt in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion, cutting the lead to 19-11.
After an Ohio touchdown, Paddock connected with Hunt for the seven-yard score, cutting the lead to 26-18. Unfortunately, the Bobcats added field goals of 37 and 23 yards to ice the game. Paddock would finish the game 29-for-48 with 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns, finding Hunt for career highs of nine receptions and 90 yards. Jayshon Jackson added six catches for 67 yards, while Koziol finished the game with five receptions and 52 yards. On the defense, Jaquan Amos led the Cardinals with 11 tackles, including one for loss, while Clayton Coll registered 10 tackles. BSU would also register a pair of sacks, with Kyle King recording one and Coll and Sidney Houston combining for the other. On the Ohio side of the ball, Sieh Bangura ran for a career-high 148 total yards and a pair of scores, while quarterback Kurtis Rourke went 12-for-16 for 169 yards and one touchdown before an injury forced him out right before the half. The Ball State football team closes the 2022 regular season next Tuesday with a 7pm kickoff at Miami. With a win, the Cardinals would become bowl eligible for the third straight season.
Indianapolis Colts Linebacker Shaquille Leonard out for the season after season ending back surgery
As expected, Shaquille Leonard’s season is over. The Indianapolis Colts’ All-Pro linebacker underwent back surgery Tuesday that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was first to report the development. It marks the second back surgery in five months for Leonard. He had the first on June 9, and it addressed two disks in his neck that were impacting nerves and causing pain and a lack of strength in his left leg and calf. The initial rehab forced him to miss the first three games of the season. After missing an additional three games because of a concussion and broken nose suffered in the Colts’ week 4 loss to Tennessee, Leonard returned and was on a pitch count against Washington and New England.
He practiced last Wednesday but experienced a setback that forced him to miss the rest of the week. He told the media during his normal Thursday access “the nerve still isn’t firing in my calf.’’ He was placed on the injured reserve list Saturday, and ESPN reported Leonard was seeking the advice of noted back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles on Monday. Leonard appeared in just three games this season and was on the field for a total of 74 plays. He missed the first three games because of the original back surgery. The entire season has tested his resolve. He’s been limited to 11 tackles, one interception and one pass defended.
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