Local Sports Headlines: February 17, 2023

#2 Indiana Women’s Basketball gets School Record 25th win of the season over #12 Michigan The #2 Indiana Hoosiers beat the #12 Michigan Wolverines 68-52 before a crowd of 7,446 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Thursday Night. Indiana is 25-1 on the season and 15-1 in the Big Ten. The 25 wins are a new school record for the most wins in one season and the 15 conference wins tie the mark set by the 1982-83 team that finished 15-3 and won the school’s only Big Ten regular season championship. Indiana finished 24-5 in the 2019-2020 season which there was no NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Hoosiers finished 24-9 a season ago when they lost to UConn in the Sweet 16.

Indiana faces Purdue Sunday at noon in the final regular season home game before a week off to prepare for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the final regular season game, one that could decide the Big Ten regular season championship. Iowa is in second place at 13-2 and has two road games: at Nebraska Saturday, and at Maryland Tuesday, before hosting the Hoosiers a week from Sunday. Maryland is in third place at 12-3, traveling to Michigan State Sunday before Hosting Iowa Tuesday and Ohio State on Friday.  

Indiana got 27 points from Mackenzie Holmes who finished 11-22 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. Chloe Moore-McNeil finished 13 points on 5-7 from the field and 3-5 from three-point range. Yarden Garzon had 7 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. Collectively, the Hoosiers finished 26-60 from the field for 43%, 4-16 from three-point range for 25% and 12-14 from the free throw line for 85%. Indiana pulled down 30 rebounds, dished out 13 assists, 11 steals, 6 blocks, and committed 13 turnovers. The Hoosiers have beaten nine ranked teams.

“I hope it looks like I am having fun because I am,” Mackenzie Holmes said after the game. “We are going into every game with the same mindset, we know that we are going to get the best from every team in the Big Ten” Holmes added.

Michigan, who drops to 10-5 in the conference and 20-6 overall, was led Noblesville Indiana native Emily Kiser with 12 points; Leigha Brown from Auburn, Indiana and Dekalb HS, had 9 points; Maddie Nolan from Zionsville, Indiana finished with 8 points; Kate Clarke from Carmel, Indiana had 3 points; Alyssa Crockett from Westfield, Indiana scored 2 points; and, Ari Wiggins from Heritage Christian HS in Indianapolis had 1 point. The Six Indiana players on the Michigan roster scored 35 of the 62 points for the Mazie and Blue.

“Indiana is a tough basketball team, and we knew it was going to be a challenge for us down two guards. Their offense was too successful, and credit to them and the environment,” Michigan Head Coach Kim Barnes-Arico said after the game.

Michigan was missing guards Lalia Phelia and Greta Kampschroder due to injuries. Michigan finished 19-48 from the field for 39%, 3-12 from three-point line for 25% and 11-15 from the free throw line for 73%. The Wolverines pulled down 35 rebounds, dished 11 assists, 8 steals, 6 blocks, and committed 21 turnovers.

The Teams traded baskets to the start the game with Michigan leading 9-8 with 6:25 left in the first quarter when the Hoosiers went on 10-0 run to put the Hoosiers up 18-9 with 5:13 left in the first quarter when Leigha Brown ended the run at the 4:28 mark and Emily Kiser scored to give Michigan a 4-0 run and trail by 5 points at the 3:50 mark. Mackenzie Holmes scored 13 points in the first quarter going 6-7 from the field and 1-1 at the free throw line as Indiana led 22-17 after the first quarter.  In the second quarter Cameron Williams scored on a jumper as Wolverines trailed 22-19 with 9:32 before the break. Indiana went on 12-0 run as Grace Berger scored back-to-back baskets with incredible moves slicing through the Wolverine defense to get the basket. Jordan Hobbs ended the run with a three pointer at 3:42 mark as Kiser scored with 2:58 left to get the Wolverines within 10. Sydney Parrish scored and completed a three-point play to put the Hoosiers up 13 with 2:36 left. Maddie Nolan scored on a jumper as Holmes hit a free throw. Nolan scored again and was called for a technical foul with 47 seconds left as Sara Scalia sank both free throws as Holmes was fouled by Jordan Hobbs with .7 seconds left.  Holmes hit both free throws as Indiana went into halftime up 42-28 as Holmes led the Hoosiers with 16 first half points going 6-9 from the field and 4-5 from the free throw line.

In the second half Holmes scored the first basket 51 seconds in as Chloe Moore McNeil drained two three pointers as the Hoosiers extended the lead to 22 points as part of an 10-2 run by Indiana.  Michigan responded with 6-0 with an Emily Kiser basket and four free throws Leigha Brown and Jordan Hobbs. Holmes ended the four minute and 25 second scoring drought a jumper in the paint with 2:56 left in the 3rd quarter. Brown hit a free throw, but Michigan got no closer than 16 as Lilly Meister scored 5 points and Lexus Bargesser scored on fastbreak on a pass by Sara Scalia as Indiana led 61-37 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Michigan went on an 11-0 run as Indiana did not score until the 3:53 mark when Mackenzie Holmes completed a three-point play.  

The Hoosiers scored just 7 points with Holmes scoring 5 points and Lexus Bargesser scoring the final two. Michigan outscored the Hoosiers 15-7 in the fourth quarter. The Michigan players, coaches, and staff wore T-Shirts in support of Michigan State after the tragic events on their campus Monday when 3 students were shot and killed, and campus events were shut down for the week. Even though Michigan and Michigan State are rivals it’s all bigger than basketball when real life takes over.

“When you step foot on the Michigan campus you are told to hate Michigan State, but this is bigger than basketball and it puts things in perspective, and our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Michigan Senior Emily Kiser said after the game. There was a moment of silence before the game in remembrance toward the victims, while Coach Barnes Arico said the team wrote personal notes to every member of their basketball staff.  “We are in one big family in the Big Ten and i reached out to Suzy (Merchant) and let her know we are thinking about her and i can’t imagine the phone calls she has to take from the parents knowing that her players are okay, its senseless we wrapped are arms around them” Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game. 

#18 Indiana University Men’s Basketball host Illinois Saturday afternoon Indiana University returns to the friendly confides of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball continues against Illinois at noon on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. Indiana nearly erased a 19-point halftime deficit against RV/RV Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday. Ultimately, the Hoosiers emerged on the wrong side of a 64-62 result. IU now sits in third place of the Big Ten standings at 9-6 and 18-8 overall. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis continued his campaign for National Player of the Year with 23 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocked shots. He is the first Big Ten player since Purdue’s Trevion Williams (Dec. 12, 2021) to secured at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots in a game.  • Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino played the full 40 minutes and contributed 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor in his return to the Hoosier lineup. He scored 13 points to go along with three rebounds. Indiana tied the game at 62-62 after being down as many as 21 points before Northwestern guard Boo Buie made the game-winning shot with 2.7 seconds remaining.

The Illini, led by sixth-year head coach Brad Underwood, enter the rematch on Saturday afternoon with a 17-8 record and an 8-6 mark in B1G play. Indiana holds a narrow 95-91 lead over Illinois. A season ago, the Hoosiers pulled off an upset over top-seeded Illinois in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 Big Ten Conference Tournament. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis compiled 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the tournament victory. Jackson-Davis also led the Hoosiers to an 80-65 victory at the State Farm Arena on Jan. 19. The National Player of the Year candidate joined former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons (LSU, 2015) as the only players in the last 25 seasons to record at least 35 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three blocks on 75.0% shooting from the floor in a single game after he went for 35-9-5-3 on 15-of-19 shooting. Junior forward Jordan Geronimo was credited with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks in his starting role against the Illini. Head coach Mike Woodson scored a career-high 48 points in IU’s 72-60 win at Illinois on March 3, 1979. He averaged 24.1 points per game in his six contests against the Illini.

Indiana University Men’s Soccer announces 2023 Spring Schedule Indiana men’s soccer will play five exhibition matches against intercollegiate opponents this spring, head coach Todd Yeagley announced on Thursday. Four matches will be played in the state of Indiana, with three of those taking place in the Indianapolis metro area. IU will host SIUE in a home scrimmage match on April 15 on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. IU’s spring slate kicks off on Saturday, February 25, at Butler. The two teams played during the 2022 season as IU came from behind to top the Bulldogs, 2-1.

One week later, the Hoosiers will return to the Indianapolis area for a neutral site match with Louisville at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. Louisville is the first of two 2022 NCAA Tournament teams that IU will face this spring. IU met Saint Louis in the second round of the tournament during its run to the College Cup and will see the Billikens again this spring on April 1, at the Worldwide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. Following the April home match, Indiana will return to Grand Park to play its spring finale versus in-state rival Notre Dame. IU and the Fighting Irish met during the 2022 regular season in a 1-0 win for the Hoosiers.

Indianapolis Indians announce July date for Quenton Nelson Blocking Cancer Celebrity Softball Game
The Indianapolis Indians announced that the Quenton Nelson Blocking Cancer Celebrity Softball Game will be held at Victory Field on Saturday, July 22. Nelson, an All-Pro offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts, is partnering with the V Foundation for Cancer Research to host the third annual Quenton Nelson Blocking Cancer event presented by Gregor Private Wealth Group at Merrill Lynch.

The Quenton Nelson Blocking Cancer event begins on Friday, July 21 at the Lucas Estate with an exciting program and one-of-a-kind auction items available for bid to attendees. The Celebrity Softball Game on July 22 will include special appearances from Indianapolis Colts players. Tickets to the dinner and game will be sold separately.

All funds raised will go toward game-changing cancer research dedicated to therapeutic resistance. With fans’ support, the Quenton Nelson Blocking Cancer event will help accelerate the pace of research today so more lives are saved tomorrow.

The Indianapolis Indians open the 2023 season on Friday, March 31 at Victory Field. Full season, half season and mini plans are on sale, and group and premium reservations may also be made. Single-game tickets go on sale Wednesday, March 1 at 10 AM. For more on the Indians, visit IndyIndians.com or contact the Victory Field Box Office at (317) 269-3545 or Tickets@IndyIndians.com

Maryland tops Big Ten Baseball Preseason Poll
Maryland is the favorite to repeat as Big Ten baseball champions, according to the coaches’ preseason poll announced Thursday. In addition to Maryland, the top-six poll includes Rutgers in second place, followed by No. 3 Iowa, No. 4 Illinois, No. 5 Nebraska and No. 6 Indiana. In national preseason polls, Maryland is ranked 13th by D1Baseball, 15th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and 16th by Baseball America. The Terrapins finished 48-14 (18-5 Big Ten) last season, reaching a regional final on their home field. The Big Ten baseball season commences Friday with Big Ten games beginning March 24.

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