Local Sports Headlines: February 24, 2023

#2 Indiana Women’s Basketball travel to #6 Iowa for Regular season finale Sunday The # 2 Indiana Hoosiers will travel to Iowa City Iowa to take on the # 6 Iowa Hawkeyes Sunday Afternoon at 2pm in the regular season finale on ESPN and College Gameday will be there from 11am to 12 Noon for a one-hour show on ESPN. Indiana is 26-1 and are the outright Big Ten Champions after Iowa lost at Maryland Tuesday Night 96-68. Indiana is 16-1 in the Big Ten and will be the Number 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis next week. Iowa and Maryland are tied for 14-3 and Maryland travels to Ohio State at 6 pm this evening for their final regular season game. Indiana beat Iowa in Bloomington 86-79 on February 9th with Grace Berger leading the way for the Hoosiers with 26 Points. Caitlin Clark scored 35 points for Iowa in the loss.

The Hoosiers 81.1 points per game average is more than the 70.9 Iowa gives up. When Indiana does reach the 71-point mark, it is 20-1 on the year. The Hoosiers have shot a higher percentage from the field than their competition this season, making 50.2 percent of their field goals while limiting opponents to 38.6 percent shooting. When Indiana eclipses its season average, the Hoosiers are 16-0 in the 2022-23 campaign. Mackenzie Holmes is the leader for Indiana in both scoring and rebounding with 22.6 points and 7.4 boards per game. Grace Berger also contributes with 12.2 points and 5.8 assists for the Hoosiers, and Sydney Parrish averages 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Yarden Garzon leads the charge shooting the basketball for Indiana, making 47 percent of her shots from downtown while averaging 2.3 makes per game from three-point land.

Iowa’s 87.6 points per game this season out-paces the 60 points per contest Indiana allows. The Hawkeyes are 22-6 when they score more than 60 points. The Hawkeyes are outshooting their opponents from the field this season, averaging 50.8 percent from the field per game against their opponents’ average of 39.9 percent. When Iowa outshoots its season average, the Hawkeyes are 12-0 this year. Cailtin Clark piles up stats for Iowa, leading the team with 27.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.1 assists. Monika Czinano adds 17.3 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Hawkeyes, and McKenna Warnock averages 11 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Clark is the most prolific shooter for Iowa, knocking down 3.3 threes per game while shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.

#17 Indiana University Men’s Basketball travels to #5 Purdue Saturday night Indiana University plays its final road game of the 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball at No. 5/5 Purdue on Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 7:30pm with a national broadcast on FOX.  Indiana raced out to an early nine-point advantage over Michigan State on Wednesday but could not sustain the defensive pressure and eventually lost 80-65 at the Breslin Center. The Hoosiers wore ‘Spartan Strong’ warmup hoodies to honor the victims of the tragic shooting on the Michigan State campus that occurred on Feb. 13. The game was the first for the MSU men’s program in East Lansing since the shooting. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis recorded 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in the loss. The game marked the ninth time this season the National Player of the Year candidate led the Hoosiers in points, rebounds, and assists. He achieved that statistical feat in just one game in his previous three seasons combined. Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino posted 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from inside the arc. He added three rebounds and a steal.

The Boilermakers, led by 18th-year head coach Matt Painter, enter the rivalry showdown with a 24-4 record and a 13-4 mark in B1G play. Purdue rolled over Ohio State 82-55 Sunday afternoon in Mackey Arena. 7-4 Zach Edey leads Purdue averaging 22.1 points and 17.1 rebounds per game. Freshman Guards Flecther Loyer and Braden Smith average 11.8 and 10.0 points per game respectively. Zach Edey scored 26 points and pulled down 11 Rebounds against the Buckeyes. Mason Gillis had 7 points and 10 rebounds and Trey Kaufman-Renn added 11 points off the bench.

For the 217th time in program history, Indiana will take on archrival Purdue. The Boilermakers hold a 125-91 advantage in the series, the most victories of any opponent against the Hoosiers. No team has appeared on IU’s schedule more often than Purdue. Indiana picked up head coach Mike Woodson’s first signature victory in collegiate basketball with a 68-65 win over No. 4 Purdue on Jan. 20, 2022. Senior guard Rob Phinisee scored 20 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 17 seconds on the clock. The win snapped a nine-game losing streak for IU against Purdue. The Hoosiers took down the top-ranked Boilermakers by a score of 79-74 on Feb. 4 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis posted 25 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks in the victory. The two programs have met 17 previous times with both teams ranked inside the top-25 of the Associated Press. IU holds a record of 12-5 in the ranked matchups, including four-straight games dating back to Feb. 29, 2000. Just six of the games have been played at Mackey Arena. • A total of six points have separated the two teams in the last three meetings dating back to the 2022 Big Ten slate.

Four Girls Basketball State Champions to be crowned Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Four State Champions will be crowned on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis when the IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals take place for the 48th time. Action gets underway at 10:30am when 24-3 Bethany Christian takes on 27-2 Lanesville as both teams make thier first state finals apperance. In Class 2A at 12:45 22-7 Lapel takes on 25-3 Forest Park. Lapel makes its first state finals appearance while Forest Park is looking to repeat as state champion winning in 2022 and runner up in 2000. Both 1A and 2A games will be televised on Bally Sports Indiana.

In Class 3A at 6pm 27-2 Fairfield takes on 27-2 Corydon Central as Fairfield makes its first state finals appearance and Corydon Central makes its 2nd after finishing runner up in 2005. In Class 4A it is 26-2 Fishers against 26-3 Bedford North Lawrence. Fishers makes its first state finals appearance while Bedford North Lawrence is going for its 5th state title. The Stars won single class state titles in 1983 and 1991. The won the Class 4A State title 2013 and 2014 and were runners up in 1990 and 1992 in the single class era. The 3A and 4A Games will be televised on Bally Sports Indiana Extra which can be found on most cable systems around the state of Indiana.

Bloomington North and Bloomington South to compete in Boys Swimming State Finals The IHSAA Boys State Swimming and diving finals start at 6pm this evening at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. The Diving finals in get underway Saturday Morning at 9 am and Swimming Finals start at 1pm. Bloomington North is seeded 6th in the400 yard Freestyle Relay, 7th in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay and 14th in the 200 Medley Relay. Sophomore James Stewart is seeded 4th in the 100 Yard Butterfly. Junior Benjmain Dixon is seeded 29th in the 200-yard Freestyle and 13th in the 100-yard freestyle and Junior Jeremiah Boshears is seeded 21st in the 100-yard backstroke. Bloomington South is seeded 15th in the 200-medley relay and seeded 15th in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Sophomore David Kovacs is seeded 2nd in the100 yard Backstroke 9th in the 200 Indvidual Medley, Sophomore Lukas Paegle is seeded 17th in the 100-yard butterfly and Junior Benjamain Buehler is seeded 13th in the 100-yard freestyle.

Monroe County Teams compete in the Girls Gymnastics Sectionals at Franklin Central The Girls Gymnastics Sectionals start at 6:30pm this evening at Franklin Central. Bloomington North Bloomington South and Edgewood will be competing with Columbus East, Columbus North, Indianapolis Lutheran, Martinsville Owen Valley Roncalli, Seymour and host Franklin Central for a spot in the Regional at week from tonight at Franklin Central. The Top Three teams along with the top six in each event along with the top six in the all-around will advance to the Regionals. Bloomington North won the Sectional at Columbus East a season ago while Bloomington South finished in sixth place and Edgewood finished 10th.

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