Local Sports Headlines: March 1, 2023

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Teri Moren named Big Ten Coach of the Year, Mackenize Holmes named Defensive Player of the year Indiana head coach Teri Moren was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year while senior forward Mackenzie Holmes is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year among six Hoosiers who pulled in All-Big Ten honors in the annual postseason awards, announced on Tuesday. Indiana is led by unanimous first team honors the coaches and media for Holmes and a first team nod for graduate student guard Grace Berger. Junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil is a second-team honoree from the media while earning a place on the honorable mention squad from the coaches. Freshman guard Yarden Garzon and junior guard Sydney Parrish also earned honorable mention from both the coaches and media. Senior guard Sara Scalia rounded out the All-Big Ten selections placing on the media’s honorable mention team.

Moore-McNeil joins Holmes on the All-Defensive team. Holmes was selected by both the coaches and media while Moore-McNeil earns the nod from the coaches. This is the first time IU has placed multiple players on the All-Defensive squad while Holmes repeats as a selection, also appearing in 2020-21.  This is also the third straight year IU has placed a player on the All-Defensive team. Garzon earns a spot on the All-Freshman team selected by both the coaches and media, the eighth player to be on the newbie squad in IU’s history. Moore-McNeil was tabbed the team’s Sportsmanship Award winner.

Moren earns her second Big Ten Coach of the Year, as she also picked up the honor in 2016 and becomes the first IU head coach to earn the honor twice. She led the 2022-23 team to an outright Big Ten regular season championship, its first in 40 years, finishing the regular season 26-2 and 16-2 in Big Ten play along with a perfect 16-0 record at home. They set a new program record for wins and tied for most Big Ten wins in a single season. Her team leads the nation with nine Top 25 wins and five Top 10 victories this season. Indiana leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (60.9), scoring margin (+20.4), second in scoring (81.3), field goal percentage (50.2) and opponent field goal percentage (38.9). Nationally, her team is second in field goal percentage, fourth in scoring margin, fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45), seventh in scoring offense and eighth in assists per game (18.3). Indiana is on track to have its best offensive season ever, as 81.3 points per game (up 10.0 points from a season ago) and a 50.2 field goal percentage would both be season-bests. They have shot 50 percent or better on 17 occasions. Defensively, the team is just as solid, holding 22 opponents to 69 points or less and allowing 11 teams to score 59 points or fewer. The program held both lengthy win streaks this season, opening the season with 12 wins and most recently tying the second-longest win streak in program history at 14.

Holmes has produced an incredible season so far for the Hoosiers, as she averages a team-high 22.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and is one of the nation’s most accurate shooters by going 69.5 percent from the floor. She is second in the nation and leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage, fourth in field goals made (260), sixth in rebounds per game (7.4) and seventh in points score (631). The Gorham, Maine native is making her second All-Big Ten appearance with a first team nod and is the program’s first ever Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Holmes has led the Hoosiers in scoring on 22 occasions this season. She has scored in double figures in all 28 games, scoring 20 points 16 times and has three 30-point scoring efforts this season. Her nine double-doubles leads her teams as six of her double-doubles have occurred in conference play, which ranks eighth all-time in a single season. Her led the league in blocks (53) and blocks per game (1.9) and averages 1.1 steals (31) per game. She set a season-high five blocks against Nebraska and Michigan while recording multiple blocks in 13 games. Holmes is now tied for sixth all-time in scoring with Cindy Bumgarner (1,865) and second in all-time blocks with 203.

Berger is now a four-time All-Big Ten first team honoree, becoming the fourth four-time All-Big Ten honoree joining Ali Patberg (2018-22), Cindy Bumgarner (1985-88) and Jill Chapman (1999-02) and the only one out of the group to earn All-Big Ten first team honors in all four seasons. She is averaging 12.4 points, a team-high 5.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and holds a +2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Berger scored a season-high 26 points in the home win over Iowa and has three double-doubles. The Louisville, Ky. native has 14 double figure scoring games in 20 appearances this season, missing eight games this season due to injury. Berger helped Indiana to a win at then No. 11/4 Tennessee where she had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. In her return from injury, she scored 16 points and have five assists and two steals against Northwestern. She continues to climb the all-time scoring list at Indiana, recently moving into the top 10 and sits ninth overall in points scored (1,779) and is second all-time in assists (553).

Moore-McNeil has made her way into IU’s starting lineup this season, starting in all 28 games while averaging 9.5 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while holding the Big Ten’s best and one of the top in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratios (+3.3). She set new career-highs in just about every category this season, including 18 points against Iowa and scoring in double figures 15 times. The Sharon, Tenn. native has dished out multiple assists in 27 of 28 games and seven of her nine games with multiple steals game in Big Ten play. A solid free throw shooter as well, Moore-McNeil averages 85.7 percent at the line, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten. Often tasked with the assignment of the opposing team’s best shooter, Moore-McNeil has really turned up her defensive presence this season and included 43 total steals. Her 6-3 wingspan creates havoc for opposing players.

Garzon has put up one of the best freshmen campaigns in recent history, averaging 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and shooting 45.9 percent from the 3-point line while starting in all 28 games. She scored in double figures 16 times and has one double-double while being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times. Nationally, Garzon’s 3-point field goal percentage ranks fifth in the country and tops in the Big Ten. The Ra’anana, Israel native scored in double figures 16 times this season and has two double-doubles. In her debut for Indiana, Garzon hit five triples and led with 19 points in a victory over Vermont. Her 62 made 3-pointers is a team-high, ranks 10th all-time in a single season and third in the program’s freshmen records. She needs five more to tie the all-time freshman high of 67. Garzon is also shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 86.2 percent at the free throw line. Garzon earned three Big Ten Player of the Week honors and was named the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week in January, the first ever for the program.

Parrish appeared in her first six games off the bench for the Hoosiers before making her way into the lineup for the last 22 contests. She averages 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. The Fishers, Ind. native has scored in double figures 20 times, including a season-high 24 points in the win over No. 6 UNC in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. She has recorded three double-doubles this season and lead the team in steals (48) and is second in 3-pointers made (49). In a well-balanced stat sheet, Parrish has had multiple rebounds in all 28 games, multiple 3-pointers in 16 outings, multiple assists in 15 games, multiple steals on 12 occasions.

Scalia averaged 9.2 points in her first season with Indiana and ranks third on the team with 45 triples made this season where she has had 13 games with multiple 3-pointers. She is also one of the team’s best free throw shooters, shooting 88.6 percent at the line. The Stillwater, Minn. native is shooting 33.8 percent from the 3-point line and is also adding 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. She has scored in double figures 12 times including a season-high 24 points by going 9-for-12 from the floor at Ohio State, where she went 6-for-8 from the line. The overall No. 1 seed Hoosiers will face either No. 8 Nebraska or No. 9 Michigan State in Big Ten Tournament action in Minneapolis on Friday at 12:30 pm on the Big Ten Network.

Iowa runs #15 Indiana Men’s Basketball out of its own building After a big win Saturday Night in West Lafayette over its archrival Purdue to sweep the season series. The #15 Indiana Hoosiers had a tough time Tuesday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes 90-68.  The Hawkeyes sweep the season series with the Hoosiers and Improve to 19-11 overall and 11-8 in the Big Ten while the Hoosiers drop to 20-10 overall and 11-8 in the Big Ten.  Indiana Head Coach Mike Woodson was not pleased with how this team played a big win over their archrival.   “Not really happy, we left our game in West Lafayette and that was unacceptable, and I apologize to our fans for that performance” Woodson said after the game.  Iowa has owned Indiana winning the last four matchups and scoring over 80 points in each game.

Iowa was led in scoring by Kris Murray with 26 points going 9-16 from the field, 5-8 from three-point range and 3-5 from the free throw line. Indianapolis native Tony Perkins scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Perkins who played at Lawrence North HS went 7-12 from the field, 1-2 from three-point range and 8-10 from the free throw line. Filip Rebraca and Payton Sandfort added 16 points apiece. Iowa went 13-23 from three-point range for 56% and the Hoosiers had no answer for the hot shooting Hawkeyes. Iowa was 30-54 from the field for 55% and 17-25 from the free throw line for 68%. Iowa pulled down 39 rebounds, dished 19 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal and committed 10 turnovers.

Indiana had 26 points and 13 Points from Trayce Jackson-Davis, and he became the all-time leading rebounder in IU basketball history passing Alan Henderson who had 1,091 rebounds from 1991-1995. Jackson-Davis broke the record on his 9th rebound which came halfway in the second half. Malik Reneau added 10 points. Jalen Hood Schifino who scored 33 points at Purdue was held to 8 points and had 5 rebounds along with 2 assists. Indiana was 25-58 from the field for 43%, 2-11 from three-point range for 18% and 16-20 from the free throw line for 80%. Indiana pulled down 27 rebounds, dished 11 assists, 8 steals 1 block and committed 10 turnovers.

Iowa jumped out to 8-0 lead after Kris Murray drilled back-to-back three pointers and Filip Rebraca hit a layup. Indiana Head Coach Mike Woodson called time out. Race Thompson scored to make it 8-2 before Murray hit a jumper and Rebraca hit two free throws to make it 12-2 Iowa with 17:04 left. The Hoosiers cut the lead down to 4 points at 24-20 when Trayce Jackson-Davis got a layup at the 9:57 mark. The Hawkeyes 10-0 and extended the lead to 14 with 6:30 left before the break. The Hoosiers could not get the lead under double digits trailing 43-26 at 4:30 mark and went into the locker room down 47-36 at half.  In the second half Trayce Jackson-Davis opened with a dunk as the Hoosiers as Iowa led by 9 points. Kris Murray drilled a three pointer to go up by 12 when Race Thompson scored to cut the Hawkeyes lead to 10 points. The Hawkeyes went on an 11-0 run and led by 21 and put the game away. Indiana got down by 25 points trailing 71-46 with 10:13 left and got no closer than 19 points on three different occasions. Iowa extended the led to 25 on a Payton Sandfort three pointer with 1:26 left. Tamar Bates hit two free throws and Malik Reneau added one to cut the lead down 22 with 1:15 left. Josh Dix drilled a three to extend the Hawkeye lead back to 25 with 46 seconds left. Kaleb Banks hit a three with 38 seconds left to end the scoring.

Indiana will look to bounce back on Sunday Afternoon when they host Michigan at 4:30pm.   It will be Senior day for Xavier Johnson, Race Thompson and Miller Kopp who are out of eligibility. Trayce Jackson-Davis has announced he will not return for his fifth season and prepare for the NBA Draft. Walk-ons Michael Shipp and Nathan Childress are seniors by class but could come back for another year if they chose too.  The Hoosiers are fighting for a bye in next week’s Big Ten Tournament in Chicago but with the standings so tight with several teams there is a lot of work to do to end the regular season on a positive note. 

Indiana University Baseball handles Butler 13-2  The Indiana baseball program returned home and used a barrage of offense on its way to a 13-2 victory over Butler on Tuesday at Bart Kaufman Field. The Hoosiers used a pair of four-run innings and nine pitchers combined to strike out 16 batters in the victory. Indiana (4-4) opened the scoring with a four-run first inning, with four doubles doing most of the damage. Butler (2-6) got a single run back in the third inning, before. Indiana put up another four-run inning in the bottom half of the frame. The Hoosiers one run in each of the next three innings, before the Bulldogs added a single run  in the top of the sixth. IU closed the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.

The pitching staff held the Butler offense to just two runs on five hits, with Ty Bothwell (1-1) picking up his first win of the season. Redshirt senior Craig Yoho struck out a trio of Bulldogs in one inning of work, while five other Hoosier pitchers posted a pair of strikeouts in the game. The 16 strikeouts marked the third double-digit strikeout game of the season for IU. Seven different players picked up a hit for the Hoosiers, with sophomore Carter Mathison leading the way with a 3-for-3 night at the plate. Mathison was on base four times in the game with two doubles, one triple and one hit-by-pitch. He scored three runs and drove in one RBI. Four other IU hitters posted two-hit games, as senior Phillip Glasser, sophomore Josh Pyne, sophomore Brock Tibbitts and redshirt junior Bobby Whalen all recorded multi-hit games. Pyne had a pair of doubles and drove in three RBIs in the game, while Glasser had a double, single, walked twice and stole two bases in the contest.

Freshman Tyler Cerny went 1-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI but was hit-by-pitch three times and stole three bases in the game. Three hit-by-pitch are the most in a game since Michael Basil was plunked three times at Michigan State on April 14, 2013, and his three stolen bases are the most in a game since Micah Johnson swiped four bases against Evansville on March 27, 2011. In all, the Hoosiers stole eight bases, its most since taking nine bags in 2007 at North Florida. That total is also a Bart Kaufman Field record in a single game, one more than its six stolen bases against Northwestern on April 15, 2018.

For Butler, Scott Jones posted a pair of hits and scored one run, while three other Bulldogs chipped in one hit apiece. Carter Dorighi and Kyle Van Liere each drove in RBIs in the game and Ian Choi had the other run scored. Defensively, Butler turned three double plays in the game.

Trayce Jackson-Davis named Nasmith Defensive Semifinalist of the year Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has been named a semifinalist for the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year award, the publication announced on Tuesday. His 2.9 blocks per contest rank fifth in the NCAA and third among high-major players. The Greenwood native is ninth nationally with 72 total blocked shots this season, despite missing three games. Jackson-Davis is averaging 11.0 rebounds (5th in the NCAA) per contest, with 7.9 (4th) coming on the defensive end of the floor. His career-high 24 rebounds against Northwestern (Jan. 8) tied Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) for the most rebounds in a game this year. He has produced three of the 15 20-rebound games across the country this season.

TJD is one of two players (Aziz Bandaogo, Utah Valley) nationally that average at least 7.5 defensive rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game. In two seasons with Jackson-Davis anchoring head coach Mike Woodson defense, the Hoosiers have allowed opponents to shoot just 40.1% from the floor, the lowest figure in the Big Ten Conference. IU has held league foes to 41.4% shooting, the lowest tally in the conference. In the month of January, the National Player of the Year candidate averaged 23.0 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. He joined Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal as the only three players in the last 25 seasons to average at least 23.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in a calendar month (min. 5 games) in Division I basketball or the NBA. On Dec. 17, Jackson-Davis blocked a career-best nine shots at Kansas, the most ever by a Jayhawk opponent and the highest single-game block total by any player in college basketball this season. He has blocked at least four shots in nine games this season. The four-time Big Ten Player of the Week has secured 15 double-doubles this season, tied for eighth in the country. Jackson-Davis has produced seven 20-10 games and six 15-15 games this season.

Indy Fuel Hockey takes care of Kalamazoo Wings on Education Day The Fuel hosted the Kalamazoo Wings bright and early for Education Day with a 10:30 a.m. puck drop in their eleventh meeting of the season. The Fuel dropped the last two games to the K-Wings but came from behind to defeat them 2-1 Tuesday. This game marked Indy’s fifth sellout of the season, their largest crowd ever of 6,880 and their second sellout game in a row, which is the first back-to-back sellout in team history. In the first period the Wings’ Darby Llewellyn kicked things off just under halfway through the first making it 1-0. Each team had one power play opportunity in the first, but neither was able to capitalize and despite outshooting the K-Wings 15-6, the Fuel were down 1-0 at the end of the first period.

In the second period the Fuel only had one power play change in the second after Kalamazoo’s Justin Murray took a hooking penalty. A few minutes after that, it appeared Spencer Watson tied the game; however, the play was called no-goal after it was called a high-stick against Chad Yetman. The Fuel took a series of penalties after that, including a double minor high-sticking penalty on captain Keoni Texeira, but the score remained the same through the end of the second frame. In the third period three minutes into the period, Matt Watson scored his first goal of the season and first in the ECHL to tie the game. After a few more penalties handed out and killed off, Bryan Lemos scored his thirteenth goal of the season with the help of Luc Brown and Keoni Texeira to put Indy ahead for the first time all game. With 1:29 left in the third, the K-Wings pulled their goaltender Evan Cormier from net in a final push but ultimately could not score. The Fuel defeated the K-Wings 2-1, making that two Education Day games in a row they have claimed a win over Kalamazoo.  The Fuel return to Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Friday, March 3 to take on the Wheeling Nailers for World Record & Do317 Night, where they will attempt to break the world record for most people playing the National Anthem on kazoo.

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