Yarden Garzon and Aleska Gulbe Eliminated at the FIBA Euro Basket Women’s Tournament The FIBA Euro Basket Tournament in Tel Aviv Israel came to an end on Sunday for Former IU Women’s Basketball player Aleska Gulbe and current Hoosier Yarden Garzon as both their national teams finished in 4th place in their respective groups and will not advance to the next round. Garzon and Israel finished 0-3 while Gulbe and Latvia finished 1-2 and tied with Greece for third place but lost to Greece in group play.
Gulbe who played at IU from 2018-22 finished the tournament scoring 34 points in 87 minutes for 11.3 points per game average. Gulbe went 12-26 from the field for 46%, 2-7 from three-point range for 28% and 8-11 from the free throw line for 72%. Gulbe pulled down 23 rebounds for 7.7 average, dished out 6 assists, 1 block and committed 6 turnovers. Yarden Garzon finished the tournament scoring 34 points in 84 minutes for an 11.3 points per game average. Garzon was 11-19 from the field for 58%, 5-9 from three-point range for 55% and 6-7 from the free throw line for 85%. Garzon pulled down11 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 foul and committed 6 turnovers. Lior Garzon played 15 minutes and did not score in 2 games. Lior was 0-2 form the field and 0-1 three-point range along with 2 rebounds and committing 4 turnovers.
On Sunday Aleska Gulbe scored 5 points for Latvia in a 61-58 loss to Montenegro. Gulbe started and played 30 Minutes and 30 seconds going 1-5 from the field, 0-1 from three-point range and 3-4 from the free throw line. Gulbe pulled down 7 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and had 2 turnovers. Yarden Garzon scored 6 points for Israel in a 61-52 loss to the Czech Republic. Garzon started and played 24 minutes going 1-4 from the field, 0-2 from three-point range and 4-4 from the free throw line. Garzon pulled down a rebound, dished out 2 assists, a steal, a block and 2 turnovers. Her older Sister Lior who will be a Senior at Oklahoma State played 4 minutes and 28 seconds off the bench pulled down 2 rebounds and committed 3 turnovers.
On Friday Yarden Garzon scored 15 points for Israel in an 88-68 loss to Italy. Garzon started and played 30 Minutes and 22 Seconds going 6-9 from the field, 3-4 from three-point range and 0-1 from the free throw line. Garzon had 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 turnovers. Yarden’s sister Lior played 10 minutes and 28 seconds off the bench going 0-2 from the field 0-1 from 3-point range and committed a turnover. Gulbe scored 15 points for Latvia in a 73-65 loss to Greece. Gulbe started and played 30 Minutes and 18 seconds went 5-10 from the field 2-4 from three-point range and 3-5 from the free throw line. Gulbe had 9 rebounds 2 assists and 4 turnovers.
Indiana University Baseball Pitcher and Edgewood Graduate Luke Hayden Transfers to Indiana State
Luke Hayden announced Saturday that he will transfer to Indiana State for his final two seasons of College Baseball. Hayden pitched for his hometown Indiana Hoosiers for that last two seasons as made an NCAA Tournament Appearance in 2023. The 6-1 Right Hande Pitcher graduated from Edgewood HS in 2021 and led the Mustangs to the Class 3A State Championship game in 2019. Hayden played in the 2021 Indiana North-South All Star Baseball game and was named team captain and team MVP as a senior. Hayden will be reunited with his HS teammate Joe Kido at Indiana State. The Sycamores hosted and won the regional this past season and lost to TCU in the Super Regionals.
In his Freshman Season at IU in 2022 Hayden made 20 appearances with six starts on the mound and collected four wins. Hayden made collegiate debut in the series finale at Clemson (2/20) along with his first collegiate start came against Miami (Ohio) (3/1) in the 2022 home opener. He owned wins against Miami (Ohio) (3/1), Cincinnati (3/8), at Cincinnati (4/20) and at Illinois State (4/27). Hayden did not allow a run of his own in 12 of 20 appearances and stranded three of eight inherited runners. Hayden held opponents to three-or-fewer earned runs in five of six starts and issued two-or-fewer walks in 15 appearances, including four starts. Hayden ranked No. 2 on the team in victories (4) and was one of five pitchers to log 20-plus appearances on the season (20).
As a sophomore in 2023 Hayden made 13 appearances with two starts, collected two victories and earned one save. Hayden posted wins against Ohio State (3/26) in the second game of a doubleheader and at Michigan State (5/20). Hayden garnered first career save against Evansville (5/16). Hayden did not allow a run of his own in two appearances as he stranded four of nine inherited runners and held opponents to three-or-fewer earned runs in 11 of 13 appearances. Hayden Issued two-or-fewer walks in 12 appearances, including three with zero walks and fanned five-or-more batters twice on the season, both in relief appearances.
Indiana Fever win back-to-back games for the first time since May of 2022
The Indiana Fever (4-6) defeated the Chicago Sky, 92-90, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago Illinois. The second consecutive win for Indiana was the first win at Chicago since June 21, 2019. It is the first time since May of 2022 that the Fever have won back-to-back games. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half, followed up a game-tying free throw from Sky guard Dana Evans with a completed midrange jumper to put the Fever ahead by two with 1.1 seconds on the clock. Chicago was unable to convert on its last possession and Indiana closed out the win.
Indiana was led in scoring by rookie center Aliyah Boston, who notched 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the court. She became the fifth player in WNBA history to record at least 150 points and 70 rebounds on 50 percent shooting through 10 games, and the only one of the group to shoot better than 60 percent, per ESPN Stats & Info. Boston was followed in scoring by Victoria Vivians, who recorded a season-high 17 points off the bench, as well as NaLyssa Smith and Mitchell who each pitched in 15 points. Both Boston and Smith pulled down eight rebounds individually. Former Indiana University standout Grace Berger missed her only field goal attempt in four minutes of action. The Boston-Smith-Mitchell combination shot 100 percent from the free throw line (17-of-17), which is only the fifth time in WNBA history and first time in franchise history that a trio of teammates have individually had at least 15 points and at least five made free throws on perfect shooting from the charity stripe, per Across the Timeline. As a team, Indiana made a season-high 21 free throws.
The Fever got off to a slow start as the Sky opened the first five minutes of the game with a 15-6 scoring run, shooting 75 percent (6-of-8) from the floor. Boston contributed eight points on a perfect 2-of-2 shooting clip to lead the Indiana effort in shrinking the early 11-point deficit to six going into the second quarter trailing, 23-17. Indiana’s reserves outscored the Chicago reserves,17-4, in the first half, highlighted by Vivians’ season-high 10 points in the second quarter alone. A completed three-pointer from Maya Caldwell to close out a Fever 11-4 scoring run put Indiana ahead with 5.6 seconds on the clock. After trailing Chicago for the majority of the first half, Indiana went into the locker room leading the Sky, 38-37.
The Fever remained in control of the third quarter, but eventually lost the lead as Chicago’s Marina Mabrey caught fire, scoring 19 of her 36 points on the night in the third quarter alone. Within the quarter, Mitchell recorded nine points and went 2-of-2 from behind the three-point arc, while Boston had seven points on 3-of-3 shooting. Indiana trailed Chicago, 71-65, heading into the final frame. Indiana spent the first six minutes of the final quarter working toward erasing the Chicago lead, finally moving back in front with four minutes left in the game. A strong defensive effort from Fever guard Maya Caldwell kept Mabrey contained to close out the game, as Mabrey only had two field goal attempts and three points in the quarter. Mabrey did not score in the last 9:24 of the game.
For Chicago, only seven Sky players took to the floor after Kahleah Copper was ruled out for the game. Mabrey’s career-high 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting from the floor and 6-of-11 from the three-point line was also the most points scored by a Sky player against Indiana in the regular-season series history. She was followed by Evans in the scoring column, who recorded 21 points off the bench and Robyn Parks pitched in 13 points on the night. Courtney Williams led the team with a season-high 10 assists.
Linton’s Joey Hart Commits the University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball Team
Joey Hart will be a Wildcat. The 6-6 Linton-Stockton star announced his commitment Saturday to Kentucky, following a weekend official visit to the school. Hart was also looking at Indiana and Rutgers. The Indiana All-Star, who was previously committed to Central Florida, reopened his recruitment following his senior season. Hart averaged 23.7 points per game was a senior for Linton-Stockton, leading the Miners to a Class 2A state finals appearance.
Hart, who finished his high school career with 1,901 points, 424 rebounds and 224 assists, made the trip to Owensboro, Ky., to join the Indiana All-Stars for its game vs. Kentucky. He was unable to play, however, due to a turf toe injury. Kentucky lost eight players from last year’s team – four to the NBA draft and four to the transfer portal. Hart originally signed with Central Florida over offers from Ball State, Evansville and Toledo. Several high-major programs reached out to Hart after he was released from his letter of intent, including his Kentucky, Indiana, Rutgers, Butler and Notre Dame.
Purdue University Men’s Basketball incoming Freshman Myles Colvin named to the USA Basketball Under 19 Team
Heritage Christian senior and Purdue recruit Myles Colvin will play for USA Basketball. USA Basketball announced Friday that Colvin was named to the 12-player U19 World Cup team that will compete in the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup. The event is June 24 to July 2 in Debrecen, Hungary. The 6-6 Colvin, an Indiana All-Star, is one of four incoming college freshmen on the team. He averaged 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game as a senior at Heritage Christian. Colvin, 17, is the sixth Purdue player named to the U19 team since 2015, ranking as the most in the nation. He competed in the 3-on-3 U18 World Championships with USA Basketball.
The high-flying Colvin is the only Big Ten Conference representative on the team. Rising college sophomores on the squad are Villanova’s Mark Armstrong, Tennessee’s Tobe Awaka, Arizona’s Kylan Boswell and Vanderbilt’s Ven-Allen Lubin. Incoming college freshman joining Colvin are Iowa State’s Omaha Biliew, Oklahoma State’s Eric Dailey Jr., and Colorado’s Cody Williams. Rising high school seniors on the team are Dylan Harper, Ian Jackson, Tre Johnson and Asa Newell. Harper and Newell are Indiana University Men’s Basketball targets.
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