#9 Indiana University Women’s Basketball Hangs 111 Points on Northwood
The #9 ranked Indiana University Women’s Basketball Team put the pedal to metal and never let up with a dominating win over Northwood University a division 2 Team from Michigan 111-68 Wednesday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The win was overshadowed by the announcement by Public Address Announcer Jeremy Gray that Former Men’s Basketball and Hall of Fame Coach Bob Knight had passed away earlier in the evening at age 83 and there was moment of silence to honor the man who won Three National Championships with the Hoosiers in 1976, 1981 and 1987. “My only connection before I came here to Indiana Basketball was my dad brought his HS team to a team camp” Mackenzie Holmes said after the game. “My Dad is a huge Bob Knight fan and we are sad to hear the news, Bob Knight Built Indiana Basketball” Holmes Said.
The Hoosiers came out on fire as Mackenize Holmes who celebrated her 23rd Birthday Wednesday scored the first basket of the came with a layup. The Hoosiers went all gas and no breaks scoring the first 17 points of the game. Northwood would get its first point with 6:30 left in the First Quarter on the second free attempt by Maddie Voelker. After Mackenize Holmes made a driving layup to make it 19-1 with 6:06 left in the first quarter. Northwood scored its first field goal by Meave St. John with 5:44 left. The Hoosiers led 37-10 after the first quarter. Indiana shot 15-23 from the field for 65%, 4-6 from downtown for 66% and 3-5 for from the Free Throw line for 60%.
In the second quarter the Hoosiers outscored the Timberwolves 28-16 as Hoosiers led 65-26 at halftime. Mackenize Holmes had 22 first half points on 11-11 shooting from the field as she dominated inside and pulled down 7 rebounds. Sara Scalia added 14 points on 4-6 from three-point range and Yarden Garzon added 12 points on 5-6 from the field and 2-2 from three-point range in which Jeremy Gray broke out the Shalosh Garzon which means three in Hebrew in which he started last year to honor her as native of Israel. Indiana was 27-42 from the field for 64%, 8-13 from three-point range for 61% and 3-6 from the free throw line for 50%. The Hoosiers shared the ball dishing out 18 assists and only 4 turnovers.
In the third quarter Northwood was able to find their groove scoring 24 points as they went 9-16 from the field for 56%, 3-5 from three-point range for 60% and 3-3 from the Free Throw line for 100%. The Hoosiers scored 28 points going 11-14 from the for 78%, 3-5 from three-point range for 60% and 5-8 from the free throw line for 3-4 for 75%. Indiana hit the century mark when Lenee Beaumont drove down the lane with 6:25 left in the game. The Hoosiers dished out 30 assists and committed 10 turnovers.
Mackenize Holmes had a birthday she will remember with 28 points going 14-14 from the field along with 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals and 1 assist. “I have never been able to play a game on my Birthday Mackenzie Holmes said after the game. “To be able to play in front of the best fans in the country is the best birthday gift you could ask for” Holmes Said. Sara Scalia had 17 points going 5-8 from three-point range. Sydney Parrish finished with 14 points going 6-8 from the field and 2-3 from downtown. Yarden Garzon finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Lexus Bargesser finished 11 points. The Hoosiers got 10 rebounds from Chloe Moore-McNeil along with 2 points. Lilly Meister scored 10 points, Lenee Beaumont scored 9 points, Henna Sandvik added 4 points, Juliana LaMendola and Sharneece Currie Jelks added 2 points and Arielle Wisne played six minutes and did not score.
“It’s sad day here in Bloomington with the passing of Bob Knight as we lost a legend, we want to send are thoughts and prayers to his wife Karen” Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game. “My Memories of Coach Knight when I was growing up watching Indiana”. Coach Moren said that she has conversation with Coach Knight, and he has watched her team play. “I fell in love watching Indiana and Coach Knight was it” Moren said. “Perhaps he is the reason why I am sitting here today” Moren Said. The Hoosiers will open the regular season next Thursday night against Eastern Illinois.
Three Indiana University Field Hockey players earn Big Ten Honors
The Big Ten Conference announced its postseason Field Hockey honors on Wednesday afternoon with three Hoosiers garnering recognition. Sydney Keld and Inés Garcia Prado were each named All-Big Ten Second Team honorees. Taylor Etling was named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner. This is Keld’s second year in a row earning All-Big Ten Second Team recognition. Her redshirt senior season saw her record two assists and four defensive saves. The four defensive saves were the second-most of players in the Big Ten and tied for eighth nationally.
Only a freshman, Garcia Prado made quite the mark in the league in her first season with three goals and five assists. Keld and Garcia Prado’s distinction marks the fourth time in the last five years that an Indiana player had been selected to an All-Big Ten team. Etling, was one of nine players around the conference to earn the sportsmanship award. The senior has been an integral part of the Indiana program on and off the field in her four years. The Missouri native made 46 appearances in her time as a Hoosier. She also has earned Academic All-Big Ten and NFHCA National Academic Squad honors while being named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar over the course of her career.
Two Indiana University Men’s Swimmers earn Big Ten Weekly Honors
Indiana swimming and diving senior Jassen Yep was named the Big Ten Swimmer of the Week, and Ahmed Hafnaoui was picked the Big Ten Freshman of the Week via announcement from the conference office on Wednesday. Yep, and Hafnaoui each swept their disciplines in IU’s dominant wins over No. 10 Auburn and No. 20 Missouri last Wednesday, as the men’s and women’s teams have each started the season 3-0 in dual meet action.
Yep won the breaststroke events, posting times well under the NCAA B cut standards. Yep’s 1:54.71 in the 200-yard breaststroke ranks No. 4 in the country this season and No. 1 in the Big Ten. In the 100 breast, he dropped the sixth-best time nationally in 52.78, just .78 seconds off his personal-best time set at the 2023 NCAA Championships where he placed 21st nationally last season. Additionally, his 24.22 split in the 200-yard medley relay was the fastest of any competitor. Hafnaoui also posted a pair of the nation’s top time in his first short-course yards meet as a Hoosier. Sweeping the distance events, his 8:55.74 in the 1,000-yard freestyle ranks No. 3 in the country, and his 4:18.62 500 free sits No. 6. Yep, Hafanoui and the Hoosiers return to action for their midseason meet, the Ohio State Invitational, November 16-18 in Columbus, Ohio.
Two Indiana University Cross-Country Runners named Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winners
The Big Ten conference announced their postseason awards following the conclusion of the conference championships on Friday. Junior transfer Martin Segurola and sophomore Tori Schmidt were announced as Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees. These student-athletes have set themselves apart through hard work, sportsmanship and honorable behavior. They must also be in good academic standing and demonstrate good citizenship outside of the sports setting.
Segurola stepped up this season for the Hoosiers as he participated in his first career 8k at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational. He ran a 24:41.3 to win the men’s 8k Gold Division Race. He followed that up with a personal best time of 24:10.9 at the Arturo Barrios Invite at Texas A&M shaving over 30 seconds off his time. At Big Ten’s, he crossed the line with a time 25:51.7 to place 57th in the race. Schmidt finished 65th in the 6k at the Big Ten Championship last weekend with a time of 22:45.9. She has set new personal bests in the 5k (17:50.4) at the John McNichols Invite, shaving over 20 seconds off her previous time. She also set another personal best time in the 6k race after running a 21:09.4 at the Arturo Barrios Invite. The Hoosiers will compete at NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 10.
Indiana University Football player Trey Walker Nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy
On Tuesday, the Burlsworth Trophy announced its nominees for consideration of the 2023 award and Indiana football redshirt senior Trey Walker was among the 73 FBS nominees for the award that is given to the most outstanding football player in American who began his career as a walk-on. Walker has appeared in 13 career games and garnered his first career start in Week 4 against Akron, where he also hauled in his first collegiate catch. The 20-yard grab was part of a two-catch game for Walker, who joined the program as a walk-on in 2019. He has appeared in seven games in 2023 with five receptions for 46 yards. The Winnetka, Illinois, native owns his undergraduate degree in sport marketing and management. He spent four seasons as a walk-on but was awarded a scholarship during fall camp prior to the start of the 2023 season.
The Burlsworth Trophy was first awarded in 2010 and is presented each year to “college football’s most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.” The trophy is presented to a young man who embodies the values that Brandon Burlsworth stood for. Brandon was a walk on football player at the University of Arkansas and completed his college career as an All-American and the 63rd overall pick in the NFL draft. He was the first Razorback football player in history to complete his master’s degree before playing his final college game. Tragically, he was killed in an auto accident just days after the draft. The Burlsworth Trophy is presented by the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation at the annual award show each December.
“Once again, a tremendous group of former walk-on players are up for the Burlsworth Trophy”, said Marty Burlsworth, President and CEO of the Burlsworth Trophy and older brother of Brandon Burlsworth. “These young men have not only shown their diligence, but they had to work extra hard just for the opportunity to contribute to their teams. They did it the Burls Way, they earned it!” Without one D1 scholarship offer, Brandon Burlsworth walked on at the University of Arkansas in 1994. He became a three-year starter and was eventually named an All-American in 1998. Burlsworth was selected as the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft but was tragically killed in a car accident 11 days later. The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, in particular those children who have limited opportunities. The Burlsworth Trophy award ceremony to honor the three finalists and to announce the 2023 winner will be on December 4, at 7:00pm CST at Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Bloomington North Junior Avery Freeman commits to Indiana University for Volleyball
Avery Freeman has been on the Indiana University volleyball bandwagon for a long time now. So, no wonder she wants to come along for the ride as the junior libero from Bloomington North recently gave an oral commitment to coach Steve Aird the Hoosiers’ up-and-coming Big Ten program. She hopes to follow in the footsteps of former Cougar Ashley Benson, who helped IU make the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2010.
Freeman, who recently hit the 1,000-dig mark and has become an offensive threat out of the back row, had other suitors around the Midwest. But Aird and his staff and IU’s recent rise in its competitive level within the deepest league at the college level was too strong a draw. She also likes the idea of making it easy for friends, family and former teammates to come see her play. Avery’s older sister Blakeley is a junior defensive specialist/libero at Evansville and was someone she leaned on during the recruiting process. Another libero she keeps a close eye on is IU freshman Ramsey Gary, an Under Armour All-American out of Pendleton Heights. So, she knows exactly what awaits her at the level and she can’t wait to get in a stance and dig in.
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