#14 Indiana Women’s Basketball faces Michigan in Big Ten Battle of top teams The #14 Indiana Hoosiers are back in action tonight at 7pm when they host the Michigan Wolverines in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall with the game televised on the Big Ten Network. Indiana and Michigan are both 2-0 in the Big Ten coming into this game along with Nebraska who travels to Wisconsin this evening and Iowa who leads the Big Ten with a 3-0 record after a 76-74 win over Michigan State Tuesday Night in Iowa City. With 18 games in the Big Ten Conference Season, every game is crucial and will be a challenge. Indiana is 11-1 overall and has a 10-game winning streak, while Michigan is 11-3 and is on a two-game winning streak.
The Hoosiers held off a second half comeback from Illinois 77-71 Sunday afternoon in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mackenzie Holmes scored 30 points, Chloe Moore-McNeil added 19 points and a clutch three pointer from Yarden Garzon with 41 seconds left sealed the win for the Hoosiers as the Sophomore finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. The Hoosiers led 37-31 at halftime as the Fighting Illini used a 10-1 run to end the third quarter as the Hoosiers lead 49-47 going into the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers hit six free throws in the final 20 seconds to close out the game.
Mackenize Holmes leads the Hoosiers with 19.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 points per game. Sara Scalia who scored 2 points on Sunday on free throws at the end of the game averages 15.3 points per game and Yarden Garzon averages 12.8 points a game as the Hoosiers average 80.6 points on the season. Chloe Moore-McNeil is averaging 8.8 points per game and leads the team with 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Sydney Parrish is averaging 8.7 points per game as the starting five has scored 65 points on average this season with the bench led by Lilly Meister and Freshman Lenee Beaumont both averaging 4.7 points per game account for the other 20.6-point average.
Michigan knocked off #17 Ohio State 69-60 Last Saturday in Ann Arbor behind a Career High 26 points from Lalia Phelia and 17 points from Lauren Hansen who is graduate transfer from Missouri. The Wolverines went on a 9-0 run as Phelia had two layups that gave Michigan a 60-51 lead with 2:48 left in the game. Jordan Hobbs added 11 points for the Wolverines. Michigan came up big in the fourth quarter making 8-12 shots and 9-11 free throws which helped them seal a big win against their archrivals and keep them unbeaten in Big Ten play. Michigan won at Illinois 84-48 to start Big Ten play in December.
Phelia leads the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game while Hansen averages 11.6 points along with a team leading 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Cameron Williams is the team’s leading rebounder at 5.3 rebounds and Chyra Evans is the leading shot blocker at 0.7 per game. Michigan averages 72.9 points per game. The Wolverines are shooting 43.3 % from the field, 37% from three-point range and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore Alyssa Crockett is from Westfield Indiana and has played in 13 games averaging 2.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Crockett scored a season high 16 points on November 29, 2023 against SIU-Edwardsville in 26 minutes of action.
Indiana leads the all-time series with Michigan 49-31 as the Hoosiers won both meetings last season and have won four out of the last five meetings in the series. The Hoosiers have won the last five matchups with Michigan at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall dating back to 2016. Indiana is 27-8 all-time in Bloomington against Michigan.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball home game with Iowa on February 22 is sold out Indiana Women’s Basketball’s home game on Feb. 22 against Iowa is officially sold out. It will be the second sellout in as many seasons for the program, as it sold out Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against Purdue last February. A select number of tickets will be held for IU faculty, staff, and students. Information on how to claim those tickets will be available soon. Fans still looking to purchase tickets can do so through the IU Athletics authorized reseller, SeatGeek.
Additionally, paid parking for the Feb. 22 game is also sold out. Free parking is in Gates 8, 9, 10 and 11. The Hoosiers have shattered attendance records in recent years and under 10th year head coach Teri Moren. They have claimed nine of the top 10 all-time attended games in program history, as four of the top five games have been set in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. The two teams will meet twice this season, with the first matchup in Iowa City on January 13 at 8pm on FOX.
Indiana University Women’s Soccer adds Five for 2024 class Indiana women’s soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom and his staff announce the addition of five student-athletes to their roster this spring. “I am thrilled to welcome Bella, Layla, Haden, Josie and Maggie to Indiana University and IU women’s soccer,” van Bennekom said. “All five will be joining us this January, and we can’t wait to start working with them.”
Maggie Ledwith | Midfielder | New Hyde Park, N.Y. | SUSA 06 ECNL
Ledwith is a member of the Southeast United Soccer Association (SUSA) 06 ECNL soccer club team. In 2022, she was a part of the ECNL National Selection game and the ECNL National training camp. Additionally, Ledwith was named All-Conference First Team (2022) and All-Conference Second Team (2021). She participated in the U14 and U16 US National training camps in 2020 and 2021 and was named to the EDP tournament best XI (2021). At Herrick High School, Lediwth scored 45 career goals and tallied 13 career assists. She was named Conference player of the year, All-County, All-American watch list and earned All-state honors in 2022. She was also named the Team MVP and was a member of the Long Island championship semifinalist team. Ledwith earned All-county in 2021 when her team was crowned the Conference Champs. She also earned All-conference honors in 2020. Academically, Ledwith is a National Honor Society Inductee, earned AP Scholar with Distinction awards and a Seal of Biliteracy candidate. She plans to attend the Kelley School of Business and major in finance. She is the daughter of Brian and Kara Ledwith and has two sisters, Ella and Chloe, and one brother, Paxton. Her mother played collegiate soccer at Hofstra University.
Josie Pratl | Defender | St. Louis, Mo | SLSG ECNL NAVY
Pratl played on the St. Louis Scott Gallagher (SLSG) ECNL NAVY 2005 and 2006 club team and was a member of the Midwest Conference Championship teams from 2018-2023. Pratl earned All-Conference First Team honors in 2023. A member of the Clayton High School varsity soccer team, Pratl was named the district champion and First team All-Conference her freshman year (2021). Pratl is the cousin of current Indiana men’s soccer player, Joey Maher, and former IUMS player Jack Maher who currently plays in the MLS with the Nashville SC. She is the daughter of Jim and Diane Pratl and has one sister JJ who attends TCU, and one brother Tommy (STL City Academy) and sister Izzy (2010 ECNL Navy). Pratl plans to major in pre-med and attend medical school.
Haden Vlcek | Defender | Springfield, Ill. | SLSG Navy ECNL
Vlcek won back-to-Back ECNL National Champions in 2022 and 2023 with a combined record of 41-0-1. She was named to the ECNL Best XI Team on the 2023 National Championship team. The Springfield, Ill., native was also a part of the ECNL Undefeated Midwest Conference Championship teams (2022, 2023) and was named All-Conference ECNL Midwest. Vlcek was invited to the US Youth National Team ID Center in 2022 and is a two-time San Diego Wave ID Center Invitee in 2023. Vlcek plans to major in business to become a Real Estate agent. Both parents were both collegiate athletes, her dad played soccer and her mom played volleyball and tennis.
Bella Haggerty | Defender | Leawood, Kan. | Kansas City Athletics
Haggerty plays club soccer at the Kansas City Athletics Academy Elite 06 ECNL in Kansas City, Mo. She was named to the ECNL All-Conference Midwest First Team in 2021 and to the ECNL All-Conference Midwest Second Team in 2022. She played in the ECNL Girls National Selection Game in 2023 and won the 2021 U15 ECNL National Championship. She trained with the KC Current Reserve Team in August of 2022 and was invited to the Kansas City Current Academy Camp in 2023. Haggerty appeared in a couple of games with the KC Current II team in 2023. In high school, Haggerty is a two-year letterwinner in soccer and basketball at Kansas Connections Academy. She has one brother, Jackson, and one sister, Olivia and plans to major in sports psychology at IU.
Layla Sirdah | Forward | Duluth, Ga. | Tophat (ranked 3rd in southeast region)
Sirdah plays club soccer for Tophat SC and was named All-region second team player at Peachtree Ridge High School in 2021. She played for the U17 Mexican national team in tournaments like Concacaf and World Cup in 2022. Sirdah is the daughter of Laura and Ismail Sirdah. She has one sister, Sarah, who is a sophomore on the IUWS squad and one brother, Tarek, who played soccer professionally in Mexico. She plans to major in architecture and interior design.
Indiana University Football’s Phillip Blidi to return for his fifth season Indiana defensive lineman Philip Blidi announced Tuesday evening that he would be returning to IU via a post on ‘X’ formerly Twitter. Blidi is cashing in his “covid” season as he has played four years of college football already. Blidi was a major part of IU’s defensive line last season playing in all 12 games including 11 starts. He made 30 total tackles with four tackles for loss. Blidi should be back into the starting defensive tackle role under the new staff and gives the Hoosiers much needed production and depth at the defensive tackle spot heading into fall camp. Blidi joined IU prior to the 2023 season from Texas Tech where he played three years and appeared in 35 games.
Indiana University Wrestling takes third at the Southern Scuffle Indiana Wrestling concluded competition at the 2024 Southern Scuffle on Tuesday night at McKenzie Arena with a program record 134 points at the event. The Hoosiers left Chattanooga with ties for program-bests in the tournament of two individual champions and a third-place finish. It was the first time that Indiana reached either of those marks in the Southern Scuffle since 2009. Sixth-year seniors No. 24 Dan Fongaro (141) and No. 22 Graham Rooks (149) each won the bracket at their weight classes. Including those two, Indiana had seven wrestlers finish on the podium. Redshirt senior No. 10 DJ Washington (174) finished in second place. Redshirt sophomore Roman Rogotzke (184) got third. Redshirt freshmen Tyler Lillard (165) and Gabe Sollars (197) each took fourth place. Redshirt freshman Blaine Frazier (125) claimed sixth place.
Fongaro knocked off No. 27 Jason Miranda (Stanford) to claim first place at 141 lbs. Rooks (149) went to overtime with No. 32 Cody Bond (Chattanooga) and won in sudden victory, 4-1, thanks to a quick takedown. Rogotzke (184) took third place over Bucknell’s Mikey Bartush with a second period pin (3:17) despite trailing to that point in the match. Frazier (125) fought through five rounds of the consolation bracket to take sixth place. No. 10 DJ Washington (174) defeated No. 30 Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) in the semifinals by decision, 12-5, in a rematch of when Washington previously previously beat him in the 2023 NCAA Championships. The individual titles were the second of the season for both Fongaro and Rooks. Each of them won their individual titles at The Battle of the Citadel to open the season. Rooks defeated two ranked opponents in his semifinal and championship matches to claim the title. He defeated No. 10 Noah Castillo (Chattanooga) and No. 32 Cody Bond (Appalachian State), respectively. Fongaro improved his season record to 15-1. Seven of the 13 Hoosiers who competed finished on the podium. As a team, Indiana won five bouts over ranked opponents in the two-day tournament. Indiana will open the Big Ten dual season on Friday, Jan. 12 at Rutgers with a 7 p.m. start in Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Indianapolis Colts Offensive Guard Quenton Nelson selected to the NFL Pro-Bowl Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson on Wednesday was selected to the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games and became just the 15th player since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to earn a spot in six consecutive Pro Bowls to begin a career. Nelson is only the fourth offensive lineman to accomplish the feat. Among active players, Nelson has the third-longest streak of Pro Bowls to begin an NFL career behind Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (10 years) and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (eight years). Nelson earned his way to the 2024 Pro Bowl with a widely-recognized standout season. His 79.6 Pro Football Focus pass block grade is fourth among guards, and PFF has him as the third-most efficient pass blocking guard in the NFL. Nelson is the Colts’ lone Pro Bowler.
The Colts had four players tapped as Pro Bowl alternates on Wednesday: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner: With his seventh sack of the season in Week 17, Buckner became only the third player in the NFL to have seven or more sacks in six consecutive seasons (joining the Chiefs’ Chris Jones and the Browns’ Myles Garrett). Buckner also has 10 tackles for a loss, 19 quarterback hits, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown in 2023. Buckner earned Pro Bowl berths in 2018 and 2021 and was named a first-team AP All-Pro in 2020.
Linebacker Zaire Franklin: Franklin broke his own franchise tackles record in Week 17, and with one game left leads the NFL with 170 tackles entering Week 18. The Colts nominated Franklin as their 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year and has six pass break-ups and two forced fumbles this season.
Center Ryan Kelly:Kelly’s 78.4 Pro Football Focus grade ranks sixth among centers, and the seven pressures he’s allowed are the lowest among regular starters this season (the Eagles’ Jason Kelce is second with 10 pressures allowed). Kelly, the longest-tenured member of the Colts, was named a Pro Bowler in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.: Pittman in Week 17 became the fourth player in franchise history with at least 100 receptions and over 1,000 yards in a season, and his 104 receptions rank sixth in the NFL. His physical presence has made a major impact on the entire Colts’ offense, and he’s paired that physicality with two 1,000-yard seasons and three 85-plus-catch seasons since joining the Colts in 2020.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson