#14 Indiana University Women’s Basketball Dominates Nebraska on the road to remain unbeaten in the Big Ten
#14 Indiana Hoosiers went into Lincoln Nebraska Sunday Afternoon and handled the Nebraska Cornhuskers 91-69 in Pinnacle Bank Arena in front of a crowd of 9,050. Indiana is 13-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten and will host Penn State on Wednesday Night as the Hoosiers are on a 12-game winning streak. Nebraska is 11-4 and 3-1 in the Big Ten and will host Illinois on Thursday. Indiana has won two in a row against the Huskers and eight of the last nine meetings dating back to 2018. The Hoosiers 22-point victory is the largest margin victory against Nebraska in Lincoln and the fourth time that Hoosiers have won and Lincoln along with 2016, 2019 and 2020 and lead the all-time series 12-6.
Mackenize Holmes led the Hoosiers with 22 points and six rebounds and Sydney Parrish scored 20 points and went 6-7 from three-point range. Sara Scalia added 19 points hitting five three pointers and Chloe Moore-McNeil added 16 points and hit two three pointers. The Hoosiers finished the game shooting 60 % from the field on 34-56, 14-23 form the three-point range for 61% and 9-14 from free throw line for 64%. Indiana pulled down 30 rebounds, dished 22 assists, 7 steals, 2 blocks and committed 14 turnovers. The inside play along with the ability to knock down the outside shot and sharing the basketball make the Hoosiers a scary team come March. Head Coach Teri Moren does not believe that we have seen the Hoosiers reach their full potential. “I don’t know that we have hit our stride. I hope not. I don’t want to peak too soon” Moren said after the game. Holmes has scored 2,172 points and now is 193 points away from breaking the school’s all-time scoring record of 2,364 points held by Tyra Buss. Sydney Parrish has scored 34 points in the last two games and is 9-11 from three-point range. Scalia has hit nine three pointers in her last two games going 0-3 against Illinois on New Year’s Eve. Moore-McNeil has scored 44 points in her last three games. Lilly Meister scored 5 points, Yarden Garzon 3 points along with 2 points apiece from Juliana LaMendola, Lenee Beaumont and Lexus Bargesser and Henna Sandvik did not score.
Nebraska was led with 21 points and 6 rebounds from Alexis Markowski along with 13 points off the bench from Logan Nisley. Freshman Natalie Potts scored 9 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Second leading scorer Jaz Shelley was held to 6 points. Nebraska finished 27-61 from the field for 44%, 9-22 from three-point range for 41% and 6-8 from the free throw line for 75%. The Cornhuskers pulled down 29 rebounds, dished out 19 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and committed 19 turnovers.
In the first quarter Sydney Parrish picked up where she left off against Michigan Last Thursday Night as the Fishers, Indiana native went 4-4 from three-point range with 12 points as the Hoosiers led 20-15 after the opening period. Parrish drained her fifth three pointer and she missed her first three point shot with 2:33 left before halftime as she was 6-8 from the field and 5-6 from three-point range with 17 points as the Hoosiers led 42-29 at the break and outscored Nebraska 22-14 in the second quarter. In the second half Mackenize Holmes went to work scoring 11 points in the third quarter as Alexis Markowski picked up her fourth foul with 8:36 left in the third quarter. Markowski had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the first half but the Huskers had no answer for Holmes once she went to the bench with foul trouble. Parrish drained her sixth three of the game 6:34 left in the third quarter as the Hoosiers led 69-49 at the end of the third quarter and the Hoosiers outscored Nebraska 27-20. Indiana finished it off with a 22-point fourth quarter as Nebraska was heating up from three-point range but the Hoosiers answered every time Huskers scored with a bucket of their own.
The Hoosiers and Iowa are both 4-0 and meet on Saturday Night in Iowa City in primetime showdown on FOX. The Hawkeyes travel to Purdue Wednesday Night and if both teams in on Wednesday Night it sets up the third game for the Hoosiers in facing an unbeaten big ten team and the third in four games and so far, the Hoosiers are 2-2 in those matchups and if they get past Penn State Wednesday night, they will go for three for three with the Conference lead on the line in Iowa City.
Malik Reneau’s Big Second Half leads Indiana University Men’s Basketball over Ohio State
The Indiana Hoosiers beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 71-65 Saturday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are 11-4 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play and will travel to Rutgers Tuesday Night to take on a Scarlet Knights team who lost at Iowa 86-77 and will come into the game with the Hoosiers 0-3 in the Big Ten and 8-6 overall. Ohio State is 12-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten and will play Wisconsin at Home on Wednesday Night. The Hoosiers lead the overall series 111-88 and have won two straight in series and last four at home with the Buckeyes dating back to 2020.
Malik Reneau scored 23 points and pulled down 7 rebounds to lead the Hoosiers. The Sophomore from Miami scored 19 points in the second half to lead the Hoosier charge in the second half. Xavier Johnson scored 18 points and C.J. Gunn scored 10 points off the bench. The Hoosiers finished 27-58 for 46% from the field, 5-12 from three-point range for 41% and 12-16 from the free throw line for 75%, The Hoosiers pulled down 27 rebounds, dished out 16 assists, 8 steals, 3 blocks and 4 turnovers. Xavier Johnson did not commit a turnover after having 4 in 14 minutes Wednesday Night at Nebraska as the Hoosiers committed 19 turnovers against the Cornhuskers. The Hoosiers scored 40 points in the paint and 13 Bench Points. Woodson was blunt in Johnson’s play at Nebraska but the sixth-year senior responded and rose to the occasion on Saturday Night. “He was huge tonight; I gave him and C.J. the game ball” Mike Woodson said after the game. Johnson played his first game since getting hurt against Harvard in late November and was not happy with his play at Nebraska Wednesday Night. “I am a sixth-year guy. This team needs me. Coach expects more from me, I grew up tonight and I got to keep growing” Xavier Johnson said after the game.
Jamison Battle scored 17 points to lead the Buckeyes and hit five three pointers. Zed Key scored 11 points off the bench. Guards Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr combined for 18 points with each scoring nine points apiece on 7-34 shooting and 0-12 from three-point range. Felix Okpara pulled down 15 rebounds and scored 6 points. The Buckeyes finished 25-69 from the field for 36%, 7-27 from three-point range for 25% and 8-9 from from the free throw line for 89%. The Buckeyes pulled down 49 rebounds, 13 assists, 9 blocks, 3 steals and committed 14 turnovers.
The Hoosiers lead 5-0 to start the game and led 15-13 with 11:54 left in the first half. Ohio State tied the game at 15-15 Bruce Thronton tying the game with 11:36 and then a Jamison Battle put Ohio State on top with 11:10 left as the Buckeyes went on a 12-0 run in next 3:31 as the Hoosiers ended a 3:52 scoring drought with Anthony Walker free throw and Kel’el Ware basket ended 4:56 field goal drought. Ohio State led until Xavier Johnson hit two free throws to put the Hoosiers in the lead 37-36 but Trey Galloway foul on Zed Key with .4 seconds left gave Key a chance to go to the free throw line and knock down two free throws to put the Hoosiers on top 38-37 at halftime.
In the second half Ohio State went on an 8-0 run to lead 46-37 with 18;05 left in the second half. Reneau led a Hoosier 8-0 run scoring six of the eight points with Xavier Johnson scoring the other two on free throws as the Hoosiers were down 46-45 when Zed Key’s slam dunk put the Buckeyes up two before Reneau tied the game at 48-48 on a three pointer with 12:07 left. Ohio State led 52-50 when Xavier Johnson hit a three pointer to put the Hoosiers up 53-52 with 9:50 left and the Hoosiers outscored the Buckeyes 7-0 as Ohio State had a three and half minute scoring drought before Scotty Middleton’s basket ended the drought. The Hoosiers were able to lead the rest of the game and send the home crowd happy after a rough stretch in the first half and to start the second half that left the crowd a little restless. Indiana is 8-1 at home this season and now they need to show it on the road where they are 1-1 and 2-2 in neutral site games.
Indiana University Football hits the transfer portal hard with four commitments
Indiana University Football landed four players out of the transfer portal with Old Dominion Safety Terry Jones, North Carolina Running Back Elijah Green and James Madison Wide Receiver Elijah Sarratt all committing to the Hoosiers on Thursday Night after Old Dominion Safety Shawn Asbury II committed to the Hoosiers Thursday afternoon. Friday the Hoosiers landed transfer Jayden McDonald who was a linebacker at Troy University in Alabama. New IU Football Coach Curt Cignetti has landed 22 players out of the transfer portal and 16 HS Players along with 4 players who entered the transfer portal who withdrew their name from the 2024 NFL Draft to come back to IU. Linebacker Jacob Magnum-Farrar is coming back for his final year after it was believed he was out of Eligibility and Defensive Lineman Phillip Bildi announced he will return for his fifth and final season. The Hoosiers have lost 23 players to the Transfer Portal and 17 of those have announced where they are playing next. 10 HS Players decommitted after Head Coach Tom Allen was fired the day after the Purdue Game in November and seven of those players have announced commitments to new schools.
Jones appeared in all 12 games in 2023, starting 11 at safety. He was third on the team and fourth in the Sun Belt with 107 tackles. Jones had four tackles for loss and four pass breakups. He tied his career-high with 13 tackles each against Marshall and Coastal Carolina. Over 2021-22, Jones played in 24 games with 15 starts at safety. For his career, Jones has recorded 241 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, eight PBUs, three QB hurries, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one sack, and one fumble recovery. He has one year of eligibility remaining. As a high school senior, the Baltimore product helped Mergenthaler to an 11-2 record, a regional championship and berth in the state semifinals. He was ranked as the No. 41 recruit in Maryland.
2022 was Green’s best season at UNC, when he carried 131 times for 558 yards and eight TDs. He also caught 17 passes for 107 yards and a score that season in 14 games. He was the Tar Heels starting running back that season but later fell down the depth chart. He had just four carries for 12 yards in 2023 after suffering a broken thumb at the start of the season. In 27 career games for the Tar Heels, Green toted it 156 times for 664 yards. Green should have one year of eligibility remaining. Hailing from Roswell, Ga. (Blessed Trinity H.S.), Green was a three-star prospect tabbed as the state’s No. 65 player and the nation’s 46th-ranked running back according to ESPN. Green’s father Victor played 11 seasons in the NFL and is a member of the New York Jets All-Time Four Decade Team.
Sarratt was named first-team all-Sun Belt Conference after catching a team-high 82 passes for 1,191 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023, helping James Madison finish 11-2. Over the Dukes’ final six games, Sarratt had over 100 receiving yards in five contests. The 6-foot-2 Sarratt transferred to JMU after spending one season at Saint Francis (2022) where he had 42 receptions for 700 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Sarratt should have two years of eligibility remaining. Utah, Kansas State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Cal, Purdue and South Carolina all offered Sarratt since entering the NCAA’s transfer portal.
For McDonald It will be a return trip to the Big Ten for the 6-foot and 227-pound middle linebacker. McDonald led the Trojans with 75 tackles this season, along with 9.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery from his Mike linebacker position. A graduate transfer, he has one season of eligibility remaining. A native of Suwanee, Ga., McDonald started his career at Iowa. He did not see any game action there in 2018, and he sat out the 2019 season after transferring to Troy. As a junior in 2022, McDonald started week two and three before his season ended due to injury during the App State game. He was credited with 13 tackles in his limited action. In 2021 he was one of Troy’s leading tacklers before a season-ending ankle injury at Coastal Carolina. McDonald averaged 4.6 tackles per game in the seven contests before the injury. McDonald finished second on the team with 67 tackles in 2020. He was rated the No. 7 linebacker in the country per Pro Football Focus in pressuring the quarterback with an 88.8 grade. As a senior at North Gwinnett H.S. was named Georgia High School Defensive Player of the Year by Georgia High School Coaches Association.
Indiana University Volleyball Coach Steve Aird signs a contract extension through 2029
Indiana Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson and head volleyball coach Steve Aird have agreed to a contract extension through the 2029 season. “Our volleyball program has shown impressive growth over the last several seasons under Coach Aird, to the point that we are now competing at a very high level in the best volleyball conference in the country,” Dolson said. “I know that our student-athletes and coaching staff believe there are bigger things ahead for this program, and I’m excited to see what’s next for Indiana Volleyball.”
Aird, who just completed his sixth season in Bloomington, helped lead the Hoosiers to one of the best seasons in program history in 2023. IU matched a school record with 21 regular season wins and won 11 games in the Big Ten conference for the first time since 1999. It was also just the sixth 20-win season in IU Volleyball’s 43-year history as a varsity program, and only the fourth time the program has won 10 more conference games during that same period. “I would like to thank Scott Dolson and our administration for their continued support,” Aird said. “IU has created a first-class experience for our student athletes and one we feel can compete with the nation’s best. I am proud of our staff for their hard work and dedication. We are all looking forward to this spring and beyond.”
Paired with the opening of the state-of-the-art Wilkinson Hall in 2019, Aird has reinvigorated fan interest in the IU volleyball program. The Hoosiers had two sellouts in 2023 and a pair of attendance records, including a victory over archrival Purdue in front of 2,725 fans in October. IU has won five matches against ranked opponents in Aird’s time in Bloomington, including three in the past two seasons. The win at No. 5 Ohio State in 2022 was the program’s first top-five road victory in program history.
Known as an elite recruiter, Aird and his staff have attracted and developed some of the most dynamic players in program history. Paula Cerame (libero, 2021-22) and Kaley Rammelsberg (middle blocker, 2021-23) were immediate starters out of the transfer portal while Savannah Kjolhede (middle blocker, 2020-23), Camryn Haworth (junior setter) and Ramsey Gary (freshman libero) were highly regarded prep recruits that have made enormous impacts on the program. Three Hoosiers earned All-Big Ten honors in 2023 including Haworth (unanimous first team), Gary (second team and unanimous freshman team) and Rammelsberg (second team). Haworth, one of Aird’s first IU recruits, became the program’s fourth AVCA All-American in 2023.
“Our team has made us proud on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” Aird said. “They come early, stay late and truly care about each other. Paired with incredible recruits heading to campus, there is reason to be excited about the future. Bloomington is an amazing college town that my wife and children proudly call home. We are grateful for the opportunity and are excited to continue to build this program.” Led by the return of Haworth, Gary, Morgan Geddes, and sophomores Candela Alonso-Corcelles and Avry Tatum, the Hoosiers will take a strong core of veterans into a new era of Big Ten Volleyball in 2024. In addition to the talent that will return in the fall from the 2023 roster, Aird has also assembled a top-flight staff that will also return. Included in that group are Associate Head Coach Rachel Morris and Assistant Coach Brett Agne, both of whom were recently named to VolleyballMag’s Under 40 College Coaching Hotshots list.
Indianapolis Colts miss the Playoffs with a season finale loss to the Houston Texans
The Indianapolis Colts faced a do-or-die situation in their season finale against the Houston Texans on Saturday. With a win, the Colts would’ve made the playoffs. Instead, Houston ended Indianapolis’ season at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Texans beat the Colts, 23-19, and eliminated them from playoff contention in the final week of the regular season. Indianapolis missed out on an AFC South title for the eighth year in a row in 2023. The Colts last won the division in 2014, when quarterback Andrew Luck guided them to an 11-5 record. Indianapolis has not made the playoffs since 2020, when they fell to the Buffalo Bills in a Wild Card game.
Houston’s passing attack proved dominant against the Colts’ secondary. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud went 20-of-26 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Nico Collins benefitted the most from Stroud’s big day, amassing nine catches for 195 yards and one touchdown. Collins and Stroud set the tone early in the game, as the duo connected for a 75-yard touchdown on the Texans’ first play from scrimmage. The touchdown ultimately helped Houston jump out to an early 14-3 lead. The Colts did rally back into the game, tying things at 14-14 thanks to a 49-yard run from tailback Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis and Houston then traded field goals to make the score 17-17 before the Texans dealt a pivotal blow.
Houston running back Devin Singletary scored a three-yard touchdown with 6:20 remaining in the game. The Texans then missed their extra point try, leaving the score at 23-17. Indianapolis did drive deep into Houston territory in the game’s final moments. The Colts’ drive stalled at the Houston 15-yard-line. Running back Tyler Goodson dropped a pass from Minshew on fourth-and-1, and Indianapolis turned the ball over on downs. Houston took a safety at the end of the game to make the final score 23-19. Despite the game’s tight score, the Colts’ offense was almost one-dimensional Saturday. Indianapolis quarterback Gardner Minshew II finished the game 13-of-24 for 141 yards. While Minshew struggled, Taylor excelled. The Wisconsin product ran the ball 30 times for 188 yards and a touchdown. No Colts receiver racked up more than 50 yards on the game.
With their loss to the Texans, the Colts’ 2023 campaign is officially over. Indianapolis finished the season with a 9-8 overall record. The NFL has yet to release its 2024 season schedule, but a number of key dates lie ahead for Indianapolis. The 2024 NFL Combine will begin Feb. 27 and run through March 4 in Indianapolis. The combine will be followed by the NFL Draft in Detroit, Michigan, April 25-27.
Purdue-Maryland Women’s Basketball game postponed Saturday afternoon due leak in roof
Maryland’s Women’s Basketball game against Purdue on Saturday was postponed because of a leak in the roof. The game was supposed to tip at 4:30pm but water was leaking on to the floor during warmups because of heavy rain in the area. The teams waited about 30 minutes to see if they could solve the problem by diverting the water, but it didn’t work. “We wanted to see if we could divert the water off the roof into a different direction, but unfortunately we weren’t able to accomplish that,” Maryland athletic director Damon Evans said. “We were hoping it would stop, but it just didn’t.”
Evans said that the teams considered playing in an auxiliary gym in Maryland’s arena, but Purdue didn’t feel comfortable with that option. The two teams will try to figure out a makeup date over the next 48 hours. “Right now we don’t know,” Evans said. “We might look to next week. We have an opening next week. We want to make sure it fits both programs.” Purdue hosts No. 4 Iowa on Wednesday, but doesn’t play again until Jan. 18. Maryland plays at Michigan State on Tuesday and then is off until Jan. 17.
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