Holmes, Scalia, and Parrish combine for 57 points as #16 Indiana handles Minnesota
#16 Indiana bounced back after a 27-point loss at Iowa last Saturday Night as they handled the Minnesota Golden Gophers 85-62 Wednesday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mackenize Holmes, Sara Scalia and Sydney Parrish scored 69 of the Hoosiers 85 points. Holmes scored a season high 32 points, Scalia scored 22 points against her former team and Parrish added 15 points. Yarden Garzon scored 7 points, Chloe Moore-McNeil chipped in 4 points, Rochester Minnesota native Lilly Meister added 3 points and Lexus Barggeser added 2 points. The Hoosiers are 15-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten and travel to archrival Purdue on Sunday afternoon. The Hoosiers were not happy about their performance at Iowa Saturday Night but as Mackenize Holmes said after the game its on to the next game. “The Big Ten doesn’t wait for nobody, we got to move on (about Iowa), we got back really late after the game, came in on Monday ready to work” Holmes said. Indiana finished 33-56 for 59% from the field, 11-24 from three-point range and 8-12 for 66% from the free throw line.
The Hoosiers pulled down 32 rebounds, dished out 23 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, and committed 10 turnovers. The Hoosiers scored 44 points in the paint, 19 points off turnovers and 5 points off the bench along with 18 fastbreak points. When the Hoosiers are playing well, they are hard to stop, and that second quarter spurt showed that. “This is really good basketball team when they’re connected, when there playing fast, when they’re sharing the ball, when they’re intentional about what their assignments are defensively” Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren said after the game.
Minnesota was led in scoring by Grace Grocholski with 19 points, Mara Braun scored all 14 of her points in the second half, and Amaya Battle added 13 points. The Golden Gophers finished 24-57 from the field for 42%, 6-15 from three-point range for 40% and 8-13 from the free throw line for 61%. Minnesota had 29 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, a block, and committed 15 turnovers. Minnesota scored 24 points in the paint, 11 points off turnovers, 7 bench points, and 6 fastbreak points. Minnesota is 13-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten.
In the first quarter there were five lead changes and three ties. Mackenize Holmes scored 11 first quarter points doing what she always does getting in the low block and scoring with her famous scoop shot as she went 5-6 from the field and 1-1 from free throw line. Sydney Parrish lit it up from three-point range going 3-4 from downtown scoring 9 points as the pair combined for 20 of the Hoosiers 23 first quarter points. Sara Scalia knocks down a three and was 1-3 from three-point range and 1-4 from the field as Indiana led 23-18 after the first quarter. In the second quarter it was the Scalia and Holmes show as the pair combined for 20 of the 24 points in the quarter with Yarden Garzon scoring the other four.
Scalia went 3-5 from deep, 5-7 from field and 1-2 from free throw line while Holmes went a perfect 3-3 as Indiana went into the locker room up 47-29 at break. Indiana used two runs of 7-0 and 10-0 to lead by as many as 20 points as Minnesota did not score a field goal for the final 4:21 of the quarter. Sara Scalia and Mackenize Holmes led the Hoosiers with 17 points each at the break and Minnesota was led by Grace Grocholski with 10 points and leading scorer Mara Braun was held scoreless going 0-2 from the field with 2 rebounds and an assist.
In the third quarter Minnesota outscored the Hoosiers 18-17 but the Hoosiers led 64-47 at the end of third quarter. Mackenize Holmes scored 8 points along with a three pointer from Parrish and Scalia. Chloe Moore-McNeil scored on a beautiful pass from Holmes cutting to the basket and Lilly Meister scored on a free throw. Mara Braun scored 6 points in the third quarter along with 6 from Amaya Battle but the Golden Gophers went 0-5 from three-point range. In the fourth quarter Indiana outscored Minnesota 21-13 as the Hoosiers ended the game on a 7-0 run and hit four of their last five field goals. Indiana had balance effort in the fourth quarter as Holmes scored 7 points and six other players chipped in points. The Hoosiers tied the all-time series with Minnesota at 37-37 as Indiana has won the last seven meetings dating back to 2019 along with ten of the last 11 meetings since February of 2016 and won the last three meetings with Minnesota at home.
Indiana Pacers trade Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora to the Toronto Raptors for Forward Pascal Siakam
The Indiana Pacers have agreed to a trade with the Toronto Raptors that will bring All-Star forward Pascal Siakam to the team, according to reports from ESPN and The Athletic. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on social media, the Pacers have agreed to send three first-round draft picks, forward Bruce Brown and forward Jordan Nwora to Toronto in exchange for Siakam. Siakam, who is a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, helped bring a championship to Toronto while playing with the Raptors in 2019. As of Wednesday, the forward is averaging 22.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season.
While the acquisition brings another All-Star to Indiana and some much-needed help to Pacer’s superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton, Siakam’s 4-year, $136 million contract is set to expire at the end of this season, and he will become a free agent in July. However, Wojnarowski said Siakam may commit to the Pacers long-term. “Pascal Siakam is excited about the deal to the Pacers and expected to be eager to work out a new contract with the franchise this summer, sources tell ESPN,” the reporter posted.
The Pacers will lose a key rotation player in the trade for Siakam. Brown, an off-season free agency acquisition who came from the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets, has provided versatility to the Pacers lineup this season. He averaged 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season with Indiana. Nwora, a former Milwaukee Buck, has struggled to crack Indiana’s rotation in 2023-24. So far this season he has averaged just over 10 minutes and 5 points per game for the Pacers in 18 appearances. In addition to the two players, Wojnarowski is reporting that Indiana will be sending two 2024 first-rounders and a 2026 first to the Raptors. Charania is reporting that the 2026 pick will be top-4 protected. Wojnarowski is also reporting that as part of the trade the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to send Kira Lewis, Jr. to Toronto and a second-round pick to Indiana. It is currently unclear what the Pelicans are receiving in the trade.
Indiana University’s Kenisha Phillips earns Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Graduate Student Sprinter Kenisha Phillips earned her first Big Ten accolade after she was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon. Phillips is coming off a weekend at the Commodore Challenge after breaking a 22-year-old-record in the 400 meters with a personal best time of 52.57. She has set school records in back-to-back meets. In her season debut with the Hoosiers, Phillips also claimed the 300-meter school record with a time of 37.41.
The Georgetown, Guyana, native holds the fastest time in the Big Ten in the 400 meter and the second fastest time in the NCAA behind Arkansas’ Shawnti Jackson (57.10). Not only does she hold the 400-meter record, but she has also claimed two records in back-to-back meets. In her season debut with the Hoosiers, Phillips ran a time of 37.41 to take the top mark in the 300 meters and is ranked in the top-10 in the nation. Phillips and the Hoosiers are back in action this weekend at home for the two-day Indiana Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Indy Eleven Sign Forward Elliott Collier for the 2024 Season Indy Eleven has announced that New Zealand forward Elliot Collier will return to the Circle City for the 2024 season. Collier played 11 games for the Boys in Blue on loan from Chicago Fire FC in 2018. Per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed, and status is pending league and federation approval. The 6-4, 179-pound attacker saw action in 54 matches for Chicago’s MLS team, including 14 starts, over three seasons (2018, 2020-21). His initial season with the club saw him play 16 matches, with nine starts, totaling 906 minutes of action. Collier joins the Boys in Blue after playing 23 matches with San Diego Loyal SC in 2023, where he scored a pair of goals and dished out three assists, helping the club to a third-place finish in the Western Conference as part of the franchise’s final season.
No stranger to playoff experience, Collier helped San Antonio FC to the 2022 USL Championship Final and a 3-1 win over Louisville City FC to take home the trophy. He also served a stint with the USLC’s Memphis 901 FC (2019) where he was second on the team with six goals, while adding an assist. Indy initially signed Collier on August 10, 2018, during its inaugural season in the USL Championship. Collier played in 11 matches down the stretch en route to Indy’s playoff appearance, making five starts, and scoring one goal in 550 minutes of action. Collegiately, Collier played four seasons at Loyola University in Chicago, earning first-team NSCAA All-West Region honors and Missouri Valley Conference first-team accolades. In 69 matches, he tallied 15 goals and 11 assists.
Indiana University Athletics is excited to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sport Day on Sunday, January 28th Indiana University Athletics is excited to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sport Day on Sunday, January 28th as the Women’s Basketball Team takes on the Northwestern Wildcats at 2pm inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Youth in the 6th grade and below are invited to join Indiana student-athletes for a free youth sports clinic in Wilkinson Hall prior to the game in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day! Prior to cheering on the Women’s Basketball team to a victory vs the Northwestern Wildcats, we will be hosting a clinic featuring female student athletes from a variety of sports. Come out for a day of fun and the chance to interact with other future Hoosiers!
All submissions must be submitted by 10pm on Thursday, January 25th. Selected participants will be informed no later than end of day Friday, January 26th. Please complete the form only if you are available from 11:00am-1:00pm. The clinic will run prior to the start of the game. Spaces are limited, signing up does not guarantee a spot. Please do not sign up if you are not 6th grade and younger, as it would result in an NCAA Violation for Indiana University.
Indianapolis Indians Charity Bowling Event set for February 17th at Royal Pin Woodland
The Indianapolis Indians today announced that Indianapolis Indians Charities will hold its second annual charity bowling event at Royal Pin Woodland from 1-4:30 PM on Saturday, Feb. 17. The IIC Bowling Event is in remembrance of longtime Indians front office employee Brad Morris, who worked 27 years with the organization and was an avid bowler with six perfect 300 scores in his bowling career. The IIC Bowling Event features two games of bowling, shoe rentals and an Arni’s pizza for each lane included with registration, plus a strike off contest and raffle drawings. Individuals or groups interested in bowling may sign up here. All proceeds from the event benefit Indianapolis Indians Charities. The strike off contest winner will win a destination vacation, and raffle winners will take home autographed items and more. Soft drinks, beer, wine and cocktails will also be available for purchase.
*Bowling Registration
*$50 – Single bowler, randomly assigned to lane
$300 – Family lane, includes up to six bowlers
$500 – Corporate lane, includes up to six bowlers and company logo on lane
*Bowling Event Schedule
*1 PM – Check In
1:20 PM – Welcome / Short Programming
1:30-3 PM – Bowling
3 PM – Raffle / Strike Off / Award Ceremony
3:30-4:30 PM – Bowling
For more information, contact Indians community outreach coordinator Mary Mueller at MMueller@IndyIndians.com or (317) 532-6926.
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