#14 Indiana University Women’s Basketball scores 100 on Northwestern in dominating win
#14 Indiana Hoosiers dominated the Northwestern Wildcats 100-59 on Sunday Afternoon in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in front of a crowd of 10,776. Indiana is 17-2 overall and 8-1 in the Big Ten and will take a two-game winning streak to Maryland on Wednesday Night. Northwestern is 7-13 overall and 2-7 in the Big ten as the Wildcats drop their fourth in a row and have lost six of the last seven. Indiana leads the all-time series 44-39 and have won the last four meetings dating back to 2021. The Hoosiers are the only team in the Big Ten that remains perfect at home with an 11-0 record.
The Hoosiers put six in double-figures led by a 27 point and 11 rebounds from Mackenize Holmes who is now in 6th place all time on the school’s double-double list with 25 passing Zan Jefferies who played from 1988-91. Holmes was 9-14 from the field, 9-9 from the free throw line and 1 steal in 20 minutes of action. Yarden Garzon scored 15 points, Lilly Meister scored a career high 13 points, Sara Scalia and Lenee Beaumont scored 11 points each and for the Freshman Beaumont it’s a career high. Chloe Moore-McNeil scored 10 points, Juliana LaMendola added 7 points, Henna Sandvik scored 6 points and Lexus Bargesser got her second start pulling down 9 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists and 2 steals in 29 minutes and was the only Hoosier not to score. Indiana only had 9 available players without Sydney Parrish, Arielle Wisne and Sharnecce Currie-Jelks unavailable due to injury. The Hoosiers were 37-69 from the field for 53%, 7-20 from three-point range for 35% and 19-21 from the free throw line for 95%. The Hoosiers pulled down 43 rebounds, dished out 19 assists, 7 steals, 1 block and committed 10 turnovers. Indiana scored 58 points in the paint, 37 points off the bench and 23 points off turnovers.
Northwestern was led by Melannie Daley with 16 points off the bench and 12 points from Caroline Lau. Wildcats leading scorer Caleigh Walsh was held to 7 points and 4 rebounds. Walsh was held under her average of 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The Wildcats were 22-54 from the field for 40%, 4-10 from Three Point Range for 40% and 11-17 from the free throw line for 64%. Northwestern had 24 rebounds, 9 assists, 7 blocks, 5 steals and committed 19 turnovers. The Wildcats scored 30 points in the paint and 25 bench points along with 7 points off turnovers.
In the first quarter Mackenize Holmes set the tone hitting four free throws and jumped out to a 4-0 lead The Wildcats had two turnovers on its first two offensive possessions. The teams were a combined 0-7 from the field until Casey Harter scored the first field goal of the game at the 7:29 mark. 26 seconds later Mackenize Holmes drove baseline for the reverse layup that sparked a 12-0 Hoosier run over a three minute and one second span. Melannie Daley ended a four minute and twenty-seven second scoring drought when she scored at the 3:43 mark. The Hoosiers went on an 11-4 run as Lilly Meister scored five straight points and Chloe Moore-McNeil beat the buzzer with a layup as the Hoosiers led 27-8 after the first quarter.
Holmes who scored 10 points in the opening quarter picked up where she left off scoring 23 seconds into the second quarter. Caleigh Walsh scored four straight points but Indiana went on a 5-0 run with a Sara Scalia Triple and Yarden Garzon bucket as the Hoosiers led 34-12 with 6:41 left before halftime. Indiana outscored Northwestern 10-6 to lead 44-18 with 3:43 left before halftime. Lilly Meister missed a bucket and got her own rebound and put back give the Hoosiers a 46-18 lead. The Hoosiers led by 30 points when Freshman Lenee Beaumont who hails from Lisle Illinois which is 33 miles from the Northwestern campus hit two free throws with three minutes left. Mackenize Holmes added two free throws as part of 9-0 Indiana run as the Hoosiers scored their 50th point in the first half with 1:50 left. Melannie Daley hit two free throws with 1:35 to end the Hoosier run. Daley scored the final six points of the second quarter including a shot to beat the buzzer as Indiana outscored Northwestern 23-16 in the second quarter as the Hoosiers did not hit a field goal in the final 3:23 and went to the locker room 50-24 at halftime. Daley had 12 first half points and Holmes had 16 points along with 12 from Scalia to lead the Hoosiers.
In the third quarter Chloe Moore-McNeil scored the first four points and assisted on a pass inside to Mackenzie Holmes as the Hoosiers went on a 6-0 run before Jasmine McWilliams scored for the Wildcats. The Hoosiers always had an answer each time the Wildcats scored. Yarden Garzon threw a bullet pass to Lilly Meister underneath the basket to give the Hoosiers a 40-point lead with 5:17 left in the third quarter. Indiana increased the lead to 45 points on a Lenee Beaumont jumper at the 1:19 mark as the Hoosiers outscored the Wildcats 25-6 in the third quarter and led 75-30 going into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter Northwestern outscored Indiana 29-25. The Hoosiers Henna Sandvik scored with 1:58 left to put the Hoosiers at the century mark for the third time this season.
With a tough stretch on the road going to Maryland and Ohio State along with being shorthanded Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren was happy to be able to play all nine players that were available to her and not having to play Chloe Moore-McNeil and Sara Scalia the full 40 minutes. “I thought Yarden became very aggressive, which was great to see. I thought Lilly gave us great minutes off the bench, free throw shooting was where it needed to be, good afternoon to play a lot of kids” Moren said after the game. Moren has been pleased with Lexus Bargesser stepping into the lineup and doing what has been asked for her. “She is doing exactly what we need her do, she wants to contribute” Moren said. Coach added that Ali Patberg watches film with Bargesser and the staff says Bargesser to continue to facilitating for their plenty of scores and for the Hoosiers the full compliment of players are on full display especially wanting to be a deep run in March.
#10 Illinois survives scare from Indiana University Men’s Basketball
The #10 Illinois Fighting Illini held off the Indiana Hoosiers 70-62 Saturday Afternoon at the State Farm Center in Champaign Illinois. The Illini are 15-5 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten while the Hoosiers fall to 12-8 on the season and 4-6 in the Big Ten. Indiana has dropped three straight and will host Iowa on Tuesday Night while Illinois travels to Ohio State on Tuesday Night. Indiana leads the all-time series 96-92 as Illinois snaps a three-game losing streak to the Hoosiers to win for the first time in series since 2020 and their first win in Champaign against Indiana since December 26, 2020.
Malik Reneau led the Hoosiers with 21 points and Freshman Mackenize Mgbako got his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Xavier Johnson scored 14 points but received a technical foul at the end of the first half for throwing the ball at Illinois Forward Coleman Hawkins after Johnson scored and the teams had to be separated. Illinois would hit two free throws and the ball out of bounds to start the second half after the Illini led 38-34 at halftime. Illinois would outscore the Hoosiers 32-28 in the second half. Trey Galloway scored 8 points, Anthony Walker added 5 points and got his first career start as a Hoosier in place of Kel’el Ware out missed his second straight game with a lower leg injury. Anthony Leal who has missed the last three games with an injury scored 2 points. Payton Sparks and Gabe Cupps played but did not score. The Hoosiers finished the game 25-54 from the field for 46%, 0-9 from three-point range and 12-22 from the free throw line for 54%. It was the first time since February 25, 2010, that the Hoosiers did not hit a three pointer when Indiana went 0-5 in a 78-46 loss at Wisconsin. The Hoosiers had 35 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and committed 9 turnovers.
Marcus Domask led Illinois with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Terrance Shannon Jr. scored 12 points and went 8-10 at the free throw line. Coleman Hawkins and Ft. Wayne Indiana Native Luke Goode added 11 points apiece along with 3 points from Lafayette Indiana native Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn. Illinois finished 23-62 from the field for 37%, 7-23 from three-point range for 30% and 17-26 from the free throw line for 65%. Illinois pulled down 42 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals, 4 blocks and committed 9 turnovers.
Indiana opened the game on a 5-0 run as Illinois scored just 8 points in the first ten minutes of the game. Indiana led 20-12 with 8:13 left in the first half. Luke Goode’s three pointer with 3:28 left in the first half tied the game 28-28. Ty Rodgers free throw gave Illinois its first lead at 29-28 with 2:50 left. Malik Reneau put the Hoosiers on top 30-29 with 2:26 before Rodgers free throw tied the game at 30-30. Illinois went on 8-0 run before the Hoosiers scored four points to end the first half down 4 points. The Hoosiers tied the game at 62-62 with 1:29 left when Mackenize Mgbako scored to tie the game, but the Illini scored the final eight points as Terrance Shannon Jr. knocked down six free throws and Justin Harmon hit a jumper to close out the Hoosiers. Indiana tied the game at 42-42 with 15:32 left and took the lead 43-42 on a Malik Reneau free throw. Xavier Johnson’s made layup gave Indiana three-point lead with 14:52 left and Mackenize Mgbako’s layup extended the lead to seven with 14:03 left the Reneau made it 49-42 with 12:43 left to give the Hoosiers a seven-point lead. Illinois went on a 9-0 run to retake the lead with 8:57 left.
Mackenize Holmes Named to the Lisa Leslie Award Top Ten Watchlist for the Third Straight Season
Indiana Women’s Basketball Graduate student forward Mackenize Holmes has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2024 Lisa Leslie Award, announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on Friday. Holmes repeats as a Top 10 selection for the third-straight season and was a top five finalist for the award in 2022-23. In her final season with Indiana, Holmes is leading her squad with 19.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and shooting 67.6 percent from the floor – a Big Ten best and third overall in the country. She has scored in double figures in 17 of 18 games and has a team-high four double-doubles. The Gorham, Maine native has nine 20-point scoring efforts and a pair of 30-point performances this season. She ranks 11th overall in the country for points scored (148) as she is quickly approaching the Hoosiers’ all-time scoring record, just 91 points shy (2,256) of taking over Tyra Buss’s top spot of 2,364 career points.
Fans can support their favorite players in the remaining rounds by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting today on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process. In March, five finalists will be presented to Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Lisa Leslie Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
Time and Date announced for the Indiana University Football Spring Game
A spring football game will return to Bloomington in April. IU fans will get a first chance to see Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers under the lights on April 18 at Memorial Stadium. Player warm-ups will begin at 7:30pm, and the intrasquad game will start at 8pm. The spring game will mark the kickoff of Little 500 weekend in Bloomington. The game will mark the conclusion of Indiana’s spring practice sessions. IU starts spring practice on March 21.
This will be the first traditional spring game in several years for Indiana. Last April the program held an open practice in front of fans that included a meet-and-greet session. For the three years prior to that IU did not have anything open to the public in the spring. The 2024 game will offer fans the opportunity to see several new players in action. The Hoosiers have added 22 new players via the transfer portal, along with several high school recruits who have enrolled early. Look for Indiana to release more details about the spring game in the coming weeks.
Bloomington North Girls Basketball Wins Conference Indiana Championship
The Bloomington North Cougars beat Terre Haute North 48-30 to win its first Conference Indiana Girls Basketball Championship since 2010 and fifth overall since 2003. The Cougars end the regular season at 18-5 under first year Head Coach Kiley Jarrett and carry a nine-game winning streak into the sectional. The 18 wins are the most wins in a season for the Cougars since 2010 when the Cougars finished 21-3. Bloomington North finishes 5-0 in Conference Indiana. The Cougars won the Conference Indiana Titles in 2003 as co-champions along with outright titles in 2004, 2005, and 2010. Mia Robbenholt scored 17 points against Terre Haute North, and she will go into the sectional just 4 points shy of the school record of 1,191 held by her Head Coach Kiley Jarrett, who was a 2005 Indiana All-Star and played at Ball State University.
Bloomington South beat Evansville North 33-30 in Evansville Saturday afternoon as the Panthers have won four in a row and finish the regular season with a 12-10 record. Edgewood beat Martinsville 32-28 as the Mustangs have won four of their last five games and end the regular season with a 13-9 record. Lighthouse Christian beat Pleasant View Christian 72-13 and Washington Catholic 51-39 before losing at Evansville Christian 47-14 as the Lady Lions finish the regular season at 14-9.
Edgewood Boys Basketball Head Coach Matt Wadsworth got his 200th career win Friday night as the Mustangs won at West Vigo 48-39 and then picked up his 201st win Saturday at Home with a 61-49 win over Monrovia. Wadsworth is in his 5th year at Edgewood and 17th overall with stops at Riverton Parke, North Posey and Whiteland. Edgewood is 9-10 on the season and will host Bloomington North on Thursday Night. Bloomington North lost to Castle at home 65-62 Friday Night and won at Columbus East 79-52 on Saturday Night as the Cougars are 8-9 on the season and travel to Edgewood on Thursday Night. Bloomington South beat Terre Haute South 58-46 at home Friday Night and lost at Silver Creek 60-52 on Saturday Night. The Panthers are 9-8 on the season and will host Mitchell on Thursday Night. Lighthouse Christian is 6-10 on the season after a 48-47 win over Dugger Union and a 72-43 loss at Shawe Memorial in Madison Saturday Afternoon. The Lions will travel to Brown County Friday Night and remain on the road Saturday Afternoon at Phalen Academy.
Five Monroe County High School Wrestlers win Individual Sectional Titles
Five Wrestlers from Bloomington North, Bloomington South and Edgewood won their Individual Titles in their respective classes during the IHSAA Wrestling Sectional Saturday at Bloomington North. Bloomington South’s Jaxsen Jean and Evan Roudebush won at 106 and 165 pounds. Edgewood’s John Orman and Mitchell Neidigh won at 120 and 150 pounds and Bloomington North’s Cael Hickok won at 157 pounds. Terre Haute South won the Sectional Title with 294 points and won their third straight sectional and 18th overall. Bloomington South finished second with 169 points, Bloomington North finished fourth with 126 points and Edgewood finished sixth with 114.
18 Wrestlers from Monroe County will advance to Saturday’s regional at Bloomington South at 10 am along with competitors that represented the Southridge Sectional. The Top four finishers in each weight class qualified for the regional and the top four finishers in the Regional will advance to the Semi-State. Bloomington South will have nine wrestlers with six representing Edgewood and three representing Bloomington North in the Regional. Runner up finishers were Bloomington South’s Amrin Pratt at 132 pounds and Wyatt Cooksey at 144 pounds. Third place finishers Bloomington South’s Wayne Harden at 138 pounds, Tristan Keys at 175 pounds and Mason Grubb at 190 pounds. Cayleb Sides at 126 pounds and Cayleb Stephens at 157 pounds represent Edgewood and Bloomington North’s Kanye Roberts-Gray at 120 pounds. Fourth place finishers include Bloomington South’s Brian Conley at 126 Pounds and Carson Bohall at 150 pounds along with Bloomington North’s Jeremiah Casillas at 165 pounds.
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