#14 Indiana University Women’s Basketball celebrates Senior Day with a win over Maryland along with a perfect home record
The Indiana Hoosiers took care of Maryland Terrapins 71-54 Sunday Afternoon inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Indiana closes out the regular season with a 24-4 record and a 15-3 Conference Record. Indiana will be the #3 seed in the Upcoming Big Ten Tournament and will play its first game on Friday Night at 9pm in the Quarterfinals after securing a double bye. Iowa beat Ohio State 93-83 to finish the Big Ten 15-3. The Hoosiers and Hawkeyes split the season series but Iowa beat Ohio State and will get the number 2 seed and the Hoosiers lost to Ohio State is the next tiebreaker. The Hoosiers finish the regular season 15-0 at home and are the only Big Ten Team to accomplish that feat and they are projected to be top 4 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and should be hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Bloomington for the third season in a row. The Hoosiers had a crowd of 12,402 and becomes the fourth school in the Big Ten to average over 10,000 fans at home in a season.
The Hoosiers honored Seniors Mackenzie Holmes, Sara Scalia and Arielle Wisne in pre- and post-game ceremonies. Holmes finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds, but she went down in the second half with a knee injury, but she was able to return to the bench on her own late in the fourth quarter. Scalia led the way with 19 points and drilled four three pointers. Wisne who has not played a lot in her time year but in the final minute of the game she got a big-time block and her bench celebrated with her after the game. Wisne also sung the National Anthem before the game and received a standing ovation, and it was surprise to her teammates because they did not know before the game that she was going to sing the National Anthem.
Yarden Garzon scored 17 points and hit four three pointers. Chloe Moore-McNeil who announced on Saturday that she will return for her fifth and final season scored 10 points and went 8-8 from the free throw line. Sydney Parrish scored 10 points and has scored 1,000 career points between her two seasons at the University of Oregon and IU. Lexus Bargesser scored 2 points, Juliana LaMendola and Lilly Meister scored 1-point apiece. Lenee Beaumont and Henna Sandvik played but did not score. The Hoosiers finished 23-52 from the field for 44%. 8-24 from three-point range for 33% and 17-20 from the free throw line. The Hoosiers pulled down 39 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 6 steals, 5 blocks and committed 14 turnovers. The Hoosiers had 28 points in the paint, 16 points in the paint and 4 points off the bench. Meister went down with ankle injury in the second half and both she and Holmes are being evaluated and are day to day.
Maryland finished 17-12 in the regular season and 9-9 in Big Ten was lead in scoring by Jakia Brown-Turner with 15 points along with 13 rebounds. Bri McDaniel added 13 points and Shyanne Sellers added 11 points. Maryland was 19-67 from the field for 28%, 3-16 from three-point range 18% and 13-19 from the free throw line for 64%, Maryland had 42 rebounds, dished out 10 assists, 5 steals, 1 block and committed 13 turnovers. The Terps scored 28 points in the paint, 11 points off turnovers and 4 bench points. In the first Quarter the Hoosiers jumped out a 4-0 lead before Maryland got its first basket by Faith Masonius at the 7:08 mark of the first quarter. The Hoosiers went on 12-0 capped off by two back-to-back three pointers from Yarden Garzon that led to Maryland timeout at 5:38 mark. Maryland responded with 8-0 run to get within two 16-14 with 2:23 left. Sara Scalia drained a three to give the Hoosiers a five-point lead capped off by a Mackenzie Holmes layup with 1:02 left as the Hoosiers led 21-14 at the end of the first quarter. The Hoosiers outscored Maryland 18-10 in the second quarter including a 15-2 run when Hoosiers knocked down three 3 pointers with two from Garzon and Scalia to led by 20 with 3:16 left before half. Maryland outscored Indiana 8-3 the rest of the half including a 6-0 run to close out the half as the Hoosiers led 39-24 going into the locker room.
The Hoosiers outscored Maryland 32-30 in the second half with 16-15 in the third and fourth quarters. The Hoosiers led by double-digits the entire third quarter and led 55-39 going into the fourth quarter. The Hoosiers kept the double-digit lead and Indiana has won 4 straight against Maryland and 5 of the last six after Maryland won the first 11 of the series that dates back to 2015. The Hoosiers now turn their focus to the postseason and the Big Ten Tournament which it will take three games to win the title and then onto the NCAA Tournament.
Indiana University Men’s Basketball gets a road win at Maryland
The Indiana Hoosiers beat the Maryland Terrapins 83-78 on Sunday Afternoon at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland to sweep the season series after winning in the conference opener in December at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are 16-13 on the season and 8-10 in the Big Ten while Maryland drops to 15-15 overall and 7-12 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers travel to Minnesota on Wednesday Night at 9pm. This is Indiana’s third Big Ten Road win and the Hoosiers have won 2 in a row.
Freshman Mackenize Mgbako scored a career high 24 points to lead Indiana. Malik Reneau added 15 points, Xavier Johnson added 13 points, Trey Galloway added 12 and Kel’el Ware pulled down 15 rebounds to go with 9 points. Gabe Cupps had 5 points, Anthony Leal and Anthony Walker added 3 points apiece and CJ Gunn played but did not score. The Hoosiers finished 31-55 from the field for 56%, 7-16 from three-point range for 43% and 14-17 from the free throw line for 82%. The Hoosiers pulled down 32 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 4 blocks, 4 steals and committed 14 turnovers. Indiana scored 30 points in the paint, 19 Bench Points and 15 points off turnovers.
Maryland was led in scoring by Jahmir Young with 22 points, Donta Scott added 15 points along with a 13-point and 11 rebounds from Julian Reese. Jahari Long added 12 points and former Hoosier Jordan Geronimo added 9 points. Maryland finished 30-62 form the field for 48%, 9-24 from three-point range and 9-10 from the free throw line for 90%. Maryland had 26 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, 8 steals, 2 blocks and committed 10 turnovers. Maryland scored 36 points in the paint, 14 points off turnovers and 7 points off the Bench.
The game featured 4 ties and 5 lead changes as the Hoosiers led for 14:21 and Maryland for 23:28. Maryland led 43-33 at halftime. The Hoosiers outscored Maryland 50-33 as the game featured several scoring runs and scoring droughts. Indiana hit 6 of their last 8 field goals while Maryland hit five of their five. The Hoosiers need to win their last two regular season games to get to .500 in conference play before the Big Ten Tournament and need a big run in the Big Ten Tournament to keep the NCAA dream alive but with 3 wins over .500 currently it looks like the Hoosiers will play in the Postseason most likely the NIT where a couple weeks ago it was looking bleak for Indiana with a 4 game losing streak and 4 games under. 500 in the Conference.
Indiana University Men’s Swimming and Diving wins Third Straight Big Ten Championship
Indiana Men’s Swimming & Diving won its third consecutive Big Ten Championship Saturday. It is IU’s 30th men’s conference title as well as its sixth in eight years. The Hoosiers won the 2024 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships by a margin of 296 points, outscoring second place Ohio State 1,520-1,226. Indiana led the team standings at the end of each of the four days of competition.
“What an amazing last two days from our men,” IU Head Swimming Coach Ray Looze said. “After a rocky Thursday, this team turned it around with two of the better days that I have ever been part of with this program and then just ran away with it by almost 300 points. It’s hard to do that in sports, when things don’t go your way, and it shows the character of these guys.”
“This way a tricky meet for us because we’re trying to be even better at the NCAA Championships four weeks from now, and everyone gives you their best shot here in this conference. We took all the blows and ended up with an enjoyable last day. I want to give all the credit to the staff, to the administrators, all the athletes, everybody that’s part of this. It’s humbling to get another title, and we know it’s going to be difficult to keep going, but we’re going to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I am so proud of this team,” said IU Head Diving Coach Drew Johansen. “Like every team, there are untold stories of struggles and hardship. These men overcame them all!”
Combining with the women’s conference championship a week ago, Indiana completed the swimming and diving program’s second Big Ten Championship Double and first since 2019. Michigan is the only other Big Ten program to win both the men’s and women’s trophies in a single season. IU totaled 10 Big Ten Championships at the meet between swimming, diving and relays, including four during the final day of competition. For the second-straight season, Indiana won four of the five relays and medaled in all five.
In his fifth and final Big Ten Championships, senior Brendan Burns won his fourth-straight 200-yard backstroke – IU’s eighth in as many years. Burns out-touched sophomore teammate and Dutch Olympic-qualifier Kai van Westering by 24 hundredths in 1:39.50. He’ll finish his collegiate career with 22 Big Ten Championships from 11 individual and 11 relay titles. Indiana asserted its dominance in breaststroke Saturday, finishing first, second, third and fourth in the 200-yard event. Senior Jassen Yep won his first-career Big Ten Championship with an NCAA A cut 1:50.40, the third-fastest time in the country this season. Junior Josh Matheny (1:51.50) took silver, and freshman Toby Barnett earned his second medal of his first conference championships, having won silver in the 400 IM on Friday. Senior Maxwell Reich rounded out the quartet, finishing fourth in 1:52.07. This result came after IU took the second, third, fourth and fifth-place positions in the 100-yard breaststroke event on Friday.
Junior Carson Tyler won his second conference title in two days, compounding Friday’s 3-meter championship with his second-straight Big Ten platform diving title on Saturday. Tyler’s final three dives tallied scores of 93.50, 89.10 and 73.80, building to a 462.60 final tally. The highest-scoring diver throughout the meet, Tyler repeated as the Big Ten Diver of the Championships. “For Carson to win again after the excitement of last night is so difficult to do,” Johansen said. “I had a feeling the meet was going to come down to who did the better back and reverse optionals. So, I promised him a slice of pumpkin pie if he hit his 207 and 307 tonight. It lightened his mood enough, and he delivered.
Sophomore Maxwell Weinrich earned his first-career Big Ten medal, finishing third on platform with a 360.95. Junior Quinn Henninger took seventh with a score of 360.95, and sophomore Dash Glasberg scored out of the consolation final with a career-best 289.80. “Max really showed up, moving all the way to third. He is gaining confidence with every dive he does. Quinn and Dash delivered so many valuable points in every event. The focus for the meet was team, and they never lost focus.”
Indiana put an exclamation mark on the meet, winning its eighth 400-yard freestyle relay championship in nine years. The Hoosiers, represented by senior Tomer Frankel and Gavin Wight, junior Rafael Miroslaw and freshman Mikkel Lee, finished in an NCAA A cut 2:48.19, 26 hundredths in front of Michigan. The Wolverines led by one hundredth at the third exchange as Lee leaped into the water. He posted the quickest anchor split in 41.76 to give IU the victory. Moments later, confetti burst on top of the Hoosiers as they celebrated their team title.
Chloe Moore-McNeil announces her return to Indiana University Women’s Basketball for her Fifth and Final Season Indiana Women’s Basketball received good news on Saturday when Senior Guard Chloe Moore-McNeil announced she is returning to the program for a fifth season. Moore-McNeil simply said “Here to stay” on her X account, which means she is coming back to utilize her extra season. The 5-foot-11-point guard has an extra season available due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moore-McNeil is averaging 10.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals this season. She has started every game each of the past two seasons. Moore-McNeil shoots 50.7% from the field overall, including 42.1% from the three-point line. She is also one of the team’s best defenders. The Tennessee product will be one of three starters expected to return for Indiana next season, along with Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball Lands a verbal commitment from 2025 Point Guard Nevaeh Caffey
St. Louis based Nevaeh Caffey announced her verbal commitment to Indiana Womens Basketball on Saturday afternoon. “I am extremely proud to announce that I have verbally committed to Indiana University to continue my basketball and academic career,” said Caffey in a post on her X account. The 5-foot-10 point guard visited Indiana in February and also during the fall. Caffey also had high major offers from Kansas, Mississippi State, Marquette, Michigan, Missouri, Pitt, and Oklahoma.
The Hoosiers needed to add a point guard to the 2025-26 roster following the departure of Chloe Moore-McNeil, who will play her fifth season at IU in 2024-25, she announced on Saturday. Indiana now has two commits in the 2025 class. Caffey joins in-state wing Maya Makalusky. Caffey plays point guard for Incarnate Word Academy, a program that has won the state championship each season while never losing a game while she has played there. IU Head Coach Teri Moren typically recruits tall guards who can defend. Caffey appears to fit that mold.
Mackenize Holmes named a top five finalist for the Lisa Lelsie Award
Graduate Student Forward Mackenize Holmes has been announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as a Top 5 finalist for the 2024 Lisa Leslie Award, which honors the nation’s top center. The Gorham, Maine native repeats as a Top 5 selection for the award for the second-straight season. She is averaging a team-high 21.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and shooting 66.6 percent from the floor in 27 games for Indiana this season. Holmes has scored in double figures in 26 of 27 games, including the last 25-straight, as she also averages 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. She has a team-high six double-doubles and has led the team in scoring 16 times. She has also appeared on a variety of other player of the year watch lists this season including 2024 Wooden Award late season Top 20, 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy midseason team, 2024 Wade Trophy watch list and 2024 Ann Meyers Drysdale USWBA National Player of the Year watch list.
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. The 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.
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