Indiana University Women’s Basketball heads to the Sweet 16 after surviving Oklahoma in the Second Round
The #4 Seed Indiana Hoosiers are headed back to Sweet 16 for the Third Time in Four Years after holding off the #5 Oklahoma Sooners 75-68 before a crowd of 12,385 Monday Night in NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Second Round Albany Regional 1. The Hoosiers are 26-5 and finish the home schedule with a 17-0 record. Indiana will now face Top Seed and unbeaten South Carolina on Friday in Albany New York. The Hoosiers are 5-1 all time at home in the NCAA Tournament, 10-5 Under Head Coach Teri Moren and 11-9 all time as program in their 10th NCAA Tournament Appearance. Oklahoma ends the season 23-10. “This one hurt and we will give it time and then we will get back in the gym and get ready for next season” Oklahoma Senior Aubrey Joens said after the game”.
The crowd was into the game throughout and Oklahoma Head Coach Jennie Barancyzk knows as player at the University of Iowa and her time as a coach at Drake University how important basketball in the State of Indiana is to the fan base and especially fan base like Indiana where the program has continued to grow over the years. Barancyzk acknowledged and thanked the media in attendance at the end as she left the podium after the press conference “Please continue to cover Women’s Sports you guys do a great job here”.
Mackenize Holmes led the Hoosiers with 29 points and 6 rebounds in her final home in her Hoosier career. Sydney Parrish scored 17 points, Sara Scalia 12 points along with 9 points and 9 rebounds from Chloe Moore-McNeil. Yarden Garzon scored 7 points, dished out 5 assists and had 3 rebounds. Lilly Meister scored 1 point as Juliana LaMendola and Lexus Bargesser played but did not score. Indiana was 25-65 from the field for 38%, 3-16 from three-point range for 18% and 22-29 from the free throw line. The Hoosiers pulled down 39 rebounds, dished out 19 assists, 9 blocks, 5 steals and committed 4 turnovers.
Skylar Vann led Oklahoma with 20 points, Aubrey Joens added 16 points off the bench and Saraha Williams added 12 points. The Sooners were 26-74 from the field for 35%, 4-25 from three-point range for 16% and 12-13 from the free throw line for 92%. Oklahoma pulled down 48 rebounds, dished out 15 assists, 7 blocks, 3 steals and committed 11 turnovers. Vann pulled down 8 rebounds and Williams pulled down 7 rebounds. Nevaeh Tot scored 2 points and dished out 7 assists. Joens went 3-3 from three-point range and she was able to provide a spark off the bench and she was able to have the confidence to knock down those outside shots.
The game was back and forth and close throughout with 21 lead changes and 10 ties as Oklahoma started out leading 4-0 and then Indiana led 5-4 and it was back and forth as it was tied 19-19 at the end of the first quarter as Oklahoma led by 4 points on three occasions and led by on two occasions. In the second quarter the game slow down as both teams were getting great looks but the ball was going in and out. Skylar Vann gave Oklahoma the lead going into the locker room leading 30-29 and the Sooners outscoring the Hoosiers 11-10 in the second quarter. “It was kind of back and forth, kind of like a boxing match” Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren Said after the game.
In the Third quarter Mackenize Holmes scored the first three points as the Hoosiers led 32-30 as Oklahoma scored the next four points to go up 34-32. The Sooners took a seven-point lead 45-38 with 4:27 left in the third quarter. Indiana responded with a 5-0 run to cut the Oklahoma lead to two points 45-43. Sahara Williams put the Sooners up four points as Oklahoma led 48-46 going into the four quarter as the Sooners out scored the Hoosiers 18-17. The fourth quarter went back and forth with Oklahoma having a four-point lead 64-60. Mackenize Holmes scored the next six points to give the Hoosiers a 66-64 lead. Indiana took control ending the game with 9-4 run as Indiana hit their last three field goals and Oklahoma went 1-7 form the field.
Two years ago, in a second-round win over Princeton the Indiana players led by Mackenize Holmes ran into the student section to celebrate with the students and Monday night she asked head coach Teri Moren if she do the same thing as her final moment as Hoosier and she did just that. “This is my last game at Assembly Hall, and I wanted to take it all in” Mackenize Holmes said after the game. After losing last year at home in the second round to Miami Florida as it was the final game for Grace Berger, and it was not the way they wanted her Indiana University Career to end as Berger was in the building to see the final home game for Mackenize Holmes, Sara Scalia and Arielle Wisne. “This win is goes to Grace” Mackenize Holmes said after the game.
Paul Corsaro named IU Indianapolis Men’s Head Basketball Coach
Nearly four weeks after parting ways with Matt Crenshaw, IU Indianapolis – formerly IUPUI – has found its next men’s basketball coach. Paul Corsaro, who has served as head men’s basketball coach for the University of Indianapolis for the last four seasons, has been named the next leader of the Jaguars program. An Indianapolis native, Corsaro has led UIndy to a 68-25 record over the last three seasons, with back-to-back NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season titles. “I’m honored to be the head men’s basketball coach at IU Indianapolis,” Corsaro said in a statement. “I want to thank President Whitten, Chancellor Ramchand and our Athletic Director, Luke Bosso, for their belief in me and my vision for this program. My wife, Brooke, and my son, Greg, are equally excited to be Jaguars and cannot wait to hit the ground running and get integrated with the entire IU Indianapolis community.”
A two-time graduate of UIndy, Corsaro began his coaching career as an assistant and associate head coach at UIndy from 2012-18. He then spent two years as an assistant coach at Fort Wayne before returning to UIndy as head coach in 2020. “We salute Paul in this unique opportunity to lead IU Indianapolis Men’s Basketball,” UIndy Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. D. Scott Gines said in a statement. “He’s passionately invested nearly half his life in UIndy – as a two-sport athlete, double alumnus, assistant and head coach – and we extend both our gratitude and best wishes in this new season of the Corsaro family’s life.”
Tickets Available for Indiana vs. Ball State at Victory Field
For the third time in eight years, Victory Field will host a college baseball game between Indiana University (away) and Ball State University (home). Tickets are on sale today for the Hoosiers-Cardinals matchup set for Tuesday, April 23, at 6 PM. Gates open at 5pm. Assigned seating is available for $8 to 14 per ticket. Premium tickets are also available in the Yuengling Landing for $30 and Elements Financial Club for $80, and picnic areas and suites may be booked at regular rental prices. Active-duty military and veterans receive $2 off per ticket, and children 2 and under get in free.
The Hoosiers, who finished the 2023 season with a 43-20 record after bowing out in the NCAA Regional at Kentucky, are off to a 12-12 start in 2024 with two wins vs. ranked opponents – 7-2 over No. 18 Coastal Carolina and 9-7 over No. 25 Dallas Baptist. The Cardinals went 36-23 last year and also had their season end in the NCAA Regional at Kentucky. They are currently 13-12 this season. “The stakes are high anytime we host a college baseball game at Victory Field, and this year is no different,” said Randy Lewandowski, Indianapolis Indians president and general manager. “We’re ready to welcome Indiana University and Ball State University back to the Vic for a thrilling matchup, with both programs seeking a return to the NCAA Tournament.” Since 2015, the Hoosiers are 5-1 in six games played at Victory Field, including 4-3 and 9-3 wins over Ball State in 2017 and ’19.
#1 Overall Draft Pick Paul Skenes to play for the Indianapolis Indians in 2024
The No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2023 MLB Draft will start the 2024 season playing Triple-A baseball in the Circle City. In a series of posts X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the Indianapolis Indians announced pitcher Paul Skenes will be added to their roster. During spring training with Pittsburgh Pirates, the right-hander appeared in two games. He threw three innings and racked up three strikeouts. Skenes had a prolific college career with LSU and Air Force. He posted a career ERA of 2.18. Across two seasons with the Falcons and one with the Tigers, Skenes appeared in 119 games. He made 34 starts and pitched 235 innings. Skenes allowed 162 hits, 14 home runs and 57 earned runs in college. The 6-foot-6 Californian issued 59 walks in three college seasons. Last year, Skenes helped the Tigers post a 54-17 record on their way to winning the College World Series. The Indians will open their season on the road against the Louisville Bats on March 29. Indianapolis will play its home-opener against the Memphis Redbirds at Victory Field on April 2.
IU’s Little Five quickly approaches
Indiana University’s Little 500 is the largest collegiate bike race in the United States, widely known as “The World’s Greatest College Weekend” — more than 25,000 people travel to Bloomington each year to watch the race and participate in the week’s festivities. In 2024, the Little 500 will take place on April 19 & 20 at Bill Armstrong Stadium, also home to Indiana University Men’s & Women’s Soccer. The 36th running of the women’s race will begin at 4pm on Friday, April 19, and the 73rd running of the men’s race will begin at 2 pm on Saturday, April 20. The university suggests purchasing your tickets in advance of the Little 500 weekend here. For adults, advance tickets are $40.00. For child ages 3-12 tickets are $15.00. Child 2 & under, free. Student advance pricing is $35.00. One ticket is good for both the men’s and women’s races.
The Little 500 is a week-long experience complete with giveaways, auxiliary events including an annual concert, celebrity appearances, and, of course, the famed bike races. The races themselves were originally modeled after the Indianapolis 500 and now include both a men’s and women’s race. Riders compete in four-person teams around the quarter-mile track at Bill Armstrong Stadium, the men’s teams racing for 200 laps and the women’s teams racing for 100 laps.
Indiana State Men’s Basketball takes care of Minnesota in the NIT Second Round
Ryan Conwell had 23 points to lead Indiana State to a 76-64 victory over Minnesota in the second round of the NIT on Sunday. Conwell added five assists for the Sycamores (30-6), who will play Cincinnati (22-14) in a Tuesday quarterfinal. Jayson Kent finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Julian Larry scored 16 on 7-for-9 shooting with three steals. Pharrel Payne led the Golden Gophers (19-15) with 16 points and eight rebounds. Mike Mitchell Jr. added 13 points and Cam Christie scored 12. Indiana State took the lead with 15:43 left in the first half and did not give it up. Conwell had 14 points in the first half to help the Sycamores take a 38-28 advantage at the break.
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