Ali Patberg Promoted and Keyanna Warthen added to Indiana University Women’s Basketball Staff
Indiana Women’s Basketball Head Coach Teri Moren has announced that Ali Patberg has been promoted to full-time Assistant Coach and Keyanna Warthen has been added to the program’s staff as Team and Recruitment Coordinator/Assistant Coach.
“It is especially exciting to announce these additions to our staff in two program alums who were both instrumental in building culture and success that we’ve had at Indiana,” Moren said. “Ali has continued to thrive in her role on staff and has been an integral part of what Indiana women’s basketball has become. It’s such a joy to be able to bring Keyanna back home to Bloomington. She has had the opportunity to be a full-time assistant last year at Miami and will bring valuable experience for our student-athletes.”
Patberg enters her third season with the Hoosiers, spending the two seasons as the team and recruitment coordinator while also taking on assistant coaching duties last season. She is influential in development of Indiana’s guards, including 2023-24 All-Big Ten selections Chloe Moore-McNeil and Yarden Garzon. The Hoosiers have continued to see success with Patberg on staff. In her two seasons, Indiana won its first Big Ten title in 40 years and are 54-10 in her time on the sideline. Other primary responsibilities for Patberg include recruiting, scouting, game planning and player development.
She wrapped up her career at IU as a four-time All-Big Ten honoree in 2021-22 as she led Indiana to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances and three NCAA Tournaments. She finished ninth in all-time scoring at IU with 1,752 points, third in assists (527) and a career average of 14.2 points per game which ranked eight. She was a two-time Nancy Lieberman Award finalist and WBCA All-American honorable mention. Patberg was drafted 33rd overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. The Columbus, Indiana native also excelled in the classroom where she was a 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-American, four-time All-Big Ten selection, and is a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. She holds a pair of degrees from Indiana, a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from IU’s Kelley School of Business in May 2020 and a master’s degree in recreational administration in May 2022.
Warthen returns to Bloomington after spending a year at Miami (OH) as an assistant coach under former IU associate head coach Glenn Box. In her four seasons at Indiana, Warthen played in 116 career games and finished her career at the time as the all-time winningest player in school history where she collected 89 wins. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native was part of three postseason appearances including two NCAA Tournament runs and a WNIT Championship. She was a member of the squad in 2021 when the Hoosiers advanced to its first ever Elite Eight. Warthen finished her playing career at Southern Methodist University for the 2021-22 campaign. In her season with the RedHawks, Warthen helped secure one of the best defenses in the MAC, holding opponents to 60.4 points (third in MAC) and allowing a MAC low 38.1% field goal percentage to the opposition.
Warthen arrived in Miami after spending the 2022-23 as a graduate assistant with the women’s basketball program at Oklahoma State. While with the Cowgirls, she supervised off-season programs for current student athletes and played a vital role with OSU’s recruiting efforts. She also worked directly with head coach Jacie Hoyt to implement teaching and instructions for sport specific skills and strategy in practice. OSU went 21-12 in her season in Stillwater and securing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to joining OSU, Warthen served as a marketing intern with the Dallas Wings of the WNBA in 2022. While gaining marketing experience in a professional league setting, she added skills in social and digital content as well. She graduated from IU with a youth development degree in 2021 and completed her master’s degree in sports management from SMU in 2022.
Big Ten announces 2024-25 Conference Opponents for Men’s Basketball
The Big Ten Conference has announced men’s basketball league opponents for the 2024-25 season. The conference enters its seventh year playing a 20-game schedule. With the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, each team will play three opponents twice, seven opponents only at home, and seven opponents only on the road. Dates, times, and television designations will be announced later this summer.
In non-conference play, the Hoosiers will play compete in the 13th-annual Battle 4 Atlantis. Indiana will be joined by Arizona, Creighton, Davidson, Gonzaga, Louisville, Oklahoma, and West Virginia in the three-day event played at the Imperial Arena. Games are televised on ESPN networks throughout the tournament. All games will be played between Wednesday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 29.
IU 2024-25 Big Ten Conference Opponents
Home Only-Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Rutgers, UCLA and USC Away Only-Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin Home and Away- Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue
Indiana University Men’s Golf Selected for NCAA Regional in West Lafayette Indiana Men’s Golf team has earned a bid to the 2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional played at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Course, the NCAA announced on Wednesday via a selection show on The Golf Channel. After making the 2021 NCAA Tallahassee Regional, the 2022 NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional, and the 2023 NCAA Auburn Regional, Indiana has made four-straight regional appearances as a team for the first time since making six-consecutive NCAA events from 2008-13. In total, the Hoosiers have made it to 13 NCAA Regionals under head coach Mike Mayer.
“We are thrilled to be going to West Lafayette,” Mayer said. “We know that golf course extremely well. We have played their numerous times and we have won tournaments on that course. We are comfortable there. “The field is going to be great in all six regionals, so that was not part of our concern. We wanted to stay on grass we were familiar with. We feel great about our chances of advancing to the NCAA Finals.”
The 2024 NCAA Regionals will be held May 13-15 at one of six sites across the country: University of Texas Golf Club (Austin, Texas), University Club (Baton Rouge, La.), UNC Finley Golf Course, (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Farms Golf Club (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.), Birck Boilermaker Golf Course (West Lafayette, Ind.). Three regional sites will have 13 teams and 10 individuals competing and three will have 14 teams and five individuals. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team from each regional site (six individuals total) will advance to the NCAA Championships, set for May 24-29 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional Teams
1. Vanderbilt, 2. Arizona, 3. Florida, 4. New Mexico, 5. Purdue, 6. San Diego State, 7. Mississippi State, 8. INDIANA, 9. College of Charleston, 10. Stetson, 11. Colorado State, 12. Southern Illinois and 13. Tennessee Tech
2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional Individuals
1. Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso, 2. Hunter Thomson, Michigan, 3. Cameron Huss, Wisconsin, 4. Barend Botha, Toledo, 5. Valentin Peugnet, Illinois State
6. Owen Stamper, Middle Tennessee State, 7. Alex McCulla, Illinois State, 8. Ty Gingerich, Cincinnati, 9. Luke Fuller, Western Kentucky, 10. Ben Ortwein, Rider
NCAA Tournament Appearances Under Mike Mayer
2023-24: Regional
2022-23: 7th (Regional); Drew Salyers NCAA Finals individual, t-131st)
2021-22: 12th (Regional)
2020-21: 9th (Regional)
2017-18: Jake Brown (Individual Regional, t-14th)
2012-13: 13th (Regional)
2011-12: 9th (Regional)
2010-11: t-8th (Regional)
2009-10: 9th (Regional)
2008-09: 12th (Regional)
2007-08: 10th (Regional); 21st (NCAA Finals); Jorge Campillo (NCAA Finals individual runner-up)
2006-07: Jorge Campillo (Individual Regional, t-72nd)
2005-06: t-11th (Regional)
2004-05: t-18th (Regional)
2003-04: t-20th (Regional); Jeff Overton (NCAA Finals individual, t-20th)
2002-03: Jeff Overton (Individual Regional, t-38th)
Indianapolis Indians dominate Buffalo Bisons Wednesday Afternoon at Victory Field
Ji Hwan Bae energized the offense with four hits and all 10 batters to appear for the Indianapolis Indians recorded at least one base knock in a 14-5 rout over the Buffalo Bisons at Victory Field on Wednesday afternoon. Bae continued to excel at the plate, finishing the game one hit shy of tying his career-high from April 29, 2022, at Iowa. The utilityman is hitting .391 (18-for-46) in 12 games with Indianapolis after going 4-for-6 with two runs, a double, RBI and stolen bases against Buffalo.
Indianapolis (14-12) jumped on the board in the first inning with three runs on a two-run single from Yasmani Grandal and a run-scoring groundout from Liover Peguero. The Indians did not look back, putting up 14 runs on 17 hits to never relinquish the lead. Buffalo (16-12) cut into the lead in the second with a two-run blast courtesy of Steward Berroa, but the effort was quickly dismissed by a five-run frame by Indianapolis. In his first plate appearance at Victory Field, Andrés Alvarez launched his first home run of the season to deep center field to jumpstart the scoring. Three errors, two singles, an RBI groundout and double led to four additional runs scoring in the inning.
The Bisons made another offensive push in the top of the third, as Orelvis Martinez and Damiano Palmegiani launched back-to-back solo shots off southpaw Eric Lauer. Indy countered with one run in the fourth, four runs in the fifth on three RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk, and one run in the sixth to erase Buffalo’s effort and extend the lead. As a team, the Indians’ season-high 14 runs on 17 hits included five doubles, a triple and home run. Two doubles came off the bat of Jake Lamb, with Matt Gorski tagging on his third three-bagger of the season.
Lauer started his fourth game for the Indians and allowed four runs off eight hits in 4.0 innings of work. After exiting the game, Brad Case (W, 1-0), Ryder Ryan and Fineas Del Bonta-Smith tossed 5.0 innings of one-run baseball. Bisons starter Paolo Espino (L, 0-1) surrendered eight runs (four earned) in 1.2 innings pitched. Indianapolis sent double-digit batters to the plate in both the second and fifth innings, marking the first time the team batted around the order twice in the same game since Sept. 11, 2022, at Omaha in a 19-9 Indians victory. Indianapolis and Buffalo will square off in the third game of the six-game set tonight at 6:35pm. LHP Cam Alldred (0-3, 9.00) gets the nod for Indy against RHP Chad Dallas (0-1, 7.04).
Indiana Fever and Eli Lilly announce Jersey Patch Partnership
Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Eli Lilly and Company have announced an agreement to make the Indiana-based medicine company the newest jersey patch and health equity partner of the Indiana Fever. Lilly’s corporate logo will be displayed on the shoulder of each Fever jersey, and the companies will continue to collaborate to close gaps on health outcomes in Indianapolis and across the state. “The excitement around the Fever and women’s basketball means more opportunities for the Fever and partners like Lilly to shine a light on important issues like support for girls in sports and the need for improving health in Indiana communities,” said Rick Fuson, PS&E’s Chief Executive Officer. “Lilly, like the game of basketball, is both distinctly Hoosier and truly global, and I am grateful to them for their ongoing partnership.”
The partnership comes at a time when the spotlight is on the Fever and women’s basketball more intensely than ever before. In early April, the team announced that 36 of its 40 regular season games will be broadcast on national television, and last week the team revealed that 17 games would be aired for free locally on WTHR and WALV. “Improving health equity in our home state of Indiana is something the Fever and Lilly both care deeply about, and we are thrilled to partner with the Fever at this exciting moment in women’s sports,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chair and CEO. “We know that great teams work hard to get better and achieve a common goal. Together with the Fever, we at Lilly look forward to bringing greater awareness and achieving better health outcomes for our fellow Hoosiers. That would be a win for everyone.”
The Fever tip off the preseason in Dallas on Friday, May 3, at 8 p.m., and the regular season begins on Tuesday, May 14, when the Fever travel to Connecticut to take on the Sun at 8 p.m. The team’s home opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, May 16, when Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty come to Indianapolis for a 7 p.m. tip.
Indiana Pacers fall to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 Tuesday Night
The Indiana Pacers couldn’t secure their first playoff series win in a decade falling to the Bucks 115-92 in Game 5 in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Indiana still leads the series 3-2 and will have another chance to advance to the conference semifinals with a win on Thursday night in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 29 points each, while Tyrese Haliburton paced Indiana with 16 points.
The Pacers got off to a hot start, shooting 7-of-13 from three-point range and using a 12-0 run to help build an early 10-point lead. Indiana led 31-23 after one quarter. Milwaukee turned up with defense and rallied in the second behind Middleton and Patrick Beverley, taking a 35-33 lead on a Middletown three-pointer. A Beverley three gave the Bucks an eight-point lead at 51-43 as Milwaukee led 53-48 at halftime. The Bucks took total control in the third quarter. A Portis lay-up put Milwaukee up 72-57, forcing Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle to take a timeout. Malik Beasley made it a 19-point cushion with a three-pointer, prompting another Carlisle timeout.
Pat Connaughton blocked Aaron Nesmith’s three-point attempt at the third quarter buzzer as the Bucks took an 87-67 lead into the fourth. The Pacers could get no closer than 18 points in the final quarter as Indiana emptied the bench for the last five minutes. The bad blood continued between the two teams as Obi Toppin and Beverley exchanged words by the Bucks’ bench in the second quarter. Toppin received a technical foul for the confrontation. Milwaukee played without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damain Lillard again. Antetokounmpo has missed the whole series with a strained left calf, while Lillard suffered an Achilles injury in Game 3 in Indiana and sat out the last two games. The Pacers are looking for their first playoff series win since beating the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2014.
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