Local Sports News: October 18, 2024

Indiana University Basketball hosts Hoosier Hysteria Tonight in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall The 2024-25 men’s and women’s basketball seasons officially kick off with Hoosier Hysteria Presented by Smithville at 7:30 p.m. ET this evening at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. ET with free admission. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Hoosier Hills Food Bank. This is traditionally one of the organization’s most successful donation events of the year, bringing in as much as 12,000 pounds of food to support those in need in Monroe, Brown, Lawrence, Orange, Owen, and Martin counties. The event will begin with the Homecoming Parade at 5:30 p.m. ET down Woodlawn Avenue between 13th and 17th Streets. Parade goers and Hoosier Hysteria fans should park in any lots surrounding Memorial Stadium and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The parade will conclude with a fireworks show over Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Hoosier Hysteria will officially begin with player and coach introductions from both the men’s and women’s teams at 7:30 p.m. ET Head coaches Mike Woodson and Teri Moren will address the crowd after special performances from the IU Cheerleaders and Red Steppers. Finally, players from both squads will participate in various skills competitions to be followed by a scrimmage. Indiana alum Tricia Whitaker will emcee the event. The event will be streamed on B1G+. To order, click here. A season pass, which will bring you all of the live events featuring IU Athletics on B1G+, is $89.99. A monthly IU pass is $12.99. The men’s team will be featured on B1G+ two times this season with, while 13 women’s games also will be shown on the service. Indiana football will host Nebraska at noon on Saturday, to close out the Homecoming festivities on campus.

#16 Indiana University Football hosts Nebraska in Big Showdown for Homecoming  The #16 Indiana Hoosiers are looking to start 7-0 for the first time since 1967 hosting the Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday at Noon on FOX in a Sold-Out Memorial Stadium for Homecoming on the Indiana University Campus. There is plenty of buzz surrounding this game with FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show broadcasting live from the Memorial Stadium South End Zone Plaza from 10AM-Noon. Both teams are coming off a bye week and this will be the fourth meeting between the two programs since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. Nebraska won the last meeting in Lincoln in 2022 35-21 and this is the Cornhuskers first trip to Bloomington since a 27-22 Nebraska win in 2016. Indiana beat Nebraska 38-31 in 2019. Indiana leads the all-time series 10-9-3 but Nebraska is 3-2-1 in Bloomington. 

The Hoosiers have not trailed in any game this season along with Army are the only two FBS teams to accomplish that feat. Nebraska is the only FBS team that has not allowed a rushing touchdown this season. The Hoosiers have scored over 40 points in five straight games for the first time in program history. The Hoosiers have won every game by double digits and that is the third longest streak in program history for a single season as the 1905 team won 7 games and the 1988 team won 8 games by double digits.  The six-straight double-digit wins marks the longest streak in program history passing the previous mark of five straight spanning the 1905-06 season. 

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke has completed 73.8 percent of this passes throwing for 1,752 yards 14 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and been sacked 5 times. Rourke has been the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week twice and has thrown for over 250 yards in five straight games. The Hoosiers 1-2 rushing combo of Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton have combined for 738 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Hoosiers’ running game has 1,202 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. Ke’Shawn Williams has 4 touchdowns receiving as 7 different Hoosiers have caught touchdown passes this season as Tayven Jackson threw a touchdown pass against Western Illinois to give Indiana 15 touchdown passes this season. 

Nebraska is 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten losing at home to Illinois 31-24 in overtime on September 20, The Cornhuskers have scored 168 points and have given up 68 points this season. Freshman Quarterback Dylan Raiola has thrown for 1,358 yards 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Raiola has been sacked 12 times and will face an Indiana Defense who has allowed less than 300 yards total offense in four games this season which is the most since 2019. The Cornhuskers have 820 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as Indiana has allowed less than 100 yards rushing on four occasions this season. Isaiah Neyor is Nebraska’s top receiver with 291 yards and four touchdowns. 

The Hoosiers are 6-0 and 3-0 in the Big Ten are enjoying one of the best turnarounds in College Football under first year Head Coach Curt Cignetti who is the only Indiana Head Coach to start his tenure 6-0 and the Hoosiers were the first team to become Bowl Eligible after a 41-24 win at Northwestern 2 weeks ago. Indiana has 529 yards against the Wildcats and it’s the fourth time this season the Hoosiers have gone over 500 yards this season.  Indiana has scored first in every game this season and are one of eight teams to accomplish that feat along with Illinois, Army, Ole Miss, Toledo, Boise State, Memphis and Texas.  

Raiola is 6-3 230-pound native of Buford, Georgia and he has started every game since arriving in Lincoln, but he is a Freshman Quarterback coming into his second road game of the season after he threw 257 yards, and a touchdown pass at Purdue. The key for the Indiana defense is to the put the pressure on him early and see how he responds to the sold-out and excited crowd. Rourke nicknamed the Maple Missile as native of Oakville, Ontario Canada is a fifth-year veteran after playing four years at Ohio University and winning the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year a season ago. Rourke has a lot of poise and leadership and has not shown panic at any point this season even when he threw 2 first half interceptions against Maryland and had a fumble. This matchup of Freshman vs Veteran will be the best matchup of the weekend, and will Indiana go to 7-0 and the buzz continue to get bigger in Bloomington or will the Freshman send a statement and come up with a huge conference road win. 

Legendary Head Coach Bob Knight Honored by Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame  Legendary head coach Bob Knight, a three-time NCAA basketball champion, was honored with a bench dedication over the weekend at the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend. The Naismith Coaches Circle Program honors the first coach, Dr. James Naismith, and pays tribute to the core values he taught – Teamwork, Cooperation, Leadership, Perseverance, and Integrity. These principles are the foundation by which young men and women play the game and conduct their lives – on and off the court. With the Coaches Circle Program, the Basketball Hall of Fame honors his vision by providing a pathway for today’s coaches to leave a legacy to those who inspired them. They share stories of their meaningful relationships and how their lives have been impacted by these inspirations. Far too often, these incredible connections are left untold.

Through this exhibit they share the stories of the mentor-coach relationship, and the compassion coaches have for their players. Knight, a 1991 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, was honored during bench dedication alongside two-time NBA Champion Chuck Daly and Nancy Lieberman, a pioneer for women coaches in the NBA. Indiana head coach Mike Woodson joined Knight’s son and current head coach of the Marian Knights, Pat Knight, Indiana Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson, Indiana University Athletics Hall of Famers Quinn Buckner, Scott May, and Dr. Larry Rink, and Indiana alum Steve Ferguson at the dedication. Fans can see the bench in the Naismith Coaches Circle at the Basketball Hall of Fame. More information can be found here.

Bloomington North Home while Bloomington South and Edgewood hit the road for the final week of the HS Football Regular Season  The final week of the regular season of High School Football in the State of Indiana is here as Bloomington North hosts Southport Bloomington South travels to Seymour and Edgewood travels to Brown County with all three games kicking off at 7pm.  Bloomington North is without Quarterback Dash King for the rest of the season after he injured his leg on the final play against Columbus North last week 35-34 in 2 overtimes. Luke Freel will take over at Quarterback for the Cougars who are 6-2 overall and 3-1 in Conference Indiana. Bloomington North has outscored its opponent 282-149. Southport is 0-8 overall and been outscored 307-94. The Cardinals are 2-37 the last four seasons with their only two wins coming in 2023. 

Bloomington South is 4-4 on the season and coming off a high scoring affair with Brebeuf Jesuit falling at home 68-57. The Panthers have outscored their opponent 261-232. Seymour is 4-4 on the season and have won their last two games. The Owls have outscored their opponent 185-148 averaging 23.1 points on offense and giving up 18.5 points on defense.  Edgewood is looking to snap a four-game losing streak for a team who has scored just 24 points in their six losses and scored 81 points in their two wins. The Mustangs have been outscored 266-105. Brown County is 4-4 on the season but in their last two games they have been outscored 114-12. Edgewood and Brown County play for the Hoof and Talon Trophy as Edgewood has won the last two matchups and looking keep the trophy in Ellettsville for the third straight season.  

Girls and Boys Cross Country Sectionals on tap Saturday Morning The IHSAA Girls and Boys Cross Country Sectionals will take place Saturday Morning as Bloomington North, Bloomington South and Lighthouse Christian will compete at Bedford North Lawrence and Edgewood will compete at Brown County. The Girls Race Starts at 10:30 AM and The Boys Race Starts at 11:15 AM at both sites. The top five teams and the top 15 individuals from non-advancing teams will advance to Regionals Next Saturday. 

The Monroe County Teams at Bedford North Lawrence will compete against Bedford North Lawrence, Brownstown Central,  Eastern (Pekin), Eastern Greene, Linton, Loogootee, Mitchell, North Daviess, Orleans, Salem, Shoals, West Washington and White River Valley.The Bloomington North Boys have won the last four Sectional titles and the last time a Monroe County School did not win a sectional title was 2000. On the Girls side Bloomington South has won the last two sectional titles and combined with Bloomington North have won every Sectional Title since 1999. 

Edgewood is looking for its first ever Girls Sectional Championship and second Boys Sectional title and first since 2004. The Mustangs will compete against Brown County, Columbus East, Columbus North, Eminence, Greensburg, Hauser, Jennings County, Martinsville, Monrovia, North Decatur, Seymour South Decatur and Trinity Lutheran. 

St Louis to Host the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament Semifinals and Final   The 2024 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament semifinals and championship match will be held at CITYPARK, the home of Major League Soccer’s St. Louis CITY SC, on Nov. 7 & 10, the conference announced Thursday. It will be the first time that St. Louis is hosting the semifinals and final of the Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament. Both semifinals (Nov. 7 at 2 and 4:30 p.m. CT) and the final (Nov. 10 at Noon CT) will be televised live on Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports app. With the addition of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington in August, this year’s tournament features a 10-team format with the first round and quarterfinals scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium at the University of Minnesota. Additional information regarding the first six matches will be announced following the conclusion of the regular season.

Tickets for the Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament matches played at CITYPARK are now available through SeatGeek (semifinals and final).  Situated within the heart of St. Louis’ Downtown West, CITYPARK, which officially opened to the public in March 2023, anchors the largest urban professional sports campus in the United States. In addition to CITY SC and CITY2 matches, CITYPARK has also hosted the U.S. Men’s National Team and U.S. Women’s National Team, as well as Division 1 men’s and women’s collegiate soccer matches. For additional information about CITYPARK, please visit https://www.stlcitysc.com/stadium/ This will mark the sixth time since the debut of Big Ten women’s soccer in 1994 that the conference tournament will be played off campus. Last year, both semifinals and the final were played at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, with Iowa earning a 1-0 victory over Wisconsin in the championship.