By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
The Indiana Hoosiers opened the 2026-27 Women’s Basketball Regular Season with a 79-50 win over the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Tuesday Night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Indiana is 1-0 and will host the Southern Illinois Salukis Friday Night at 7 PM. Florida Gulf Coast is 0-1 and will host Arkansas State Saturday Afternoon at 2 PM. Indiana leads the all-time series 2-1 after beating the Eagles 82-64 on November 25, 2025, in Fort Myers. This was second time that Florida Gulf Coast played in Bloomington as the Oklahoma Sooners beat FCGU in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament 73-70 on March 23, 2024.
Zania Socka-Nguemen led Indiana with 13 points, Iowa State Transfer Alisa Wiliams added 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench and Fourth Year Lenee Beaumont added 10 points. Eleven Hoosiers scored as all thirteen Hoosiers that were available played. Indiana finished 27-62 from the field for 43%, 10-30 from the three-point range for 33% and 15-25 from the free throw line for 60 %. The Hoosiers had 47 rebounds, 18 assists, 8 steals, 2 blocks and 17 turnovers. Indiana had 34 points in the paint, 33 bench points, 20 points off turnovers, 14 fastbreak points and 7 second chance points.
With 3:34 left in the fourth quarter Third Year Sydney Fenn made her first appearance in a Hoosier Uniform since arriving on Campus three years ago after knee injuries sidelined the Buffalo, New York Native for the last two seasons. Fenn scored 59 seconds left on a layup off an Eagles turnover. Ashlynn Anderson who transferred from a Canadian University hit two free throws with 26 seconds left in her first game as a Hoosier. Freshman Addy Nyemchek added 7 points, Ashlinn James scored 2 points as GiGi Battle and Camille Pangonis played but did not score.
USC Transfer Malia Samuels scored 8 points; Iowa State Transfer Kenzie Hare added 8 points along with 8 points from Nebraska Transfer Jess Petrie and 7 points from Maya Makalusky. Indiana never trailed in the game and the game was tied for 1:17 before Maya Malakusky drained a three pointer to open the scoring. The Hoosiers jumped out to a 14-2 lead and led 19-5 at the end of the first quarter. The Hoosiers led 33-18 at halftime and outscored the Eagles 14-13 in the second quarter. The Hoosiers came out in the second half and put the Eagles away with a 25-14 third quarter run to lead 58-32 at the end of the third quarter. Indiana finished it off in the fourth quarter outscoring the Eagles 21-18.
Siani Douglas led Florida Gulf Coast with 13 points and Denika Lightbourne added 10 points. Brownsburg HS Graduate Elle McCllough scored 4 points and 7 minutes, and Butler Transfer Lilly Zeinstra scored 2 points in 30 minutes. The Eagles were 17-58 from the field for 29%, 3-26 from three-point range for 11% and 13-18 from the free throw line for 72%. FCGU scored 26 points in the paint, 19 bench points, 18 fastbreak points, 6 fastbreak points and 3 second chance points.
In the post-game press conference Lenee Beaumont shouted out Sydney Fenn as the two were rehab partners during their respective injuries and was so happy to see her “Get Rewarded” and even though she has been out for the last two season “She has been very vocal” and her parents were emotional and she may not get the reps in practice like others and “she has grown as person according to Beaumont.
Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren talked about the impact about Sydney Fenn has had “Her parents were here and got to see her play in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the first time. She has had some nasty injuries and the one thing about her is she is a great teammate and always vocal on the bench and she has never wavered when she did not get in last week during the exhibition but as coaches, we appreciate everything she has done and was happy to be able on a night like this to be able to get her in the game.”