Happy Monday, Hoosiers! One of our sports editors, Matt Press, wrote this introduction. Enjoy today's newsletter.
Coming off extended rest, Indiana basketball teams looked to improve their conference records last week and start the new year off right.
The then No. 15-ranked Indiana men's basketball teams traveled to Iowa City, Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes in what was the Hoosiers first action in over two weeks. Indiana jumped out to a 28-7 lead courtesy of stellar offensive showings from senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino. Late in the first half, though, graduate forward Race Thompson suffered a knee injury and was subsequently ruled out indefinitely. The Hoosiers fell apart from that point on, allowing Iowa to gradually climb back into the game and erase the deficit. Indiana’s defense continued to falter, and the score was knotted at 84 with about 2:40 left to play. The Hawkeyes continued to get opportunities on the offensive ended and were able to put the game away with four free throws.
A few days later, the Hoosiers returned home to Bloomington to host Northwestern. Without Thompson, the Wildcats exposed Indiana on the interior and took a 17-point first half lead. The final scoreline of 84-83 might not be exactly indicative of Indiana’s performance, as Northwestern had control of the game from start to finish. Hood-Schifino was brilliant, finishing with a season-high 33 points on 5-7 shooting from beyond the arc, and Jackson-Davis was dominant with 18 points, eight assists and a whopping 24 boards. Despite the duo’s best efforts at a comeback bid, the Hoosiers’ 16 turnovers proved too costly to pull out the win. Indiana next travels to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions on Wednesday and try to right the ship.
After taking down Nebraska on New Year’s Day, the No. 6 women looked to keep the momentum going against Northwestern this past Sunday. Star graduate guard Grace Berger was a surprise addition to the starting lineup against the Wildcats, and she made immediate contributions. Berger finished with 16 points and was constantly creating on the offensive end. Her connection with senior forward Mackenzie Holmes was on full display, and Holmes put up a 20-point double-double while playing stout on defense. The Hoosiers cruised to a 72-50 victory and moved to 14-1, and 4-1 in the Big Ten. Indiana next returns to Bloomington for a two game homestand against Maryland on Thursday and Wisconsin on Sunday.
1 (big story with photo)
>> Rollercoaster offense costs No. 15 Indiana men’s basketball 91-89 loss at Iowa
The Hoosiers went on a 28-7 run to open the game.
>> What Mike Woodson’s past reflections tell us about Indiana men’s basketball’s loss to Iowa
>> COLUMN: Indiana men’s basketball can’t keep this up
2 (big story with photo)
>> No. 6 Indiana women’s basketball handles Northwestern 72-50 in return of Berger and Browne
The Hoosiers never trailed in the win.
>> Grace Berger returns as No. 6 Indiana women’s basketball defeats Northwestern
>> COLUMN: Indiana women’s basketball was a well-oiled machine, and now it has Grace Berger
3 (small story with photo)
>> Star efforts wasted as turnovers doom No. 15 Indiana men’s basketball against Northwestern
Indiana turned the ball over 16 times, spoiling a 33-point effort by freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
>> COLUMN: No. 15 Indiana men’s basketball isn’t this bad, but it needs time to be better
