Indiana women’s basketball defeated Butler University 72-53 on Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The victory is a reverse fixture from last season when Indiana lost 56-46 to Butler on Nov. 13, 2024, in Indianapolis.
The Hoosiers returned to Bloomington after squeezing out a 76-72 victory against Florida State University on Nov. 16 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida.
Redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont continued her form from Sunday, scoring 21 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field. Beaumont also knocked down 4 of 5 attempts from beyond the arc.
Indiana gave itself early breathing space that would last the entire first half, taking a 14-4 lead less than five minutes into the first quarter. Beaumont continued her shooting form from last game early, making both of her 3-point attempts in the first quarter.
Senior guard Shay Ciezki continued to crash the glass defensively, pulling down five defensive rebounds in the first period. Freshman forward Maya Makalusky drained her first 3-pointer of the season to give the Hoosiers a 23-7 lead after one quarter.
Entering the second quarter, consistent buckets inside the paint pushed Indiana’s lead to 19 points despite two made 3-pointers from Butler.
Beaumont continued to shine in the second quarter, adding two more 3-pointers to end the first half with 19 individual points. Ciezki was the second-leading scorer with 7 points, also grabbing seven rebounds.
Indiana had more success shooting from range in the first half than at any point in the season previously, shooting 7 for 11 from beyond the arc to give the Hoosiers a 44-25 halftime lead over the Bulldogs. Beaumont was 4 for 5 from 3-point range.
Ciezki increased Indiana’s lead to 22 points early in the third quarter after a made 3-pointer. With the lead remaining stagnant as both teams traded baskets, the Hoosiers entered the fourth quarter with a 60-38 advantage.
As Indiana held a 22-point lead, the final quarter trickled by. Ciezki exited the match with just under eight minutes remaining, totaling 14 points and a team-leading eight rebounds. She logged 29 minutes against the Bulldogs, her lowest of the season.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren put in sophomore guard Chloe Spreen and sophomore forward Faith Wiseman late in the contest. Senior guard Jerni Kiaku nearly doubled her minutes played this season with 10 minutes Wednesday night.
In the end, Indiana came out victorious in its revenge game against Butler, winning 72-53. Indiana shot 28 for 54 from the field, with a season best 9 for 16 from long range. The Hoosiers’ defense forced missed shots all night, as the Bulldogs shot 21 for 63 from the field and 5 for 15 from 3-point range.
Indiana returns to Florida for three straight games in Fort Myers, Florida. The stretch starts against Florida Gulf Coast University at 1 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Alico Arena. The game will stream on ESPN+.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Max Schneider (maxschn@iu.edu) and columnist Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
