Indiana women’s basketball defeated Lipscomb University 80-46 in its first regular season game of the 2025-26 season Tuesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
The starting five remained unchanged from its lone exhibition match against Missouri University of Science and Technology on Oct. 27. Freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey retained her spot in the starting lineup.
Indiana started quickly, winning the tipoff and scoring off a layup from sophomore forward Zania Socka-Nguemen. Lipscomb kept it close early — the score was tied at 6 after two minutes. The Hoosiers proceeded to score 15 straight points, giving them space to breath that they never relinquished.
Freshman forward Maya Makalusky and sophomore guard Phoenix Stotijn came off the bench first with nearly four minutes remaining in the first quarter. Junior forward Edessa Noyan was the only other bench player to receive first-half minutes. Meanwhile, senior guard Shay Ciezki played the entire quarter, which ended with a 25-12 Indiana lead.
Indiana’s defense held Lipscomb to only 20 first-half points. The Bisons shot 27.6% from the field and 9.1% from beyond the arc. The Hoosiers also struggled with 3-point shooting, shooting 14% and making only one 3-pointer in the first half.
As the second half started with a 43-20 Indiana advantage, the Hoosiers settled into their over 20-point lead. Sophomore guard Chloe Spreen checked into the game for the first time as Indiana continued to attack the paint.
With one quarter remaining, the score read 65-39. Lipscomb refused to give up, almost matching their first-half points total in the third quarter.
Indiana ultimately held onto its lead and claimed victory over Lipscomb 80-46 to set its 2025-26 season off on a winning start. Ciezki led the team with 22 points, shooting 8 for 17 from the field and 2 for 6 from beyond the arc. Caffey played the most minutes on the team, logging 31 of 40 possible minutes on the court.
Socka-Nguemen scored 19 points, all within the paint. She went 9 for 10 shooting, leading the team with six rebounds alongside Noyan.
Indiana shot 33 for 66 from the field as a team. But the Hoosiers struggled from behind the arc, shooting 3 for 15 for 20%. It was a stark contrast in both volume and success compared to the Hoosiers’ 15 for 35 from beyond the arc against Missouri S&T.
Indiana women’s basketball plays its next game against the University of Illinois Chicago at 7 p.m. Friday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, which will be streamed on Big Ten+.
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.
