Against Missouri University of Science and Technology on Oct. 27, the 3-point shot fell in early and often for Indiana.
But when the 3-point shot isn’t falling, the Hoosiers will need to be much more physical to create points.
The extra physicality came into effect in Indiana’s first regular season game Tuesday as it defeated Lipscomb University 80-46 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers shot just 3 for 15 for 20% from beyond the arc, compared to 15 for 35 for 42.9% against Missouri S&T. Against the Miners, 35 of Indiana’s 69 shots were 3-point attempts compared to 15 of its 66 shots Tuesday night.
Senior guard Shay Ciezki, who shot 5 for 8 from 3-point range against Missouri S&T, shot 2 for 6. Redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont went 0 for 2 Tuesday after going 2 for 2 in the exhibition and freshman forward Maya Makalusky couldn’t convert on any of her four attempts.
Despite this major dip in shooting from range, Indiana still romped to a 34-point win. The Hoosiers maintained a physical presence all night, thanks in large part to sophomore forward Zania Socka-Nguemen's domination inside the arc.
All Socka-Nguemen's 19 points, along with six rebounds, came inside the paint.
Indiana controlled the glass for all 40 minutes. In the 2024-25 season, the Hoosiers’ season-high for total rebounds in a game was 43. Tuesday night, they collected 41.
The way Indiana attacked the net changed against Lipscomb. While the Hoosiers maintained consistent ball movement, the guards often looked to drive inside the lane instead of passing until an open shooter was found.
Socka-Nguemen's lack of fouls also played a major role. Instead of sitting in foul trouble for much of the second half like last game, she backed opponents down before driving past them for an easy bucket.
It was a dominating physical presence for the Hoosiers, from the smallest guard to the largest forward; Even Ciezki, standing at 5 foot 7, earned five rebounds.
It was something head coach Teri Moren emphasized in practice leading up to the matchup against Lipscomb. The Bisons averaged 9.6 3-point shots made per game during the 2024-25 season.
“That’s something we prepped for,” Moren said postgame. “...But a lot of times with those long shots, they equal long rebounds for us.”
Socka-Nguemen, Ciezki, junior forward Edessa Noyan and freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey all collected five or more rebounds Tuesday night. Noyan grabbed six rebounds in 14 minutes played, proving a reliable presence inside from off the bench.
Indiana shot 50% from the field Tuesday compared to 52.2% against Missouri S&T, as well as 20% versus 42.9% from behind the arc. Despite the Hoosiers’ increased volume of shots inside the arc, their shooting percentage was still down.
From 2-point range, Indiana shot 30 for 51 for 58.8%, compared to 21 for 34 for 61.8% against Missouri S&T. Moren made her dissatisfaction known postgame.
“I thought we got some really good looks outside the arc tonight,” Moren said. “It just didn’t go for us. That was a little bit frustrating, I think, for the players.”
Despite this, Moren found the game to be a learning experience for the Hoosiers, who were able to leverage their physicality for the win.
“But I also thought it was a really good lesson for us,” Moren said. “I do think that this is a group that is still learning to play with each other, learning to build chemistry.”
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.
