Indiana women’s basketball took on Gonzaga University for its second of three games at the Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday.
The Hoosiers played Florida Gulf Coast University on Tuesday, defeating the Eagles 82-64 to start their Florida stretch.
Against Gonzaga, senior guard Shay Ciezki got off to a fast start, notching seven points inside the first four minutes of the game. Freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey attacked the basket from the jump, earning five first-quarter points as well.
However, first-quarter scoring went back and forth as the Bulldogs drained three 3-pointers. The Hoosiers ended the quarter with a slender 19-18 lead.
As the second quarter progressed, Gonzaga started to dominate the offensive glass. The Bulldogs pulled down six offensive rebounds in less than five minutes.
Down 29-23, Indiana remained close with the help of 3-pointers from Ciezki and sophomore guard Valentyna Kadlecova. However, defensive lapses allowed Gonzaga to remain in front.
By halftime, the Hoosiers found themselves trailing 36-35. The Bulldogs crashed the glass offensively, earning nine offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points. Gonzaga collected 21 total rebounds compared to Indiana’s 15 and dished out nine assists compared to the Hoosiers’ five.
Indiana, however, managed to draw 12 fouls from Gonzaga in the first half. The Hoosiers attacked the basket aggressively, shooting 12 free throws compared to five for Gonzaga.
Entering the second half down by one, Indiana came roaring out of the break. Buckets from Ciezki, Kadlecova and redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont gave the Hoosiers a 45-38 lead two and a half minutes into the second half. Two buckets from freshman forward Maya Makalusky increased the advantage to 11.
Despite Gonzaga’s efforts to claw its way back, Indiana managed to hold on to a 57-51 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Holding a six-point lead entering the final quarter, each team traded blows as the clock continued to tick. A Ciezki 3-pointer increased Indiana’s lead to seven points with eight minutes remaining.
Down 66-57 with five minutes left, Gonzaga refused to let Indiana pull away. With three and a half minutes left, the lead was cut to four. A minute later, the Hoosiers held only a one-point lead.
Hanging on to its lead up 66-65, a drive from Beaumont increased Indiana’s lead to three, before being brought back within a point of Gonzaga on the Bulldogs’ next possession.
Makalusky sunk a 3-pointer the next possession, giving Indiana a 71-67 lead with 1:28 left. However, the Bulldogs responded again and cut the lead to two.
Makalusky wasn’t finished, and she grabbed an offensive rebound and secured another two points to restore the Hoosiers’ four-point lead.
But Gonzaga still had gas left in the tank. Freshman forward Jaiden Haile earned a crucial and-one score, cutting Indiana’s lead to 73-72 with 20 seconds remaining.
Ciezki responded with her own and-one bucket, increasing the Hoosiers' advantage to 76-72 with 17 seconds left.
Indiana clamped down on defense on the final possession, forcing an airball as the shot-clock ticked down. The ball bounced out of bounds, allowing the Hoosiers to walk out of the Alico Arena with a 76-72 victory.
Ciezki led Indiana with 24 points, shooting 10 for 18 from the field and three for six from 3-point range. In addition to Ciezki’s performance, Beaumont, Caffey, Makalusky and sophomore forward Zania Socka-Nguemen all finished with 10 or more points.
With the win over Gonzaga, Indiana women’s basketball will face off against No. 10 Iowa State at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida. The game will be streamed on FloHoops.
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.
