For the first time since the 2018-19 season, Indiana women’s basketball has double-digit Big Ten losses.
The Hoosiers fell to No. 9 Michigan 95-67 on Thursday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The loss moved Indiana to 0-10 in the conference with eight games remaining on its schedule.
Freshman forward Maya Makalusky led the Hoosiers with 17 points.
Michigan took advantage of its first possession with a basket from sophomore guard Olivia Olson. Indiana then committed a turnover, which the Wolverines took advantage of to score another bucket and take a 4-0 lead.
Junior forward Edessa Noyan made a 3-pointer in response, but an 8-0 Michigan run — sparked by another basket from Olson and three Hoosier turnovers — gave the Wolverines an early nine-point cushion.
Six different Hoosiers scored in the first quarter, and Indiana was 6 for 11 from the field. But with six turnovers, the Cream and Crimson couldn’t cut into Michigan’s advantage, as the Wolverines led 24-15 at the end of the first period.
Michigan scored 16 points in the first four minutes of the second quarter. Indiana recorded just five, which allowed the Wolverines to take a 20-point lead and forced Indiana head coach Teri Moren to take a timeout.
Senior guard Shay Ciezki scored a 3-pointer out of the break, but Michigan responded with a basket of its own. A layup from sophomore forward Faith Wiseman started an 8-0 Indiana run capped off by a successful three-point play by Makalusky.
However, Michigan responded with a 7-0 run to end the period and took a 49-31 lead at halftime.
The Wolverines continued to overpower the Hoosiers out of the break. Indiana continued struggling with turnovers, committing seven in the third period, eliminating the impact of the Hoosiers’ 7-for-10 shooting from the field.
With a 23-point lead headed into the fourth quarter, Michigan cruised to its 28-point victory over the Hoosiers. Olson finished the contest with a game-high 27 points.
The Hoosiers will now take on Northwestern at 2 p.m. Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The contest will stream 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.
