Entering the back half of its conference schedule, Indiana women’s basketball was approaching unwanted history with an 0-10 record in the Big Ten. Ranked second to last in the conference as one of two remaining winless teams, the Hoosiers risk missing out on a trip to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time ever.
However, Indiana took its first step in the right direction on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The Hoosiers earned their first Big Ten win of the season, defeating Northwestern 89-75.
Indiana entered its matchup with Northwestern off the back of a 95-67 defeat to No. 9 Michigan on Thursday. The 28-point loss was its largest of the season.
But on Sunday, Indiana settled into an early groove, taking a 13-3 lead inside the first four minutes. While Northwestern struggled to get into the game offensively, the Hoosiers had no such qualms.
Alongside the hot start, senior guard Shay Ciezki was charged with her second offensive foul in five minutes. Despite anger from the crowd and coaching staff, Indiana had no choice but to sub out its star player due to early foul trouble.
Despite the setback, the Hoosiers’ offense continued to hum. As Northwestern remained rooted to just three points, Indiana’s lead grew substantially. The Hoosiers held a sizable 27-point cushion after just one quarter.
Indiana exited the first quarter with a 30-3 lead, having shot 13 for 16 from the field. Northwestern, by contrast, had gone just 1 for 17 up to that point.
The Wildcats finally ended their 10-minute scoring drought 90 seconds into the second quarter, doubling their points from three to six. Indiana settled into an over 30-point lead as the quarter ticked by, increasing its advantage despite Northwestern’s offense awakening after a stagnant first quarter.
By halftime, Indiana held a 55-26 advantage. Ciezki led the Hoosiers with 17 points, with freshman forward Maya Makalusky and redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont right behind her with 16 and 15, respectively. The Hoosiers had just four turnovers in the first half.
Entering the second half, Northwestern tried its best to claw back. As the third quarter progressed, the Wildcats slowly chipped away at Indiana’s lead. Exiting a media timeout, Northwestern hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 20 points halfway through the third quarter.
Indiana’s offense kept producing, reaching a season-high in points in a Big Ten match with a minute and a half left in the third quarter. With one quarter remaining, the Hoosiers led 75-52.
With ten minutes separating Indiana from its first Big Ten victory, the Hoosiers just had to protect its 23-point lead. However, Indiana’s offense began to falter, scoring two points in the first six minutes of the final quarter as the Wildcats trimmed the lead to just 10.
Fighting to keep its now tighter lead afloat, buckets from Beaumont and Ciezki reawakened Indiana’s offense. Up 81-69 with under three minutes remaining, the court opened up as the Hoosiers turned Northwestern’s desperation into chances.
In the end, Indiana survived the late scare to confirm its first Big Ten win of the season, emerging victorious by 14 points.
Ciezki led Indiana in scoring with 33 points, also contributing a team-high in rebounds and assists with eight and five, respectively. Beaumont and Makalusky also chipped in with 24 and 21 points, respectively.
Indiana next takes on Wisconsin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The game 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.
