For the second straight game, Indiana women’s basketball was down big at halftime in the 2026 Big Ten Tournament. Despite trailing by as much as 20 points against No. 12 Nebraska, the No. 13 Hoosiers rallied to victory 72-69 Wednesday in their largest comeback victory of the season.
The following day, Indiana found itself down by as much as 13 points in the first half against No. 5 Ohio State. This time, however, the Hoosiers could not complete the comeback and fell to the Buckeyes 83-59 on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Wednesday’s contest against Nebraska was a tale of two halves offensively for Indiana. In the first, the Hoosiers shot just 38.7% from the field, compared to the Cornhuskers’ 51.4%. The second half was a different story, as Indiana shot 65.4% from the field while Nebraska went 31.3%.
Indiana’s major uptick in shooting percentage was one of the main reasons why the Hoosiers were able to turn a 17-point halftime deficit into a three-point victory. Senior guard Shay Ciezki and redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont’s late resurgence pushed the Hoosiers over the line late, with both scoring 11 points in the second half.
Indiana’s shooting start versus Ohio State on Thursday was similar to Wednesday’s. The Hoosiers shot 33.3% from the field in the first half and were 2 for 10 from 3-point range. Ohio State had a worse field goal percentage, shooting 31.6% from the field in the first half. Still, the Buckeyes held a 12-point halftime advantage after making six more free throws and shooting 36.4% from beyond the arc.
However, there would be no reprieve for Indiana in the second half against Ohio State. It shot 33.3% from the field in the final 20 minutes, ending the game shooting 19 for 57 from the field. The Buckeyes led by as many as 30 points in the fourth quarter and ultimately won by 24, shooting 50% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in the second half.
Indiana struggled from beyond the arc against Ohio State, shooting 5 for 21 from 3-point range. Its average on the season was 37.9% beyond the arc. The Cream and Crimson put up a measly 23.8% 3-point percentage against the Buckeyes.
“I will say this; we got some really good shots,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame. “I thought we looked hurried a little bit in the first half. I thought we looked less hurried in the second half. Just still couldn’t connect the way we needed to.”
Ciezki ended the contest with 12 points, marking her lowest outing of the season, outside of the two points she scored in seven minutes against No. 2 UCLA on Feb. 15. She shot 6 for 20 from the field, failing to score from 3-point range in four attempts.
The only Hoosier to make a 3-pointer against Ohio State was freshman forward Maya Makalusky, who went 5 for 12 from beyond the arc. The freshman led the team in scoring with 21 points versus the Buckeyes.
Others on the team also failed to shoot well against Ohio State. Beaumont shot 2 for 7 from the field and Caffey shot 1 for 8, respectively. Eight of Caffey’s 10 points came from the free-throw line.
Ohio State has a dominant system of pressing, which entails pressure on the ball carrier from the moment play starts. It threw off the Hoosiers’ timing on offense from the start.
“Their press in itself really, really is disruptive,” Moren said. “It slows you down. It takes you out of any kind of offensive flow, offensive rhythm.”
With that, Indiana’s season likely ends in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. While the offense succumbed to the pressure of Ohio State at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to end the Cream and Crimson’s season, it's ultimately a season Moren looks back on with pride.
“We are disappointed we weren’t able to play as clean and as well as we wanted to today,” Moren said. “But again, as I said to our players, still really proud of the fight that they showed all the way to the very end.”
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 offseason.
