By Grace Jeffer
BLOOMINGTON: It's official- Indiana Women's Basketball is back in session. They kicked off exhibition play for the 2025-26 season with a 100-32 victory over the Missouri S&T Miners. Just by looking at the score, one can see that it was a stellar showing for the Hoosiers; however, there's a lot more under the surface that shows promise for this new team. Here are 3 takeaways from Indiana's first performance of the season:
1: Confidence on Offense
It is hard not to make this Indiana offensive performance a key takeaway from the game, given that they put up 100 points. The Hoosiers took control of the game, going on scoring runs left and right. By halftime, Indiana brought the score to 47-19. In the third quarter, they added 29 points to the board. At the conclusion of the game, IU shot 52%. It is also noteworthy that 38 points were scored from the bench.
What stuck out right from the tipoff, however, was the confidence that Indiana showed from outside the arc. Shooting 15-35 from downtown, the Hoosiers were no strangers to the long shot. If they can keep this momentum, it should fare well against many competitors.
2: Dominant Defense
If a fan watching this matchup needed to take a quick stop at the concession stand, they would likely come back just in time to see… the Miners with the exact point total. This is not necessarily a suggestion about Missouri S&T's offense; however, it is pointing a finger at the Hoosiers' defensive capabilities. Senior guard Shay Ciezki discussed in the postgame press conference the emphasis they are placing on aggressiveness with this team.
"Coach Moren put that standard out in the summer, that we're the aggressors. We're the ones to make the first punch, and you're gonna see that game by game." Ciezki said.
Holding the Miners to just 5 points in the first compared to their 26 points, IU came out swinging (metaphorically, of course) from the first whistle. They forced 27 MST turnovers during the game, compared to their total of 11. They also capitalized on these defensive plays, efficiently translating them into offense, recording 34 points off turnovers. This is compared to the Miners' 2 points.
3: Shay All Day
Senior guard Shay Ciezki. Going into the season, when someone would ask who was going to be a leader for this new team, Shay was nearly always the answer. As the lone returning starter from last season's team, she was the player who knew Indiana basketball best. On Monday, this was proven. With 21 total points, Ciezki not only led the Hoosiers but was the game's point leader. By halftime, she was already the point leader with 12. Ciezki contributed significantly to the team's solid 3-point shooting, going 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. From the field, she sank the ball on 8 of her 13 shots. On the defense, Ciezki grabbed 5 from the glass.
Up Next
Indiana will begin the regular season by hosting Lipscomb on Nov. 4th at 7 p.m.
