Shay Ciezki’s near double-double powered Indiana to a 15-point victory
Indiana has been playing with its back against the wall after a 0-10 start in Big Ten play. With the bottom three teams in the standings missing the conference tournament during the first week of March, the Hoosiers have been desperate for victories.
On Sunday, Indiana won its third straight game with a win over Purdue University 74-59 and is right back in the Big Ten tournament picture.
After dropping the first meeting back on January 25 in Mackey Arena, the Hoosiers came out of the gates on fire. They knocked down their first four shots, which gave them an early 11-0 lead. Despite a 12-4 run from Purdue to close the quarter, Indiana outscored the Boilers by ten points in the second quarter as it took a 13-point lead into the break.
“A lot of things went wrong in (West) Lafayette,” head coach Teri Moren said after the game. “I thought today there were a lot of really good things.”
Senior guard Shay Ciezki continues to be the heart of the Indiana three-game win streak, as she led the Hoosiers in scoring once again. She finished with a double-double, scoring 29 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, while playing all 40 minutes. Ciezki also shared the wealth as she finished with eight assists, the second-most in a game for her this season.
During the Hoosiers’ three-game win streak, Ciezki is averaging 31 points per game, on a 58.9% shooting clip, 9.6 rebounds per game, and 4.7 assists per game.
“It’s one thing to do this every other night or maybe every three games,” Moren said. “It’s another thing to do it night in and night out.”
While it was just another day at the office for Ciezki, junior forward Edessa Noyan put together her best all-around game of the season. She finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points on 4-5 shooting and collected 10 rebounds. Noyan also had one block and one assist as well.
When Noyan exited the game after fouling out in the fourth quarter, the Indiana faithful showed their gratitude for her.
“I love this crowd,” Noyan said after the game. “The support from everybody around IU and IU athletics overall. It’s so good here.”
Throughout the season, head coach Teri Moren has challenged Noyan to take that next step on the court. On Sunday, she was one of the biggest parts of Indiana’s dominant performance on the glass, as it outrebounded Purdue 47-29.
“I thought Edessa was really good tonight,” Moren said. “I think she’s becoming more comfortable at the five spot without (Zania) being available.”
Freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey is another player who is starting to bloom for the Hoosiers, as she was in double figures for the second straight game. After scoring 16 on the road against Wisconsin, Caffey finished with 11 points on 4-9 shooting. She also contributed to the 18-rebound advantage over the Boilers, grabbing seven in the game.
This win elevates the Hoosiers’ conference record to 3-10, which has them sitting in 14th place, good enough to play in the Big Ten tournament on March 4 in Indianapolis. They will, however, play Rutgers University on February 25 and Penn State University on February 28, two teams that sit behind Indiana in the standings.
“We still want to be playing in the Big Ten tournament and making a run in that tournament,” Moren said. “I still think we have a lot to play for, and I think our kids believe that.”
Indiana will now head out to the West Coast for a two-game road trip against the University of Southern California on February 12 and the University of California, Los Angeles on February 15. The Hoosiers’ matchup against USC on Thursday will tip off at 10 pm and air on the Big Ten Network.
