Indiana
How South Carolina’s Te-hina Paopao went on defensive tear vs. Indiana: ‘Y’all see that?’
Are we underestimating Dawn Staley and South Carolina this year?
USA Today’s Mackenzie Salmon and Meghan Hall talk about how this women’s South Carolina team is slightly overlooked as we approach March Madness.
Sports Seriously
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The “seatbelt gang” originated with South Carolina women’s basketball guards Bree Hall and Raven Johnson. But after the Gamecocks’ 64-53 win Sunday over No. 9 Indiana, a new member has been inducted: Te-Hina Paopao.
The 5-foot-9 starting senior guard tallied four blocks against a Hoosiers team that trotted out eight players with an average height of 6 feet.
“Y’all see that? I’m really proud of myself. I had more blocks than 3s today,” Paopao said in the postgame news conference.
She then suggested she could now be part of the Gamecocks’ self-named “seatbelt gang.”
“The seatbelt gang is locking people up and putting them in a seat,” Johnson said. “They can’t get past us.”
Hall and Johnson agreed that with her performance against Indiana, Paopao officially earned her spot in the seatbelt gang. In her previous 34 games this season, she totaled just nine blocks.
“We were in the hallway before (Sunday’s) game, and she switched shoes,” Hall said. “She said, ‘These are not my defensive shoes, I got to put on my defensive shoes.’”
Paopao put on the new sneakers and burst into quick steps, saying, “Oh, yeah, I’m good.”
The Gamecocks’ defensive mindset comes from head coach Dawn Staley, who is in her 13th-straight NCAA Tournament with South Carolina.
“We’re a culture of playing defense, and if you don’t play it you stick out, and Pao is not one that wants to stick out in that way,” Staley said.
Said Johnson: “Coach is really big on defense; she tells us that we’re the best defensive team in the country.”
The seatbelt gang develops its defensive game in practice.
“Practice is where you have to get better,” Hall said, “Our practices are harder than the games.”
Johnson added that practices “make games so easy for us” because of their difficulty.
“You probably don’t even want to come to our practice,” she said. “It’s that hard.”
The seatbelt gang will be looking to buckle up the winner of Alabama-Maryland in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
Dylan Clearfield and Olivia Noni are students in the University of Georgia’s Sports Media Certificate program.
INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) – Indiana tourism surged past pre-pandemic levels in 2024, according to a new report released by Gov. Mike Braun.
The report shows 83 million visitors traveled to Indiana in 2024, a 1.9% increase from 2023. Visitor spending increased 4.7% from the previous year, totaling $16.9 billion and fully recovering to pre-pandemic levels.
Visitors spent an average of $203 each during their stays. For every dollar spent by visitors, 65 cents stayed in Indiana, according to the report.
“Our state’s record tourism year is great news for Hoosiers and proof of just how much there is to love about visiting Indiana,” Braun said. “Tourism means jobs, stronger Main Streets, and economic growth. These results show that our investments are yielding returns for our economy and showing what makes Indiana a great place to live, work, play and stay.”
To view the full Rockport Analytics report, click here.
Copyright 2025 WNDU. All rights reserved.
Milwaukee Bucks (11-18, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (6-23, 14th in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bucks -1; over/under is 220.5
BOTTOM LINE: Indiana will try to stop its five-game slide when the Pacers take on Milwaukee.
The Pacers are 2-5 against opponents in the Central Division. Indiana has a 3-14 record in games decided by 10 or more points.
The Bucks are 3-4 against Central Division opponents. Milwaukee ranks fifth in the NBA averaging 15.0 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 39.9% from downtown. AJ Green leads the team averaging 3.1 makes while shooting 46.8% from 3-point range.
The Pacers average 109.7 points per game, 7.2 fewer points than the 116.9 the Bucks allow. The Bucks average 15.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.4 more made shots on average than the 11.6 per game the Pacers give up.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Bucks won the last matchup 117-115 on Nov. 4, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 33 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pascal Siakam is averaging 23.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and four assists for the Pacers. Ethan Thompson is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Ryan Rollins is averaging 17 points, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals for the Bucks. Kevin Porter Jr. is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 3-7, averaging 108.9 points, 41.1 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 7.3 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.9 points per game.
Bucks: 3-7, averaging 108.0 points, 39.2 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.1 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.7 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Obi Toppin: out (foot), Ben Sheppard: day to day (calf), Isaiah Jackson: day to day (head), Aaron Nesmith: out (knee), T.J. McConnell: day to day (knee), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (calf), Taurean Prince: out (neck).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Indiana basketball (9-3) finishes nonconference play with a visit from Siena (9-3) out of the MAAC tonight. The Hoosiers are 6-0 against mid-majors, while this is the Saints’ first game against a power conference opponent.
We will have score updates and highlights throughout, so please remember to refresh.
What time does Indiana basketball play Siena tonight, Dec. 22? Start time for Indiana basketball vs Siena tonight, Dec. 22
The Indiana-Siena game is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET tonight, Dec. 22, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
Where to watch Indiana basketball vs. Siena tonight, Dec. 22? What channel is the Indiana-Siena college basketball game tonight, Dec. 22?
TV: BTN
Watch college basketball with a free Fubo trial
How much are IU basketball tickets tonight? Indiana basketball tickets vs. Siena tonight, Dec. 22
IU basketball tickets on StubHub
Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 84-62
“Indiana’s second-half power outage Saturday felt like an aberration, at least in games like this. Siena, though, might not necessarily be a walk-over opponent. The Hoosiers should win comfortably, but any pre-holiday malaise might make their last nonconference game uncomfortable. “
Where to listen to Indiana basketball vs. Siena tonight, Dec. 22
As of Dec. 21
- 0, Jasai Miles
- 1, Reed Bailey
- 2, Jason Drake
- 3, Lamar Wilkerson
- 4, Sam Alexis
- 5, Conor Enright
- 6, Tayton Conerway
- 7, Nick Dorn
- 10, Josh Harris
- 11, Trent Sisley
- 12, Tucker DeVries
- 13, Aleksa Ristic
- 15, Andrej Acimovic
(all times ET; with date, day of week, location and opponent, time, TV)
- Sun., Jan. 4: vs. Washington, 8 p.m., BTN
- Wed., Jan. 7: at Maryland, 6:30 p.m., BTN
- Sat., Jan. 10: vs. Nebraska, noon, BTN
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
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