Indiana

Indiana girls basketball in good hands as Juniors ‘had something to prove’ vs. Seniors

Published

1 year ago

June 5, 2024

Indiana girls basketball in good hands as Juniors ‘had something to prove’ vs. Seniors

KOKOMO — When Laila Abdurraqib hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first half of the Indiana All-Stars Juniors vs. Seniors game, she was mobbed by her teammates as if the group of 12 had been playing together for an entire season.

Some could say it even looked similar to Abdurraqib’s 2024 state championship Lawrence Central squad. But this was only the Junior All-Stars’ second time playing in an official game together.

Doyel: Noblesville star is for real: grades, soccer, basketball, all of it

“It was a blast; it felt like a high-level AAU game,” Abdurraqib said.

After the first 10 minutes of play, the seniors were ahead of the juniors 27-6. Led by 2024 Indiana Miss Basketball and Alabama commit Chloe Spreen of Bedford North Lawrence, it looked like the “super team” was going to run all over its younger counterparts.

And yet, once Abdurraqib hit that electric 3-pointer 10 minutes later, the juniors only trailed by six points.

“We came in and we had something to prove,” said Maya Makalusky of Hamilton Southeastern.

Makalusky, an IU commit who averaged 26.1 points per game as a junior, said she and the entire junior team felt confident after the first quarter despite trailing by 21.

IndyStar Miss Basketball Chloe Spreen following Indiana All-Stars game

2024 IndyStar Miss Basketball Chloe Spreen discusses Seniors’ loss to Juniors and reflects on Indiana All-Stars experience.

“We knew it was gonna be a tough game,” Makalusky said. ” … We were excited because we knew that wasn’t all we had. We trusted the girls and the weapons we had on our team.”

By the time the third quarter had ended, the juniors had momentarily tied the score and cut the lead to just four points once the buzzer sounded.

“We hit our second gear,” Makalusky said. “It’s a hot gym, everybody’s sweaty, everybody’s tired, so who’s gonna fight harder to win? I think all of us had that; it’s a great class and it’s fun to be a part of.”

With 4:02 left to play, the juniors finally took their first lead. For the brief time remaining in Kokomo’s Memorial Gymnasium, the two sides traded leads until the final seconds.

It came down to a senior possession, controlled by Spreen. Jaylah Lampley, a Lawrence Central junior who was named the 2024 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, picked up Spreen on defense in the post. At first, Lampley said she considered trying to draw a charge. But she stuck to her defensive assignment, forcing a missed layup, grabbing the rebound herself and instantly calling a timeout.

Makalusky was fouled out of the timeout, hit a free throw and the juniors grabbed the lead, secured further with two more free throws before time expired.

“We kept saying over and over, ‘We’re trying to beat them. We’re trying to make a statement,’” Lampley said. “Just because we’re younger than them, that doesn’t mean we’re gonna let them bully us and let them beat us.”

LC teammates Lampley and Abdurraqib have been together for a plethora of statement wins over the course of the past year, but their bond goes much further back. Abdurraqib said she and Lampley have been playing basketball together since second grade, and being side-by-side for all of their on- and off-the-court accomplishments has been something Abdurraqib doesn’t take for granted.

As for Lampley, she said her on-court approach and relationship with her teammates started in her hometown. She learned from her parents turning defense into offense is what wins championships, made evident through her junior year averages of 18.9 points and 2.1 steals per game.

On Wednesday, Lampley finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

“We know what it takes to win a state championship; everybody has to be determined, even the bench,” Lampley said. “Everybody has to contribute in some type of way, and I felt like we did a great job of doing that tonight.”

Abdurraqib did come off the bench, dropping five points in her effort. While Abdurraqib started most games for LC, she didn’t approach a supporting role in the All-Stars game with any animosity. She even said it is indicative of the talent the class of 2025 has in girls basketball.

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Noblesville’s Reagan Wilson reflects on Indiana All-Stars game vs. Juniors, playing with Jordyn Poole, upcoming move to Iowa State

“We’re really skilled, and that’s really a blessing because a lot of states don’t have this much skill in their programs,” Abdurraqib said. “Shooting, attacking, defense, a lot of people don’t really have that.”

Juniors coach Kaley May knows all about what it takes to be a successful player in Indiana. A graduate of Avon and former Butler Bulldog, the Danville head coach recognized how much versatility the junior class has as well.

She said it’s their talent mixed with their confidence that gave her no reason to feel worried after a disastrous first quarter. With a combined 163 points scored and more than half of Memorial Gymnasium filled with fans clamoring to watch the 22 future high-level college athletes play basketball, May said the Junior vs. Seniors game fosters confidence women’s basketball will continue its meteoric rise.

“I’m very excited about the energy that’s around women’s basketball,” May said. “It’s been great in quality for years, it just needed to be recognized. I think now that we finally have the platform, you’re finally seeing the ripple effect not just in the WNBA, but in college and high school. Getting that interest and appreciating the talent these girls have is unbelievable.”

Abdurraqib, who has earned offers from Division-I programs like Ball State, further cemented the future of girls basketball in Indiana is in good hands.

“We are really in touch with what’s going on right now in the world,” Abdurraqib said. “The Angel Reese’s, the Caitlin Clark’s, the (Kamilla) Cardoso’s of the world … we see what they’re doing and build off that. We just want to go out of Indiana and spread all of that.

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re here to stay.”

Meredith Tippner on Junior All-Stars sweep, Purdue interest, recruiting

Noblesville’s Meredith Tippner discusses Junior All-Stars win over the seniors and updates her recruiting, including recent visit to Purdue.

Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at KSmedley@Gannett.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.

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Indiana

No. 2 Indiana tries to complete a 2nd straight perfect home season when Wisconsin visits

Published

9 hours ago

November 13, 2025

Press Room

No. 2 Indiana tries to complete a 2nd straight perfect home season when Wisconsin visits

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has experienced nothing but success in his one season at No. 2 Indiana. Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has been through just about everything in his four years with the Hoosiers.

Now the tandem that created one of college football’s biggest plays this season hopes to deliver another memorable moment in what could be their final home game together Saturday against struggling Wisconsin.

This will not be just another senior day at Indiana (10-0, 7-0). For the second straight year, the Hoosiers enter their final two home games with a perfect record, on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot and the possibility of reaching their first Big Ten title game.

But second-year coach Curt Cignetti doesn’t believe the narrative will become a distraction from how the Hoosiers have reached this point.

“I doubt any of them are thinking about the end right now because everybody understands sort of where we’re at and what’s possible,” Cignetti said this week. “I think we’re on a little bit of a mission here, and that’s really been the focus. I think that’s how the kids are thinking, too.”

Mendoza emerged as one of the top players in the transfer portal last year and wound up choosing the Hoosiers in part to reunite with his younger brother, Alberto. The older brother has been even better than advertised by leading the league with 31 total TDs while emerging as a Heisman Trophy favorite and possibly the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

Cooper, meanwhile, endured 4-8 and 3-9 seasons and won only three Big Ten games in his first two years at Indiana but has since become a key figure in a remarkable two-year turnaround.

The Hoosiers are trying to extend their school record 14-game winning streak at home and protect the program’s highest ranking against the Badgers (3-6, 1-5). And Cooper’s incredible go-ahead TD catch in the final minute not only gave Indiana its first win at Penn State, it helped them — finally — shed the label of America’s losingest football program. Northwestern now has 716 losses all-time, one more than the Hoosiers.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell knows what his team is up against after snapping an 11-game losing streak against Power Four opponents last week.

“I don’t even know if you asked a coach from within (the program) like if they could pinpoint exactly what it is,” Fickell said when asked about the Hoosiers turnaround. “There’s a lot of things that have gone into it. Great coaching is one of them, great quarterback is another. But whatever they’ve done a really, really good job of in the last few years.”

Quarterback questions

The biggest question for Wisconsin is who will play quarterback Saturday.

Billy Edwards Jr. was the opening-day starter but sprained his knee in that first game and has only played, briefly, in one game since. Danny O’Neil and Hunter Simmons started a combined total of seven games, but when O’Neil was carted off the field with a leg injury last week, Fickell went with first-year quarterback Carter Smith who went 3 of 12 with 8 yards and scored on a 2-yard run in a 13-10 win over then No. 23 Washington.

Who will start Saturday?

“You always have a plan,” he said when asked what he’d do if the Badgers lose any more quarterbacks to injuries. “We’ve still got to figure out who’s one and two before we start to think about who’s the fourth going into a game like this.”

CFP talk

Given the schedule, the CFP selection might want to consult with the Badgers before making its final pairings.

Saturday’s game will be Wisconsin’s sixth this season against a team ranked in the CFP’s Top 25. The Badgers already have faced No. 1 Ohio State, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Oregon, No. 18 Michigan and No. 21 Iowa.

But Fickell’s players aren’t blaming the brutal schedule for their losses.

“I love every bit of it,” outside linebacker Mason Reiger said. “I’d rather play the best five teams in the country than play none of them. It’s a challenge, sure. It’s not easy to play these good teams, but at some point in college football you want to play the best teams because to be the best, you’ve got to go against the best.”

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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee also contributed to this report.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Indiana

Purdue basketball stats, box score today vs. Evansville: How did Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer play?

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2025

Press Room

Purdue basketball stats, box score today vs. Evansville: How did Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer play?

Purdue basketball started the 2025-26 season with an 82-51 win over Evansville. Fletcher Loyer led the charge with 5 first-half 3-pointers before finishing with a career-high 30 points. Trey Kaufman-Renn (hip) didn’t play.

Braden Smith stats for Purdue basketball vs. Evansville. How many assists did Braden Smith have?

Braden Smith had 6 points, 11 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

He entered the game with 1,375 career points, 758 assists, 183 steals and 535 rebounds. He was a first-team All-American in 2024-25 and has a chance to set the Division I career assists record.

Purdue basketball stats vs. Evansville today

Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	FG	3FG	FT	PF
Joshua Hughes	15	11	1	6-12	3-7	0-0	3
A.J. Casey	14	9	2	6-13	0-3	2-2	1
Leif Moeller	0	2	3	0-9	0-5	2-2	1
Keishon Porter	2	3	2	1-11	0-3	0-0	3
Alex Hemenway	3	0	0	1-6	1-4	0-0	0
J. Dyson-Merwe	4	7	2	2-2	0-0	0-0	3
Trent Hundley	9	1	1	3-8	3-8	0-0	2
Bryce Quinet	4	2	1	2-9	0-4	0-2	1
Kaia Berridge	0	0	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	1
—	51	40	13	21-70 (30%)	7-34 (20.6%)	2-4 (50%)	15

Evansville basketball stats vs. Purdue today

Who are Purdue’s best players? Purdue basketball roster

0, C.J. Cox
1, Antione West Jr.
2, Fletcher Loyer
3, Braden Smith
4, Trey Kaufman-Renn
5, Liam Murphy
12, Daniel Jacobsen
14, Jack Benter
17, Omer Mayer
24, Gicarri Harris
34, Raleigh Burgess (redshirt)
45, Oscar Cluff

Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter.

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Indiana

Signing day: Confirmed signings for Central Indiana high school athletes

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2025

Press Room

Signing day: Confirmed signings for Central Indiana high school athletes

The early signing period begins on Wednesday for all sports except football, which has its early signing period in December.

These are the confirmed expected signings for Wednesday for Central Indiana athletes. We will update this throughout the day and through the signing period (Nov. 19). Please email kyle.neddenriep@indystar.com with school, sport and college choice to add to list:

Girls soccer

Aryana Ali, Westfield: DePauw

Taylor Baier, Center Grove: Walsh

Riley Boyd, Hamilton Southeastern: Indiana

Coltie Carson, Westfield: Miami

Sydney Cook, Hamilton Southeastern: Purdue

Emma Ehret, Carmel: Indiana

Lucy Elder, Hamilton Southeastern: Hanover

Lola Horstman, Westfield: Western Kentucky

Olivia Joyce, Carmel: Kansas

Kate Klinginsmith, Carmel: Ball State

Mallory Long, Fishers: Earlham

Sarah Maudlin, Fishers: Taylor

Elise May, Fishers: Butler

Sloan May, Hamilton Southeastern: Michigan

Kate Noel, Hamilton Southeastern: Purdue

Kari Radford, Lawrence North: Ball State

Brooke Reiter, Carmel: Loras College

Blair Satterfield, Hamilton Southeastern: Indiana

Taylor Townley, Center Grove: IU Indy

Boys soccer

Carsten Shidler, Noblesville: UIndy

Ryan Weber, Carmel: Iowa State

Softball

Erica Burris, Center Grove: Purdue Northwest

Sofia Easterhaus, Westfield: Marian

Riley Fuhr, Center Grove: Thomas More

Kiersten Hardin, Center Grove: Purdue Northwest

Tatum Hunt, Brownsburg: Marian

Frankie Jackson, Fishers: Mars Hill

Jayden Kleiner, Carmel: Michigan

Kensly Larkin, Brownsburg: Huntington

Ashyr Lawson, Decatur Central: Purdue

Brynn Meyer, Center Grove: Indiana

AG Pogue, Brownsburg: Southern Indiana

Hailey Prather, Brownsburg: Ohio Northern

Addelynn Reed, Center Grove: IU Columbus

Haley Schatko, Noblesville: Indiana

Grace Swedarskiy, Hamilton Southeastern: Virginia Tech

Megan Todd, Bishop Chatard: Concordia (Wis.)

Makayla Watson, Westfield: North Carolina State

Addison Wolf, Center Grove: Columbia

Girls track and field/cross country

Ansley Applegate, Noblesville: Taylor

Gracie Czubik, Westfield: Saginaw Valley State

Sadie Foley, Carmel: Indiana

Ceci Jackson, Bishop Chatard: Indiana

Ella Jenkins, Westfield: Northern Iowa

Julia Score, Bishop Chatard: Wake Forest

Chloe Senefeld, Hamilton Southeastern: Iowa

Carly VonDielingen, Whiteland: Indiana State

Lucy Wood, Brebeuf Jesuit: Butler

Boys track and field/cross country

Eli Balbach, Bishop Chatard: Marian

Phoenix Boyer, Bishop Chatard: Indiana

Cooper Click, Noblesville: Taylor

Konrad Hayden, Fishers: Marian

John Libs, Noblesville: Butler

Liam Powers, Hamilton Southeastern: Belmont

Conrad Schumacher, Lawrence North: Marian

Nate Thomas, Fishers: Xavier

Evan Williams, Lawrence Central: Indiana

Boys basketball

Justin Curry, Noblesville: Valparaiso

Evan Harrell, Carmel: Bellarmine

Brennan Miller, Lawrence North: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Noah Smith, Plainfield: DePauw

Baron Walker, Noblesville: Butler

Luke Weemer, Hamilton Southeastern: Emporia State

Girls basketball

Ke’Adriah Butler, Lawrence Central: Boston College

Antonete Greene, Hamilton Southeastern: Earlham

Kenedy Holman, Hamilton Southeastern: Florida

Alyx Kendall, Bishop Chatard: DePauw

Akya Koenig, Fishers: IU-Kokomo

Elle McCulloch, Brownsburg: Florida Gulf Coast

Aniyah McKenzie, Lawrence Central: Illinois-Chicago

Lola Lampley, Lawrence Central: LSU

C.C. Quigley, Noblesville: Lipscomb

Kayla Stidham, Hamilton Southeastern: Bowling Green

Natalie Thomas, Fishers: Bethel

Berkely Williams, Plainfield: DePauw

Boys golf

Ryan Cesare, Westfield: Marian

Thomas Klinker, Fishers: IU Indy

Tyler Marucci, Noblesville: Indiana Wesleyan

Nathan Springer, Center Grove: IU Indy

Mattingly Upchurch, Hamilton Southeastern: Ball State

Girls golf

Olivia Folwer, Noblesville: Tampa

Janelle Garcia, Hamilton Southeastern: IU Indy

Kelsey Haverluck, Westfield: Western Carolina

Peyton Kauzlick, Noblesville: Saint Mary’s College

Josie Kelley, Noblesville: Eastern Kentucky

Presley White, Noblesville: Taylor

Baseball

Collin Bumps, Fishers: Manchester

Beckett Doane, Noblesville: Mississippi State

Beck Jordan, Westfield: Wabash

Sean Frey, Fishers: Anderson

Aiden Grabowski, Westfield: Indiana Wesleyan

Paul Karnes, Lawrence Central: Franklin

Owen Lukac, Fishers: Evansville

Ryan Murphy, Brownsburg: Creighton

Silas Neal, Carmel: UIndy

Vince Painter, Brownsburg: Bellarmine

Vincent Pecoraro, Fishers: Anderson

Daniel Phillips, Brownsburg: Purdue Northwest

Aiden Reynolds, Noblesville: Indiana

Gavin Russ, Westfield: Ohio Northern

Miles Tebben, Fishers: Grace

Brayden Thompson, Brownsburg: Bethel

Clayton Walther, Westfield: Hope

Hayden Werner, Fishers: Maryville

Corey Wilhelm, Westfield: Rose-Hulman

John Zangrilli, Carmel: Thomas More

Boys lacrosse

Wil Bates, Carmel: Maryville

Charlie Boe, Noblesville: Wabash

Max Brown, Westfield: Point Park

Evan Coulter, Carmel: Anderson

Henry Dvorak, Carmel: LeMoyne

Max McCord, Carmel: Palm Beach Atlantic

Cohen Odle, Carmel: Palm Beach Atlantic

Ike Stitle, Carmel: Siena

E.B. Warren, Carmel: Tampa

Girls lacrosse

Sophia Anthony, Carmel: Lincoln Memorial

Madeleine Biedess, Westfield: Lake Forest

Hannah Cavalcanti, Westfield: UIndy

Sophie Grotjan, Carmel: DePauw

Katie McKeever, Carmel: Belmont

Maggie Piatt, Bishop Chatard: Manhattan

Samantha Worzala, Hamilton Southeastern: Hope

Volleyball

Georgia Bresnahan, Westfield: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Ella Coppock, Noblesville: DePauw

Jasmin Daniels, Hamilton Southeastern: Morehead State

Charlotte Dudik, Bishop Chatard: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville

Grace Gwin, Bishop Chatard: Earlham

Skylyr Merriman, Center Grove: Franklin

Madison Miles, Hamilton Southeastern: Illinois

Reagan Miles, Hamilton Southeastern: Taylor

Bre Morgan, Hamilton Southeastern: Florida Gulf Coast

Reese Resmer, Noblesville: Kansas State

Merritt Sliwa, Hamilton Southeastern: Ball State

Ashlynn Turner, Noblesville: Marian

Natalie Vance, Center Grove: Southern Illinois

Jayda Vanoskey, Lawrence North: IU-Columbus

Kate Vrabel, Brownsburg: Oakland

Wrestling

Julian Burgett, Fishers: Mercyhurst

Tommy Gibbs, Brownsburg: Indiana

Parker Reynolds, Brownsburg: Purdue

Xavier Smith, Fishers: Purdue

Michael White, Lawrence North: Oklahoma State

Girls swimming and diving

Zoe Baldauf, Carmel: Anderson

Katie Countryman, Bishop Chatard: Bowling Green

Lucy Enoch, Carmel: Florida Atlantic

Adelyn Flessner, North Central: Iowa

Naomi Haines, Hamilton Southeastern: Ball State

Avery Hannon, Fishers: Xavier

Ella Hare, Fishers: Lynn

Mia Henderson, Hamilton Southeastern: Hope

Sabrina Ledwith, Carmel: Florida International

Eryn McMahon, Noblesville: Ball State

Ryan Murphy, Hamilton Southeastern: Anderson

Francesca Ramey, Fishers: Pepperdine

Polina Sopova, Fishers: Ball State

Boys swimming and diving

Camden Bailey, Hamilton Southeastern: DePauw

Kirby Danglade, Fishers: IU Indy

Drew DuBois, Carmel: Seton Hall

Carter Hadley, Carmel: Southern Methodist

Cory Han, Carmel: Columbia

Will Lathrop, Carmel: Xavier

Mason Lawson, Fishers: North Carolina State

Sebastian Rizik, Carmel: Wabash

Lewis Zhang, Carmel: Penn

Girls tennis

Cathy Beckmann, Bishop Chatard: Valparaiso

Boys tennis

Connor Certain, Brownsburg: Marian

Logan Polen, Brownsburg: Trine

Rowing

Callie Carpenter, Carmel: Duquesne

Paul Kiser, Carmel: Syracuse

Lauren Raines, Brebeuf Jesuit: Wisconsin

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.

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