The Indiana Hoosiers trailed the Nebraska Cornhuskers 45-25 with 1:17 left in the second quarter. The 2025-26 season was hanging in the balance in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. After trailing 45-28 at halftime the Hoosiers looked like a different team outscoring the Huskers 44-24 in the game’s final 20 minutes.
It was a tale of two halves, much like IU’s Big Ten conference season. It was a struggle in the first half and a splendid finish on the back half.
“This afternoon I just thought it was a tale of two halves. They were frickin’ on fire in that first quarter. But I thought we could get to halftime.” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame. “I thought, if we could just come together, stay connected, share the ball more in the second half, it was a matter of time before we felt like Nebraska was going to cool off. We had to get some big stops.”
Moren was correct. After shooting a blistering 68.8-percent in the first quarter, Nebraska cooled off. However, they were able to maintain their lead as IU’s offense was ice cold shooting 38.7-percent in the first half.
The mood inside Gainbridge Field House was pretty somber as IU headed to the locker room as they seemed to squander the chance they earned by winning six of their final eight games.
“I think that we had a lot of talks in huddles at halftime just saying how much we want it and how much we worked for this, for this game. I don’t think a team’s hungrier than a team trying to get in the tournament, and that’s what we’re playing for right now. We’re just trying to stack wins as much as we can.” Ciezki said after the game.
The Hoosiers were the hungrier team in the second half and got 11 second points from each Lenée Beaumont and Shay Ciezki in the second half to spur the come back. Beaumont finished with 14 points while Ciezki scored a team-high 22.
After clawing back to within eight by the end of the third quarter, IU knew they were in it until the end if they kept stacking segments together.
The Hoosiers used the fourth quarter to cut into the Husker lead more. However, it looked as if it may be too little too late as several open shots rimmed out. However, that changed at the 2:44 mark of the fourth quarter when Beaumont, Maya Makalusky and Ciezki combined for an 8-0 run. The biggest play coming on a three pointer from Beaumont to put IU up 68-67.
Beaumont hit her first three just moments before, but had struggled putting the ball in the basket most of the afternoon. That did not deter Beaumont from wanting and hitting the biggest shot of IU’s season so far.
“If I miss two in a row, I can’t go in and be a shell of myself. I’ve got to be able to still look for my shot and think shoot first.” Beaumont said. “If we’re going to lose, I’m going to go down swinging. That kind of was my mentality in the fourth.”
Indiana was a different team in the second half because they moved the ball and played team basketball. That three-pointer was a capsule of that.
“Beau’s two threes were open looks just because we were moving the ball well. We were trusting each other.” Ciezki said.
Indiana would hold off Nebraska on their last possession to win 72-69 and move on to face No. 5 seed Ohio State Thursday afternoon.