The Indiana Hoosiers women’s basketball team pulled off a stunning comeback victory Wednesday, overcoming a 20-point deficit to defeat Nebraska 72-69 in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.
Shay Ciezki powered the 13th-seeded Hoosiers’ remarkable turnaround with 22 points, helping her team erase what seemed like an insurmountable lead. Indiana (18-13) found themselves down by 20 points before Ciezki connected on a three-pointer to close out the first half, sparking the dramatic rally.
The Hoosiers completely flipped the script in the second half, outpacing Nebraska 44-24 over the final two quarters, including a decisive 25-14 advantage in the fourth period. The comeback was completed when Lenee Beaumont drained a three-pointer with just 1:06 left on the clock, giving Indiana their first and only lead of the contest.
Beaumont finished with 14 points while connecting on three of her four attempts from beyond the arc. Neveah Caffey added 13 points to the winning effort, and Edessa Noyan contributed 12 points. The Hoosiers shot an impressive 50.9% from the field throughout the game.
Despite the loss, 12th-seeded Nebraska (18-12) received outstanding individual performances from Amiah Hargrove and Britt Prince. Hargrove led all players with 23 points on efficient 10-of-14 shooting, while Prince added 20 points. The Cornhuskers managed 41.8% shooting for the entire game but struggled significantly after halftime, converting only 10 of 32 attempts (31.3%) in the second half.
In another tournament matchup, Illinois defeated Wisconsin 82-70 behind strong performances from Berry Wallace and Destiny Jackson, who scored 22 and 21 points respectively. The 10th-seeded Fighting Illini (20-10) used consecutive 8-0 scoring runs during the third quarter to create separation from the 15th-seeded Badgers.
Jackson was particularly effective at the free-throw line, scoring 11 of her points from the charity stripe as Illinois converted 24 of 29 free throw attempts (82.8%). The Fighting Illini maintained their double-digit lead throughout the entire fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Wisconsin (13-17) was led by Gift Uchenna Okeke’s game-high 24 points. The Badgers shot 44.8% from the field and recorded assists on 21 of their 26 made baskets, but committed 19 turnovers that Illinois converted into 24 points.
