Indiana Women's Basketball to Start New Year With Nebraska on ESPN

The Hoosiers will look to bounce back from their loss to Michigan State by welcoming Nebraska to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on New Year's Day. This broadcast is Indiana's first game of the season featured on the main ESPN.

IU Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana women's basketball will open up the new year with a visit from Nebraska at 1 p.m. ET on New Year's Day. The game will be broadcast on the main ESPN for the first time this season.

Both the Cornhuskers and Hoosiers are coming off of losses with Nebraska falling to No. 14 Michigan 76-59 on Wednesday and the Hoosiers dropping their first game of the season 83-78 to Michigan State on Thursday.

To level the playing field even more, the Hoosiers both won and lost to the Cornhuskers last season. First, Indiana defeated its Big Ten foe in January at home but then went to Lincoln and lost just one month later.

Nebraska sits at a 10-4 record this season and is led by junior guard Jaz Shelley who's averaging 15.9 points per game. Sophomore center/forward Alexis Markowski follows behind Shelley with 13 points per game and leads Nebraska with 9.6 boards as the best in the Big Ten.

Indiana is led by senior forward Mackenzie Holmes averaging 20.8 points per game. Despite the loss to the Spartans, the Gorham, Maine native dropped a career-high 32 points and also tallied 12 boards for the program's first 30/10 since Jill Chapman in 2002.

To add to her bulky resume, Holmes is ranked second in the nation with a 69.1 field goal percentage while the team ranks third overall at 51.5 percent behind UConn and Utah. In addition to Holmes, it's no wonder four other players are averaging double scoring figures including star point guard Grace Berger, who's out with a right knee injury.

Indiana will have to guard the perimeter well as the Huskers make about nine triples per game as the leaders in this Big Ten category for a 34.9 percent success rate. Indiana isn't too far behind at No. 6 with 7.5 made three-pointers per game led by freshman guard Yarden Garzon.

Indiana head coach Teri Moren said her team likes to divide up the season into non-conference and conference mindsets. Indiana didn't get off to the start it wanted or needed in East Lansing, but you know what they say, new year, new me — or team that is.

How to Watch Nebraska Vs. Indiana

• Who: Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-4)(2-1) vs. No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers (12-1)(2-1)
• When: Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, 1 p.m. ET
• Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall — Bloomington, Ind. 
• Broadcast: ESPN (Courtney Lyle, Carolyn Peck)
• Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

• HOLMES MOVES UP NO. 15 LEADING SCORER IN PROGRAM HISTORY Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes posted 32 points in the Hoosiers' loss to Michigan State on Thursday, which bumped her up to No. 15 on Indiana's all-time leading scorers list. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA LOSES FIRST GAME OF SEASON TO MICHIGAN STATE The No. 4-ranked Hoosiers snapped their undefeated record, losing to Michigan State 83-78 on the road. Despite the 'L', senior forward Mackenzie Holmes dropped 32 points for her new career-high performance. CLICK HERE
• HOOSIERS VS. MICHIGAN STATE SCOUTING REPORT The Hoosiers return from an 8-day game break with a road matchup versus Michigan State on Thursday. Indiana head coach Teri Moren said it's always a little concerning coming back after a pause. Plus, leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes has never played at the Breslin Center before. How to watch is inside the story. CLICK HERE