How it Happened: Indiana beats Butler 72-53 behind strong 3-point attack

On Wednesday night at Assembly Hall, Indiana picked up its second straight win over a Power Five opponent, as it defeated Butler 72-53.

This moved the Hoosiers to 5-0 and the Bulldogs to 2-3, as their records were reflective of how each team played. Indiana played what could be considered its most complete performance of the season, while Butler had no answer for what IU was throwing at it.

The Hoosiers shot 28-for-54 from the floor, but the more telling stat was that Indiana made 9 of 16 3-pointers throughout the ballgame. In contrast, Butler made just 21 of 63 shots from the field and went 5 of 15 from deep.

Guards Lenee Beaumont and Shay Ciezki led the Hoosiers in scoring once again, as Beaumont was particularly impressive for the second game in a row. She totaled 21, while Ciezki’s 14 and Zania Socka-Nguemen’s 10 gave Indiana three scorers in double figures.

Indiana won the rebounding battle 39-33, complementing its impressive effort on the defensive end of the floor.

With a sound offense and a relentless defense, the Hoosiers dominated the Bulldogs to avenge their loss at Hinkle Fieldhouse a season ago. That game was a low point for the 2024-25 Hoosiers, while you could certainly consider this one the high point of the nonconference schedule so far.

With that, here’s how it happened:

Strong start powers IU to big lead

Throughout the young regular season, Indiana hasn’t gotten out to too many great starts, as it’s actually struggled early on in most of its games thus far.

That couldn’t have been further from the case against Butler, though. Indiana dominated the action from the get-go and had an incredibly impressive first half. The first quarter was particularly kind to the Hoosiers, as they were up by 16 when the buzzer sounded after the first 10 minutes.

Both the offense and defense were firing on all cylinders, as the Hoosiers frequently turned a solid defensive possession into an open shot on the other end.

It started right after the ball was tipped, as Indiana found itself up 11-2 just over four minutes into the ballgame, and it never looked back. With the Hoosiers energized, they were confident shooting the ball, and the results followed.

Indiana shot 8-for-13 from the floor in the opening quarter, compared to Butler making just 3 of its 18 shots. The Hoosiers made four 3-point shots, while Butler made just one in the first quarter.

It seemed like one team came to play while the other didn’t, and the Hoosiers were clearly ready for the challenge. After frustrating starts against UIC and Marshall — and to a lesser extent Florida State — it was all Indiana in the first quarter against Butler.

3-point shooting stands out

During Indiana’s hot stretch to begin the ballgame, its 3-point shooting was on full display, but it was great from beyond the arc all game long.

The Hoosiers shot 9 of 16 from 3-point range, with a 7-for-11 mark in the first half allowing for a 19-point lead at the break. In the second half, Indiana kept making 3s, going 2 of 5 before its lead was too large to keep shooting from deep.

Once Indiana held a substantial lead, it was able to cruise to victory, and its 3-point shooting was a prime reason why. This hadn’t been the case during the Hoosiers’ four games to begin the season, but against Butler, it finally found a groove shooting from downtown.

And for Teri Moren-coached teams of the past, 3-point offense has been a huge part of their success. After its performance against Butler, this might be the case once again for Indiana, which would be a huge plus.

It’s only one game, but the Hoosiers’ performance from 3-point range was incredibly telling, while leading IU to a one-sided win over an in-state foe.

Beaumont, Ciezki light it up again

Against FSU on Sunday, Ciezki and Beaumont were incredibly key in Indiana securing a victory over a Power Five opponent, and here against Butler, they were able to do the exact same thing.

Beaumont’s 21 and Ciezki’s 14 were the two highest point totals from Wednesday night, as they contributed to what was a high-powered Indiana offense from start to finish.

In the first half, Beaumont totaled 19 points, as she was the focal point behind the fast start Indiana was able to get out to. She might not have had another strong half after the break, but she didn’t have to, her first half performance was enough for the Hoosiers to coast the rest of the way.

As mentioned, 3-pointers were a huge part of the Hoosiers’ success, and with Indiana’s guards, it was no different. Beaumont made 4 of 5, while Ciezki totaled two made 3-pointers throughout the night.

As two of the leaders on the team, they’re incredibly important to the Hoosiers on and off the floor, but with what they’ve shown early on this season, Beaumont and Ciezki might be one of the best dynamic duos in the Big Ten.

They fed off each other, and their shots just kept on falling against the Bulldogs. Butler had no answer both early and late, and the only stretch of the game where Beaumont and Ciezki weren’t making their mark was when the Hoosiers held a 20-plus-point advantage in the fourth quarter.

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