BLOOMINGTON — The Indiana women’s basketball team that beat Missouri S&T, 100-32, on Monday night bared little resemblance to the one that walked off the floor after exiting last year’s NCAA tournament against South Carolina.
The Hoosiers played eight new faces (six transfers) in the exhibition game, and two of them — true freshman Nevaeh Caffey and UCLA transfer Zania Socka-Nguemen — were in the starting lineup.
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Here’s a look at how each of the newcomers performed in their IU debut:
How IU women’s basketball’s newcomers performed against Missouri S&T:
Nevaeh Caffey (freshman): Caffey was the type of player IU coach Teri Moren had in mind when she talked about adding more athletes to the roster at the end of last season. She hounded Missouri S&T’s ball handlers from the moment they crossed halfcourt and played with the type of defensive intensity Moren covets.
Her perimeter defense was a big reason why MS&T didn’t make a 3-pointer.
On offense, she made some heady plays — she made a nice back cut down the baseline for an easy early bucket — and didn’t shy away from an open look. She’s also a player who will help IU push the pass as well, like when she scored on an outlet pass from Socka-Nguemen for a fastbreak layup by beating everyone down the floor.
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She had nine points, five assists (tied for a team-high), and two steals.
Zania Socka-Nguemen (UCLA transfer): Socka-Nguemen was a no-brainer addition to the starting lineup.
Early reviews from her teammates highlighted her athleticism and elite rebounding. The former McDonald’s All-American also benefited from playing for Moren on USA Basketball’s U19 team over the summer that won a gold medal in the Czech Republic.
She gave Missouri S&T’s undersized frontcourt all sorts of problems and altered every shot near the rim whenever she was on the floor. The problem for Socka-Nguemen was that she got into foul trouble in the first half for being a little too aggressive away from the ball.
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Socka-Nguemen remained on the bench for the final 6:42 of the second quarter after picking up her third foul. She picked up a fourth foul — with a charge — with 5:29 to go in the third.
It was easy to see why the coaching staff was excited about adding her skill set to the lineup, given she posted a near double-double (eight points and nine rebounds) in just 13 minutes. She runs the floor well and was always looking to get out on the break, and looks to be an effective rebounder.
Phoenix Stotijn (Arkansas transfer): She was one of IU’s first subs, along with Maya Makalusky.
Her shot wasn’t falling early — she missed her first five attempts and was 0 for 3 from 3-point range to start — but she remained active on both ends of the floor. She came alive in the third quarter with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
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She was an effective on-ball defender with athleticism similar to Caffey, and Moren called for a full-court press in the third quarter when they were on the floor together.
Maya Makalusky (true freshman): Makalusky, the 2025 Miss Basketball winner out of Hamilton Southeastern High School, didn’t have a splashy debut, but she regularly made smart basketball plays.
She had a put-back right after checking in when she noticed one of MS&T’s players making a half-hearted attempt to secure a rebound.
In the second half, Makalusky flashed the 3-point shooting touch that helped her become one of the state’s top prep players. She got a big ovation for knocking down her first 3-point shot with 33 seconds left in the third to put IU up 76-24.
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She was the only bench player in double-digits with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Edessa Noyan (Virginia transfer): Noyan was Socka-Nguemen’s primary backup at the five. She didn’t get many touches on offense, but showed off a nice little hook shot in the second half. She had seven points and seven rebounds.
Her free-throw with 37 seconds to go helped IU hit 100 points.
Jerni Kiaku (Duquesene transfer): The undersized guard gave IU some backcourt depth. She pushed the pace when she was playing the point and showed off a pretty impressive handle. She had seven points (3 of 3) with all of that production coming in the fourth quarter off the dribble.
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Chloe Spreen (Alabama transfer): Spreen, the 2024 Indiana Miss Basketball winner, got extended playing time in the fourth quarter. She struggled defensively and was a bit indecisive with the ball, but went 3 of 4 from the free-throw line.
Insider: Why Chloe Spreen is coming home to IU women’s basketball: ‘It’s where my heart wanted to be’
Jade Ondineme (Northwest Florida State transfer): She checked in with less than three minutes to go in the game for the first time and grabbed a pair of rebounds.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana women’s basketball score today vs Missouri S&T, stats, newcomers
