When Indiana took the floor against USC on Thursday night, they did so without their offensive engine. Shay Ciezki, the Big Ten’s leading scorer and the fourth-highest scorer in the nation at 24.1 points per game, was sidelined after rolling her ankle during the team’s morning shootaround. It was a tough break - a non-contact injury during a routine 5-on-0 drill - and it left the Hoosiers scrambling just hours before tipoff.
“She just rolled it and was not available,” head coach Teri Moren said. “It was disappointing. I think - and give our kids a lot of credit - but her being in the game would have probably helped some.”
No question. Ciezki has been the heartbeat of this Indiana team, and losing her right before a key road matchup was a gut punch.
But in sports, as Moren and her team know all too well, there’s no pause button. The game goes on - and someone has to step up.
Enter Maya Makalusky.
The freshman guard didn’t just fill in - she took the spotlight and ran with it. Makalusky poured in a career-high 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including five threes, while pulling down six rebounds. She was on the floor for all 40 minutes, a steady presence in a game that saw Indiana battling foul trouble and missing two key starters.
With Ciezki out and starting center Zania Socka-Nguemen already lost for the season with a foot injury, the Hoosiers leaned on Makalusky to carry the scoring load. And she delivered - not just with numbers, but with poise.
Every time USC threatened to pull away, Makalusky had an answer. Her shot-making kept Indiana in it deep into the fourth quarter, even as the Trojans took control late.
“Obviously, people get hurt throughout the season,” Makalusky said after the game. “And with something like that, we need to step up.
We need to help out the team, help out coach - whether that’s rebounding, defense, scoring - and you always need to be prepared. Especially as a freshman, just trying to do whatever I can.”
That mentality - next player up, no excuses - is what Moren has been preaching all season. And it’s starting to show in players like Edessa Noyan, too.
The forward, who’s taken over starting duties in the absence of Socka-Nguemen, had one of her best all-around games with 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. She’s starting to find her rhythm at the five, and Moren sees the growth.
“I think all the improvements have been offensively,” Moren said. “With not having Z, I think Edessa is finally kind of coming into her own there at the five spot for us.”
Still, effort and heart only go so far when you’re shorthanded against a top-tier Pac-12 opponent. Indiana fought, but ultimately fell 79-73, dropping to 3-11 in Big Ten play. It was a game they very much had a chance to win - and the disappointment in the locker room reflected that.
“I’m really proud of our effort,” Moren said. “Obviously, playing without Shay was not expected, but I loved the fight we had.
Our kids are really disappointed. They know they let one slip away.”
Now the focus turns to Sunday and a daunting matchup with No. 2 UCLA.
Whether Ciezki will be available remains a question mark. She went through pregame warmups at USC but wasn’t moving laterally - a key sign that her ankle still needs time.
“She tried everything to be able to go tonight,” Moren said. “I’m hopeful that maybe another day or two, she’ll be available on Sunday. But we’ll see.”
For now, the Hoosiers will keep grinding - short-handed or not. And if Thursday night was any indication, they’ve got some young talent ready to rise to the moment.