Lenee Beaumont shines as IU women’s basketball cruises past Butler for 5-0 start

Lenee Beaumont handles the ball.

On November 13, 2024, Indiana women’s basketball traveled to Indianapolis for a nonconference matchup against in-state opponent Butler. The Hoosiers shot 34 percent from the field and lost, 56-46. All Lenee Beaumont could do was sit on Indiana’s bench and watch.

After a productive freshman season off the bench, Beaumont missed the entirety of her sophomore campaign with a knee injury that eventually required surgery. She couldn’t suit up against the Bulldogs then, but she did on Wednesday night.

Beaumont’s team-high 21 points fueled the Hoosiers to a 72-53 win in their rematch against Butler.

“I’ve been bitter,” Moren said postgame. “Very bitter about that loss in Indianapolis… far different than the way I feel today with the group I got.”

Heading into the season, the most points Beaumont had scored in a single game in her collegiate career was 11. She had 19 points by halftime.

Her performance wasn’t just impressive for the points she scored, but for how she scored them. Beaumont knocked down four of her five attempts from beyond the arc, routinely sank shots from the midrange and effectively attacked the paint off the dribble.

With a 23-point performance against Florida State last time out, the redshirt sophomore continues to prove herself as a capable number one option for Moren.

“I definitely feel more confident the more we play,” Beaumont said. “I just needed to get my legs under me and be more comfortable.”

That confidence showed. Midway through the second quarter, Beaumont received the ball with the shot clock expiring. Without hesitation, she launched a 3-pointer from well-beyond the arc and watched as it sailed off the backboard, rolled around the rim and finally trickled through the net to beat the buzzer.

Beaumont couldn’t help but grin as she trotted back on defense.

“I’m playing with a lot of joy right now,” she said. “Honestly, just having fun playing basketball.”

While it may feel like Beaumont’s burst onto the scene as an elite scorer came out of nowhere, it’s been a long time coming. She recalled sitting down with assistant coach Ali Patberg during her freshman year to watch film of former IU guard Grace Berger. According to Beaumont, she did so “religiously.”

It was then, as a wide-eyed freshman, that she took note of what made Berger an effective scorer — her ability to get to her preferred spots on the floor. Beaumont, a 6-foot-1 guard, used her size and physicality to achieve the same end results that earned Berger All-Big Ten honors four seasons in a row.

In addition to Beaumont’s offensive play, Moren noted other areas in which she helped the team against Butler, including her defensive growth and leadership. The IU head coach recalled Beaumont’s presence in the huddle before the second quarter, challenging her teammates to keep playing with the same defensive intensity they used to outscore the Bulldogs 23-7 in the opening frame.

Beaumont wasn’t simply leading her team in scoring; she was leading it vocally, too. Her play since returning from injury is a product of her individual growth, but it’s also a reflection of the culture Moren has crafted since taking over in 2014.

After the win — her 450th career win to be exact — Moren had the chance to reflect on her time in Bloomington.

“We felt like, when we got here 12 years ago, that it was a place where we could build a program,” she said. “We could find players that were in alignment with what we value, the culture, the work ethic, the player development piece. And we’ve been able to find players that fit us.”

If Wednesday night was any indication, Beaumont is next in the line of Hoosier guards who have flourished under Moren. It’s almost poetic that Tyra Buss, the first great guard of Moren’s tenure, was in attendance to witness Beaumont fill that role.

From Buss, to Berger and now Beaumont, Indiana’s backcourt continues to produce capable scorers. After a season lost to injury, she’s emerged not only as a confident shooter but also as a committed defender and leader in the locker room.

Beaumont and the Hoosiers advance to 5-0 with the win and will look to stay unbeaten when they play Florida Gulf Coast next Tuesday in Fort Myers, Florida.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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