After falling behind midway through the first half, Indiana men’s basketball rallied to a 76-74 victory over Baylor University on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Hoosiers’ offense looked sluggish throughout the first half. Coming off an effort in which they hit 12 3-pointers in the first half against Marian on Oct. 17, Indiana only attempted 10. Two went in — one from fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson and another from redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries.
In addition to struggling from beyond the arc, securing stops also proved to be a challenge for the Hoosiers. Baylor grabbed six offensive rebounds in the first frame, and the Bears outrebounded the Hoosiers 19-11.
Wilkerson’s 16 first half points kept the Hoosiers in the game. Indiana entered halftime down 41-36.
In the second half, the Hoosiers flipped the script. Indiana tied the score at 43 in the first three minutes, and by 15:42, it had taken a 48-45 lead.
While Indiana continued to struggle from distance, it found other ways to score. Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway provided 13 second half points, and the Hoosiers built a nine-point lead with under eight minutes to play.
A late push from Baylor tightened the game in the final minutes. Redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Carr poured in 18 points, and the Bears took a two-point lead into the final two minutes.
Clutch free throws from WIlkerson put the Hoosiers temporarily back in front. But a Conerway layup with eight seconds to play was the dagger, and the Hoosiers walked away with a 76-74 victory.
Indiana will begin the regular season against Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University at 8 p.m. Nov. 5 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
