Indiana men’s basketball began its season with three dynamic offensive performances in three victories. But its fourth contest of the season was much different.
The Hoosiers didn’t score the 99.6 points they had averaged this season, but still earned a 69-61 victory Sunday over the University of Incarnate Word inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
The Cardinals jumped out to an early 4-point advantage while the Cream and Crimson’s offense sputtered. Both squads went on small spurts, as Incarnate Word led by 1 just over seven minutes into the contest.
That’s when Indiana took control. It went on a 20-2 run in the middle stages of the opening half to take a 17-point lead. The Hoosiers entered the locker room ahead by 16, as senior forward Sam Alexis led all scorers with 13 points and three rebounds. Indiana’s defense held the Cardinals to just two field goals over the final 15 minutes of the first half.
Although the two teams largely traded buckets to start the second half, the Cream and Crimson went on a 7-1 spurt to take a 19-point lead. However, Incarnate Word didn’t go away easily. With Indiana struggling to connect from 3-point range, the Cardinals cut their deficit to just 11 at the under-eight timeout.
Incarnate Word eventually pulled within 5 points, but Indiana held on for an 8-point victory.
Cardinals graduate student guard Tahj Staveskie scored a game-high 17 points while Alexis led the Hoosiers with 16 points — just 3 in the second half.
Unlike its first three games, Indiana struggled mightily from beyond the arc despite its victory Sunday. It went just 5 for 24 on longballs after previously averaging 12.6 makes per contest.
Indiana will return to action at 6 p.m. Thursday, when it hosts Lindenwood University inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The matchup will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
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.
