Let's take a look at how the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers defeated Sam Houston State Thursday night at Assembly Hall.
What happened
In front of 17,472 fans, the Hoosiers came out on fire to beat Sam Houston State 99-45.
How it happened
This game was pretty much over before it began because IU had the pedal to the metal from the opening tip off.
The Hoosiers started the game on a 30-10 run through the first 12 minutes and never looked back. By halftime, the Hoosiers led the Bearkats 52-25 by limiting SHSU to only 9-of-28 from the field. The Hoosiers defense was stifling throughout the first half as SHSU only recorded two assists and committed 10 turnovers and 16 fouls.
In the first half, IU had two players with double figures in the scoring column (Christian Watford with 10 and Will Sheehey with 11). As a team, IU shot 15-of-25 from the field and 17-of-23 from the free throw line.
Overall, five Hoosiers finished in double figures. Led by Watford's 23 points off of the bench, Sheehey (18), Cody Zeller (13), Jordan Hulls (10) and Victor Oladipo (14) tormented the Bearkats all night.
One of the biggest highlights of the night was Hulls hitting a three from the top of the key to earn his 1,000th career point. Hulls entered the game 10 points shy of the milestone and left the game to a standing ovation after hitting his final three of the night.
In the end, IU finished 30-of-53 from the field and 30-of-44 from the free throw line. The Hoosiers drew 31 fouls on Sam Houston State, which created a huge advantage at the line for IU - compared to Sam Houston State's 8-of-12 from the charity stripe. By scoring 52 in the first and 47 points in the second half, the Hoosiers scored more in each half than Sam Houston State scored in the entire game.
What it means
This game presented the last opportunity for the Hoosiers to work out the kinks before facing an opponent from one of the six power conferences of NCAA basketball. With three out of the next four opponents (Georgia, UCLA/Georgetown and UNC) coming from power conferences, this game was important for the Hoosiers to gain more confidence. With the Hoosiers firing on all cylinders in the first half, you couldn't ask for a better game entering a big-time tournament and IU finished the game out strong.
What's next for the Hoosiers
On Monday, the Hoosiers will be in Brooklyn to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Brooklyn Nets' Barclays Center. The game is a part of the Progressive Legends Classic and the winner of the game will play either UCLA or Georgetown.
Stats of the Night
The Hoosiers had assists on 24-of-30 baskets made compared to only five assists on 16 baskets for Sam Houston State. Also, IU outrebounded SHSU 45-23 and forced the Bearkats into 19 turnovers.
