HoosierIllustrated Live Blog: FINAL- Indiana basketball 69, Morehead State 68

Indiana basketball continues its 124th season of competition at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against Morehead State tonight. The Hoosiers are coming off a very tough loss to No. 2 Kansas this past Saturday.

Morehead State (8-3) enters the game on a six-game winning streak behind stellar play from fifth-year senior guard Riley Minix. The former NAIA All-American averages 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. Three additional Eagles average at least 10.0 points per game, including UTEP transfer guard Jordan Lathon (12.5), senior guard Drew Thelwell (11.8), and fifth-year senior guard Kalil Thomas (11.5). Thelwell and Thomas combined for 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting from the floor at SSAH last season. MSU is led by eighth-year head coach Preston Spradlin. His 124 career wins rank fourth in program history. He trails Ellis T. Johnson (179), Bobby Laughlin (166), and Wayne Martin (130).

Scouting Notes: Morehead State

Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 ET on BTN.

Below is the full running blog.

Indiana Injury Report

Xavier Johnson and CJ Gunn are both listed as questionable. Johnson is not expected to play.

Related: Indiana basketball point guard Xavier Johnson ‘still going to be out’ for a while

CJ Gunn is good to go for tonight.

Xavier Johnson comes out in sweats but is not wearing a boot.

He is out tonight but no boot is a good sign for his hopefully soon return. #iubb pic.twitter.com/homFF14ckQ

— Kyler Staley (@kylerstaley) December 19, 2023

Indiana starters: 

F- Kel’el Ware

F- Malik Reneau

F- Mackenzie Mgbako

G- Trey Galloway

G- Gabe Cupps

First Half

Under-16 Media Timeout: Morehead State 7, Indiana 4. Malik Reneau picked up his first foul before the break.

Mackenzie Mgbako being aggressive early on.

Anthony Walker checks in and immediately scores eight points in his first three minutes for Indiana.

Indiana up to 12 bench points through the first eight minutes.

Under-12 media timeout: Indiana basketball 16, Morehead State 15. Anthony Walker leads all Hoosiers with eight points.

Very flat start for Indiana in every area.

Under-8 media timeout: Morehead State 23, Indiana basketball 21. Hoosiers just 3-of-7 from the free throw line.

Indiana being so reactionary right now — something it hadn’t been doing to start games over the last 2 weeks. Not what you wanted to see, and very disappointing after another week of hearing about needing to ‘put a full 40-minute game together’.

Indiana down 12-0 on 3s.

Under-4 media timeout: Morehead State 28, Indiana basketball 21.

Indiana now 3-of-9 on FTs, 0-of-6 on 3s and getting out-rebounded 23-19.

Indiana down 31-21 with 2:15 left in first half. Indiana hasn’t scored in 5:07 minutes of action.

Halftime: Morehead State 36, Indiana 25.

The "hangover" excuse is not a thing. No matter how well Indiana played against Kansas, they didn't win.

Hoosiers have no right to use the "hangover" excuse. What have you proven to play like this? Nothing. #iubb

— Kyler Staley (@kylerstaley) December 20, 2023

What an absolute disaster of a half of basketball for Indiana. Just unbelievable. No life. No energy. No purpose. Nothing. This shouldn't happen, regardless if students are there or not. No excuse. #iubb

— Alec Lasley (@allasley) December 20, 2023

Second Half

Indiana is looking to get it to their bigs to open the half. Kel’el Ware has scored his first points of the game to start the half.

Malik Reneau picks up his third foul and heads to the bench.

Ware has scored all 8 points for Indiana forcing a timeout.

Timeout Morehead State with 17:42 left in the half. An 8-1 run to open the half has the Hoosiers only trailing 37-33.

Timeout Indiana with 16:43 left. Indiana is trailing 42-35 and a bad breakdown on the defensive end led to the timeout.

Back to back buckets from Mackenzie Mgbako has Indiana down 3.

Under-16 media timeout: Morehead State 44, Indiana 39.

Jordan Lathon buries back to back threes to put Morehead State back up 11. He has 24 points.

Under-12 media timeout: Morehead State 53, Indiana 42.

Malik Reneau picks up his 4th foul of the game on an and1 three from Jordan Lathon.

Under-8 media timeout: Morehead State 64, Indiana 53.

Morehead State takes a timeout with Indiana on an 8-0 run and trailing by 7.

Under-4 media timeout: Morehead State 64, Indiana 62.

Trey Galloway makes a three out of the break giving Indiana their first lead since the score was 16-15.

A tough finish from Kalil Thomas ends the 17-0 run and ties the game with under two minutes left.

Kalil Thomas fouls out on the next possession and Anthony Walker makes the free throws and puts Indiana back up by 2.

Timeout Indiana. Indiana 69, Morehead State 68 with 0:41 remaining in the game.

Malik Reneau is fouled with 27.1 seconds remaining and goes 0/2 at the line.

Timeout Morehead State with 24.7 seconds remaining and Indiana leading 69-68.

Jordan Lathon goes for the win and a great contest from Reneau forces a miss at the buzzer.

FINAL: Indiana 69, Morehead State 68.

Final Box Score + Extended Stats

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