HoosierIllustrated Live Blog: FINAL – Indiana basketball 80, SIUE 61

After a long wait, Indiana basketball will officially open its 125th season of competition  with a non-conference matchup against SIUE tonight inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

The Hoosiers are coming off two exhibition games last week coming out victorious in both of them. SIUE actually played a game already this season and won 95-42 vs Westminster MO.

Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson is 3-0 in home openers and holds an overall record of 18-2 in the month of November during his tenure.

Tip is set for 8 PM ET. The game will air on BTN.

Below is the full live, running blog of Indiana basketball vs SIUE in the Hoosiers first game of the 2024-25 season.

Pregame Notes:

Anthony Leal is the only player out for Indiana basketball tonight.

Indiana basketball starters:

G – Myles Rice

G – Kanaan Carlyle

F – Mackenzie Mgbako

F – Malik Reneau

C – Oumar Ballo

First half:

Indiana wins the tips and we are off.

Malik Reneau with two strong offensive rebounds and gets a put-back to get us started.

Kanaan Carlyle gets Indiana’s first three point attempt but missed. Hoosiers 0-1 from three.

Oumar Ballo bucket extends the lead to 4-0.

SIU hits a three to cut into the lead.

Under-16 Media Timeout: Indiana basketball 6, SIUE 3

Mgbako hits a baseline jumper and then Rice finds Reneau for an easy transition layup.

Trey Galloway enters in for Carlyle.

Mgbako nails Indiana’s first three of the game. He follows it with a huge slam. He is up to 9 points.

SIUE calls a timeout at the 14:09 mark. Cougars score out of the break.

This might be the most active I have seen Mgbako the last two years. He is everywhere on offense. Scoring at all three levels and crashing the glass.

Luke Goode, Langdon Hatton, and Bryson Tucker check in.

Goode misses his first three point attempt.

Under-12 Media Timeout: Indiana basketball 22, SIUE 13

Indiana basketball has hit their last 7 of 9 field goals.

Gabe Cupps in for Rice.

Oumar Ballo checks in for Hatton. Much-needed for Indiana basketball.

Indiana up to 5 turnovers. They did not look good that last stretch. Only lead 24-20 with 7:52 left in the half.

Reneau snaps a 2:40 scoring drought for Indiana basketball.

Carlyle back in for Tuckers. Starters on the floor.

SIUE running with a 1-3-1 zone here. Hoosiers saw that vs Marian last week. Interested to see how they attack this.

Ballo goes 1-2 at the line.

Mike Woodson calls a timeout and we got some boos raining here in Assembly Hall. Tied at 27 with 4:47 left in the first half.

Mgbako hits a big three. Hoosiers needed that. He followed it up with a steal and And1. Mgbako came to play to tonight.

Indiana basketball on a 8-0 run.

Reneau goes 2-2 at the line.

Reneau got fouled again but inly went 1-2 this time around.

Malik Reneau putting on a good effort these last few minutes. Drawing contact and getting to the line.

Kanaan Carlyle putting on the clamps on defense.

At the half: Indiana basketball 42, SIUE 30

Second Half:

SIUE gets the first bucket out of the half.

Ballo gets the firs points for Indiana basketball this half.

Just a lazy start for the Hoosiers.

Under-16 media timeout: Indiana basketball 44, SIU 34

Myles Rice three out of the break. Hoosiers back up 13.

Reneau checks in for Ballo.

SIUE has hit their last 5-of-7 shots.

Under-12 Media Timeout: Indiana basketball 55, SIUE 44

SIUE cuts the lead to 55-46 right out of the break.

Galloway got a steal but lost it in transition. Nothing going well for the Hoosiers.

Big three by Mgbako once again. Indiana up 12.

Mgbako puts a layup back after Goode missed another. SIUE calls a timeout with 9:46 left. Hoosiers up 60-46.

Mgbako up to 28 points and 7 rebounds. Just playing out of his mind tonight.

Big three by Trey Galloway and then an illegal screen by SIUE leads into the under-8 media timeout.

Hoosiers up 65-48 with 7:31 left.

Rice back in for Galloway. Starters on the floor this final 6 min.

Mgbako three extends his point total to 31.

Reneau cleans up his own miss and gets the layup to go to extend the lead to 22.

Under-4 Media Timeout: Indiana basketball 74, SIUE 57

Darrion Baker finishes an athletic layup after a scrum to cut the Indiana lead to 14.

Ballo slams home the alley-oop off the pass from Galloway to get into double figures.

Galloway connects with Ballo again for another slam.

The pair connect again for another score, Galloway is up to 9 assists.

Final: Indiana basketball 80, SIUE 61

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.