Indiana Basketball opens Big Ten play with 15-point win over Minnesota

Indiana basketball opened Big Ten play with a comfortable 82-67 win over Minnesota at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

The Hoosiers took control of the game with a 24-9 run over the final 11:42 of the first half and led by double-digits the rest of the way.

It was a balanced scoring attack for Indiana basketball as five different Hoosiers had double-figures including two guys off the bench. The bench totaled 32 points in the win.

Freshman wing Bryson Tucker set a new career-high with 16 points off the bench. Tucker shot 6-10 from the field and added six rebounds for the Hoosiers.

Kanaan Carlyle made his return from injury off the bench and had his best game as a Hoosier. Carlyle scored a season-high 14 points and had a game-high five assists while also grabbing three boards.

Malik Reneau had an all-around performance for Indiana as he scored 16 points, while also having seven rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal.

Oumar Ballo had another strong performance as he finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Ballo dominated the paint on both sides of the court as he also added a block and a steal in the win.

Offensively, the Hoosiers dominated inside as they scored 42 points in the paint including 13 layups and two dunks.

The ball movement was also on full display as the Hoosiers had 21 assists on 30 made shots.

Mackenzie Mgbako was also in double-figures as he scored 13 points for Indiana basketball.

While it wasn’t his best scoring night, Myles Rice impacted the game in multiple ways. He had four assists, and five rebounds, and was a pest on defense.

Indiana basketball had arguably their best defensive performance of the season as they held Minnesota to just 67 points. The Golden Gophers shot just 48% from the field and 18% from beyond the arc.

The Hoosiers also had a strong performance on the glass, an area they have struggled this season. They won the rebounding battle 35-22 and allowed just six offensive rebounds to Minnesota.

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