Indiana Basketball takes down Sam Houston State in their return home

Indiana basketball improved to 6-2 on the season after beating Sam Houston State 97-71.

It was not the complete performance that many hoped to see after a disappointing performance at Battle 4 Atlantis, but there were plenty of positives for the Hoosiers.

The biggest positive was Luke Goode’s performance. Goode, who was brought in to address the shooting problems, had struggled through the first seven games of the season. 

Goode was averaging just 4.3 points while shooting 29.6% from the field and 28.6% from three, but had a huge performance in the win. He scored 18 points while shooting 5-7 from beyond the arc.

Indiana basketball will need Goode to build off of his strong performance as Big Ten play begins next week. 

Malik Reneau also had a big night for the Hoosiers. Reneau scored 18 points while shooting 7-10 and also added 1o rebounds and five assists, both of which were game-highs. 

Myles Rice bounced back in a big way after struggling in the Bahamas. Rice scored a game-high 19 points while adding three rebounds and three assists. 15 of Rice’s points came in the second half.

With both Gabe Cupps and Kanaan Carlyle out due to injuries, Anthony Leal stepped up and played an all-around game for Indiana basketball. Leal scored four points but had four assists, four rebounds, and two steals.

Wings Mackenzie Mgbako and Bryson Tucker also contributed for the Hoosiers. Mgbako scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds. Tucker added eight points, three assists, and two rebounds. 

The Hoosiers came out in the first half with an impressive defensive display. They allowed just 25 first-half points which allowed them to take a 17-point lead into the half.

While there were plenty of positives, the turnover problem was still apparent for Indiana basketball. IU basketball had nine first-half turnovers, with many being unforced errors. They did improve in the second half as they had just three turnovers in the second half. 

Even though the turnover problem continued, the Hoosiers were able to correct a different problem. They were much better on the defensive glass. Indiana held Sam Houston to just five offensive rebounds and zero second-chance points after struggling in that area all of last week.

Oumar Ballo played a big role on the glass with seven rebounds.

While it was not a complete performance as the Hoosiers struggled at times, but they showed a lot of growth after a tough week.

Indiana basketball will be back in action on Friday when they host Miami (Ohio) before they open Big Ten play with Minnesota coming to  Assembly Hall on Monday.

SEE ALSO: Where Indiana Football lands in CFP rankings after finishing the regular season 11-1

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