Indiana improved to 11-3 with an 84-74 win in opposition to Rutgers on Thursday at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor.
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the win in opposition to the Scarlet Knights:
Hoosiers warmth up from the perimeter
Indiana beat Winthrop 77-68 on Dec. 29 regardless of a dreadful 1-for-20 efficiency from past the 3-point line.
On Thursday in opposition to Rutgers, the Hoosiers delivered their finest perimeter capturing efficiency of the season. For the primary time since Dec. 21, 2023, in opposition to North Alabama, Indiana made greater than 10 3-pointers.
IU went 12-for-27 – 44.4 % – from distance in Thursday’s win and 6 gamers related from exterior.
Luke Goode went 3-for-5, Trey Galloway was 3-for-6 and Mackenzie Mgbako was 3-for-7. Anthony Leal, Kanaan Carlyle and Myles Rice every made one triple.
“Guys stepped up, they made ’em, which was sort of good to see,” Mike Woodson mentioned postgame. “That’s most likely essentially the most threes we’ve made this season thus far and I simply hope it continues to be a carryover as a result of I believed within the Winthrop sport we bought some attractiveness, we simply didn’t make them. Tonight, guys stepped up and so they knocked them down which we’re going to wish transferring ahead.”
On an evening when main scorer Malik Reneau was injured within the sport’s opening minute, Indiana was pressured to play small for a second straight sport. After its worst capturing sport of the season in opposition to Winthrop, the Hoosiers responded this time in Thursday’s snug win in opposition to the Scarlet Knight.
Myles Rice thrives for a second straight sport
Inconsistency has been a problem for Myles Rice by means of the season’s first two months. Rice was terrific in early season video games in opposition to South Carolina and UNC Greensboro.
He was generally invisible on the Battle 4 Atlantis within the Bahamas and scored simply 11 factors in three video games.
He returned to his early season type in a loss at Nebraska earlier than scoring simply 4 factors in a win in opposition to Chattanooga eight days later. Coming off a robust 18-point sport in opposition to Winthrop, it was onerous to know what to anticipate from Rice.
Whereas he didn’t shoot the ball notably effectively – he was 6-for-15 from the sector – Rice was the perfect guard on the ground Thursday evening at Meeting Corridor.
The redshirt sophomore completed with a team-high 21 factors, together with an 8-for-8 mark from the free throw line. He added 5 rebounds, three assists, two steals and one turnover in 36 minutes.
For the season, Rice is now capturing 91.7 % from the free throw line and 55.4 % on 2s. Each numbers are up from final season at Washington State.
Oumar Ballo returns – and dominates within the paint
Oumar Ballo dressed however didn’t play in Sunday’s win in opposition to Winthrop. Woodson didn’t tackle the circumstances of Ballo’s absence on Sunday and reiterated that stance in his postgame remarks on Thursday.
Ballo got here off the bench Thursday and didn’t have to attend lengthy to enter the sport, as Reneau went down with a leg damage lower than a minute into the competition.
The 7-footer logged a season-high 32 minutes and completed with 17 factors, 12 rebounds and three blocked pictures. Ballo was 7-for-13 from the sector and 3-for-9 from the free-throw line.
When requested postgame if Ballo’s coming off the bench was associated to damage or self-discipline, Woodson targeted on his massive man’s manufacturing.
“Let’s simply speak about his 17 and 12,” he mentioned. “That’s what I wish to focus in on. He got here off the bench and he bought 17 and 12 for us, which is unbelievable.”
Ballo was a serious purpose Indiana dominated the offensive glass. The Hoosiers grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and Ballo had seven of these. For the sport, IU rebounded 38.3 % of its missed pictures and scored 34 second-chance factors.
IU wants extra from its bench
Ballo’s manufacturing Thursday evening apart, Indiana’s bench continues to battle to contribute constantly.
The Hoosiers had a large dropoff in opposition to Rutgers when it went to the bench. Freshman Bryson Tucker performed 10 minutes however Indiana was -15 when he was on the ground. He was 0-for-4 from the sector with one turnover.
Langdon Hatton, who was terrific in opposition to Winthrop, couldn’t sustain with the dimensions and athleticism of the Scarlet Knights within the submit. Hatton was 0-for-2 with two turnovers and the Hoosiers have been -9 within the six minutes he was on the ground.
Kanaan Carlyle, a starter early within the season, continues to battle to make pictures. He was 1-for-7 in quarter-hour and IU was -5 when he was within the sport.
“I bought to assist our bench extra by some means,” Woodson mentioned postgame. “I simply bought to get them snug having enjoyable and flying round and doing issues on each ends of the ground that we’re purported to do and we’re not there but.”
Anthony Leal was the one actual constructive off the bench, apart from Ballo. The fifth-year senior scored 5 factors and performed hard-nosed protection in opposition to Ace Bailey, who exploded for 39 factors.
Ace Bailey’s efficiency was unimaginable
With Dylan Harper sidelined as a consequence of an sickness, Ace Bailey was the clear go-to choice for Rutgers on Thursday evening in Bloomington.
And the longer term lottery decide placed on a present.
Bailey scored 39 factors in 38 minutes and didn’t commit a turnover. He additionally led the Scarlet Knights with eight rebounds and 4 steals.
The 6-foot-10 scored from all over the place on the ground. He was 16-for-29 from the sector, together with a 4-for-8 mark from past the 3-point line. The one place he struggled was from the foul line, the place he shot simply 3-for-8.
“He’s particular. He’s an excellent participant and he’s younger,” Woodson mentioned postgame of Bailey. “If he continues to work, he may very well be fairly particular. I imply, we sort of threw a number of issues at him, however he made some robust pictures tonight and that’s what nice gamers do.”
Filed to: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
