Strong first half is enough for Indiana to topple Chicago State

Lamar Wilkerson scored a game-high 21 points Saturday and Indiana made 14 of its 15 3-pointers in the first half of a 78-58 nonconference home win over Chicago State in Bloomington.

Reed Bailey came off the bench to add 17 points and eight rebounds, while Nick Dorn contributed 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the 3-point line. The Hoosiers (9-3) drew assists on all but two of their 26 field goals, with Conor Enright dishing out seven and Wilkerson handing out six.

Lionel Larvadain scored 12 points and CJ Ray added 11 for the Cougars (2-11), who again struggled to make shots. They hit only 24 of 66 from the field, including a miserable 4 of 20 from the 3-point line, and were outrebounded 44-33.

The margin might have been worse, but Indiana experienced a 180 in its 3-point marksmanship after halftime. The Hoosiers went 14-of-26 in the first half but made just 1 of 20 for the game's remainder. They attempted just 16 2-pointers in the game.

Coming into the game, Indiana was looking to reduce its turnovers and get back to its early-season success that was predicated on a high-scoring attack. It did so for most of the first half as it simply bombed away from the perimeter.

Wilkerson converted three 3-pointers in a two-minute span as the Hoosiers established a 14-4 advantage at the 17:02 mark. Indiana led by double figures for the final 34:54 of the game, pushing the margin to 36-16 when Trent Sisley sank a 3-pointer off a Wilkerson pass with 8:54 left in the half.

The Hoosiers ended the half in fitting fashion when Dorn took Tayton Conerway's pass and drilled a 3-pointer that helped them take a 52-29 advantage to the locker room. Indiana drew assists on 17 of their 18 made buckets in the half.

On pace for 100 points at intermission, the Hoosiers couldn't keep it up, although they managed to expand the lead as high as 26 points with 6:49 remaining.

--Field Level Media