At the Buzzer: Indiana 69, Incarnate Word 61

Tayton Conerway drives to the basket.

Quick thoughts on a 69-61 win against Incarnate Word:

How it happened

Perimeter shots weren’t falling for Indiana in the first half of Sunday’s matchup against Incarnate Word. The Hoosiers shot 3-for-12 on 3s and it took a while to get a separation from the Cardinals, who led by as many as four points early in the game.

But as IU started to get stops and also find high-percentage looks at the rim, the Hoosiers began to pull away. Over the final 9:29 of the half, Incarnate Word scored just five points, and Indiana opened up a 16-point lead by halftime. The Cardinals only mustered 19 points in the first 20 minutes, scoring a dismal .62 points per possession. Sam Alexis and Trent Sisley were pivotal for IU off the bench. Alexis had 13 points in 13 first-half minutes and Sisley added seven points and eight rebounds in 12 minutes.

By the 12:47 mark of the second half, Indiana extended the lead to 19 points on a pair of free throws from Tucker DeVries. Incarnate Word answered with a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 14 points, prompting a timeout from Darian DeVries. From there, Incarnate Word continued to chip away. The Cardinals got within 12 at 52-40 on a four-point play by Harrison Reede with 8:35 to play. A 3-pointer from Tahj Staveskie pulled Incarnate Word within eight at the 6:50 mark. The Cardinals drew within six at 54-48 on a Davion Bailey 3-pointer with 5:43 remaining.

After a Tucker DeVries 3-pointer pushed the IU lead to 10 at 64-54 with 2:22 left, Incarnate Word scored the next five points to make it 64-59 with 1:21 to play. Out of a timeout, DeVries was fouled, but missed both free throws. On Incarnate Word’s ensuing possession, Davion Bailey air-balled a 3-pointer, giving IU possession with a five-point lead. The Cardinals fouled Lamar Wilkerson, who made both free throws to make it 66-59 with 24.3 seconds left. Jordan Pyke got Incarnate Word within five with 14 seconds left, but IU made three free throws from there to make it an eight-point win.

Standout performers

Alexis came off the bench to finish with a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes. He was 5-for-7 from the floor and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Statistics that stand out

The Hoosiers shot 5-for-24 on 3s, just 20.8 percent, and 18-for-26 from the free-throw line, just 69.2 percent. In the second half, Incarnate Word shot 54.8 percent and scored 1.27 points per possession.

Final IU individual statistics

Final tempo-free statistics

Up next for IU

The 4-0 Hoosiers return to action on Thursday night against Lindenwood at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Lions are 2-3 after a loss at Alabama A&M on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on BTN.

Assembly Call postgame show

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