At the Buzzer: Indiana 92, Bellarmine 69

Quick thoughts on a 92-69 win against Bellarmine:

How it happened

Indiana put on an offensive clinic in the first half against Bellarmine on Thursday night. The Hoosiers shot 57.1 percent from the field, dished out 11 assists and committed only three turnovers, grabbed six offensive rebounds and made eight 3-pointers. Indiana scored a sizzling 1.64 points per possession. The contributions came from several sources. Darren Harris was hot early and led IU with 15 points. Bryce Lindsay came off the bench and added 13 points. Eight different players scored; IU had eight second-chance points and nine fast-break points. It was enough for IU to build a comfortable 50-26 lead by the break.

While the result was never in doubt in the second half – Indiana’s lead never got below 18 points – the Hoosiers had some defensive lapses that were of concern. Like Eastern Illinois, the Knights got into the lane far too easily for clean looks at the rim. Indiana also struggled to defend without fouling, and Markus Burton fouled out with just two points. Still, the lead was comfortable enough that Darian DeVries was able to go deep into his bench late in the game before finishing off win No. 2 of the young season.

Standout performers

Harris led Indiana with a career-high 23 points, including a 5-for-10 mark on 3-pointers. Lindsay added 15 points and four assists in 20 minutes. Also in double figures for the Hoosiers: Sam Alexis, who had 12 points and six rebounds and Aiden Sherrell with 12 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Freshman Trevor Manhertz had nine points and five rebounds.

Statistics that stand out

Indiana won the second-chance points battle 21-6 and had 46 bench points. Bellarmine did match IU in points in the paint, 36-all. The Hoosiers also allowed more than a point per possession as Bellarmine finished with 1.03. The Knights also outscored IU in the second half, 43-42.