Assembly Hall was rocking Thursday night as the Indiana Hoosiers (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) took down the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-6, 1-2 Big Ten) in a Big Ten Conference tilt. Sophomore Myles Rice poured in 21 points and senior Oumar Ballo bullied the Scarlet Knights in the paint with 17 points and 12 rebounds off the bench as Indiana improved to 2-1 in Big Ten conference play and 11-3 overall. Rutgers dropped to 1-2 in conference play and 8-6 on the season with the loss. Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey exploded for a career-high 39 points.
The Hoosiers’ offense started clicking after Rutgers raced to a 23-16 point lead. A Trey Galloway three-pointer with 9:46 left in the half kicked off a 25-11 Indiana run to end the half. Indiana managed seven offensive rebounds during the run and converted a buzzer-beating three-point heave by Anthony Leal as time expired.
That’ll do! 🤷♂️@anthonyl3al | #IUBB pic.twitter.com/PDfNHOXHxG
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) January 3, 2025
Indiana took a 41-34 lead into halftime, and Rutgers never got within seven points for the remainder of the game. Center Oumar Ballo, back in the lineup after a one-game absence, added 17 points off the bench and provided crucial rebounding on the offensive end, providing 7 offensive rebounds in the game.
Indiana Hoosiers Finally Convert Three-Pointers
Three-point shooting was one of the Hoosiers’ biggest struggles coming into last night’s contest. Indiana went into the contest shooting only 30.6% from beyond the arc, including an appalling 1-20 three-point performance against Winthrop on December 29. The Hoosiers’ three-point rate was the third-worst mark in the Big Ten. Things changed on Thursday, with the Hoosiers going 12-27 (44.4%) from beyond the arc. Their twelve threes were the team’s highest total of the season, a welcome sight after multiple poor shooting outings to start the season. Senior forward Luke Goode led the Hoosiers from beyond the arc, going 3-5 on three-point attempts.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ Brilliant Freshman Performance
Rutgers Scarlet Knights freshman Ace Bailey had the best night of his career on Thursday. On a night when Scarlet Knights leading scorer Dylan Harper was sidelined due to an illness, Rutgers had to lean on the freshman more than usual, and Bailey answered the call. On 16-29 (55.2%) shooting from the field and 4-8 (50.0%) from three-point range, Bailey notched 39 points, leading all players in the game.
Bailey’s 39 points not only led all scorers in the game but also surpassed the combined total of his Scarlet Knight teammates. The rest of Rutgers’s roster shot 11-32 from the field and totaled only 35 points.
Malik Reneau Injury
Despite the win, a major point of concern for Indiana going forward will be the status of leading scorer Malik Reneau. The junior forward went down holding his right knee after defending an Ace Bailey drive and layup on only the second possession of the game. Reneau walked off under his own power and was confirmed to be out for the remainder of the game later in the first half. He returned to the bench with his knee wrapped in an ice pack for the second half.
Head coach Mike Woodson didn’t offer much comment on Reneau’s status during his post-game press conference:
“Well, right now, we just got to evaluate him tomorrow. He couldn’t come back in the game and you know he’s a big piece to the puzzle. Going into this game, he was our leading scorer, so we’ll evaluate him tomorrow through our medical staff and see where he is and if he can’t play, it’s next man up. We just got to continue to go whoever is in uniform.”
The Hoosiers will be hoping for a quick return to action for their star forward. Reneau, in addition to leading the team in scoring coming into last night’s contest, also provides rebounding and playmaking support with 6.3 points and 2.3 assists per game.
Big Ten Games On The Horizon
This matchup kicked off the bulk of Big Ten Conference play for both Indiana and Rutgers. The Hoosiers have a two-day break before traveling to Happy Valley for a matchup with Penn State (12-2, 2-1) and preseason All-Big Ten selection Ace Baldwin Jr. Matchups with USC, Iowa, #22 Illinois, and Ohio State also feature over the next two weeks for the Hoosiers.
Rutgers returns home to New Jersey for a three-game homestand against Wisconsin, #20 Purdue, and #15 UCLA. The Scarlet Knights will be hoping to get their first wins against ranked opponents this season when the Boilermakers and Bruins come to town on January 9 and 13, respectively.
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