FINAL: No. 1 Indiana 87, Coppin State 51

Sloppy play in the first half gave way to the expected fastbreak battle Saturday evening in Assembly Hall as Indiana outraced Coppin State in a 87-51 win.

Victor Oladipo led the charge.

The junior guard had 14 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds and was the catalyst for a second half run that put the game to bed after a first half that was close at times.

Starting with a layup by sophomore guard Remy Abell 4:29 into the period, Oladipo either scored or assisted on 14 straight IU points. By the end of the run, IU led 56-31.

Even on the basket before that trend, it was Oladipo's miss at the rim that set the stage for a subsequent dunk by junior forward Will Sheehey.

The shots were not falling for the Hoosiers early on. They did not score a field goal until 4:33 into the game, missing their first nine shots from the field, five of which cam from three-point range.

Meanwhile, the Eagles cruised to a 9-2 lead, IU's only points coming from free throws by sophomore forward Cody Zeller. IU finally broke the drought on a contested layup by senior forward Christian Watford that also netted the team a successful and-one opportunity.

IU did not take its first lead of the game until more than halfway through the first period. With 9:25 remaining in the half, Watford drilled a three-point shot, making the score 14-11, to finish off a possession that began with his interception of a Coppin State inbounds pass and included a number of passes and deflections.

IU produced a 17-4 run in the 7:18 after its seven-point deficit. Watford and junior forward Will Sheehey produced 11 of the 17 points in that span.

The Eagles came within three points of the Hoosiers off of timely jump shots, but IU showcased its athleticism in building the lead up to a 14-point halftime margin.

The teams largely traded baskets in the early minutes of the second half before Oladipo led the scoring spree to put the game out of reach for the Eagles.

IU's 36-point margin of victory was just two points off its game-high of 38 even with primarily walk-ons and underclassmen playing the game's final minutes.