Indiana men’s basketball finished its exhibition slate with a 106-64 victory over Marian University on Friday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The Hoosiers not only broke the 100-point barrier, but did so with plenty of time to spare, hitting the century mark with just under four minutes left. Indiana scored 100 points only once last season during a game Dec. 29, 2023, against Kennesaw State University.
Before the event started, the Assembly Hall video board highlighted Marian head coach Pat Knight, the son of late Hoosier coach Bob Knight. Pat went to midcourt and kissed Indiana’s logo before returning to the southwest bench.
The Hoosiers never trailed Marian, and Indiana head coach Mike Woodson’s squad led by double digits for the final 35 minutes and 26 seconds Friday night.
Senior center Langdon Hatton’s reverse layup nearly nine minutes into the first half gave the Hoosiers a 29-8 advantage, their first 20-point lead of the contest. Marian stuck around, led by senior guard Gus Etchison’s 11 points, but Indiana carried a 50-25 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Hoosiers emptied their bench and blended several rotations in the second half but scored more over the final 20 minutes than in the first 20, ultimately finishing with 56 second half points.
Freshman forward Bryson Tucker led Indiana in scoring with 19 points, while junior forward Malik Reneau and sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo added 18 and 16 points, respectively.
The Hoosiers shot only 6 for 25 from distance and 8 for 14 at the free throw line, but their size proved enough to secure a convincing victory. Indiana hit 65.7% of its field goals overall, including 40 of 45 from inside the arc and 34 of 37 combined on layups and dunks.
With the exhibition slate over, the Hoosiers turn their sights to the regular season, which begins at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
