No. 16 Indiana men’s basketball aced its first Power 4 conference test of the season, taking an 87-71 victory over the University of South Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice led the Hoosiers in scoring, tallying 23 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Four others joined Rice in double figures, headlined by sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako’s 17 points. Junior forward Malik Reneau scored 13 points, sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle added 12 points and fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway totaled 11 points.
The Hoosiers shot 51% from the field and made a season-high eight 3-pointers, connecting on 47.1% from distance. Indiana went 27-of-33 from the free throw line, an 81.8% rate.
After falling behind 4-0 in the first 90 seconds, Indiana scored 14 unanswered points, surging to a double-digit lead with 14:34 to play in the first half. The Gamecocks responded to the Hoosiers’ surge with a run of their own, trimming the deficit to 22-19, but Indiana outscored South Carolina 21-13 over the final 7:09 leading into the break.
Boasting a 43-32 halftime advantage, Indiana led by double figures until the 5:32 mark in the second half. The Hoosiers’ lead grew to as large as 18 points, but the Gamecocks closed with 8 points inside the final minute and a half. However, the margin never slimmed any further, and Indiana ended the game on an 8-0 run.
And the Hoosiers, in their first nonconference game against a Power 4 conference opponent, departed their home floor with a victory.
Indiana (3-0) returns to action at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against the University of North Carolina Greensboro inside 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.
