No. 17 Indiana men’s basketball trailed Eastern Illinois University at halftime Sunday, but the Hoosiers (2-0) emerged with a 90-55 victory over the Panthers (1-2) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako, junior forward Malik Reneau and sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo carried the scoring load for Indiana. Mgbako finished with a team-high 18 points, while Reneau and Ballo added 17 points each. Ballo led the team in rebounds with nine, while fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway recorded a game-high eight assists.
Indiana shot 61.3% from the field and went 6 for 18 from distance. Eastern Illinois, meanwhile, made 36.8% of its field goals and 35% of its 3-pointers. The Hoosiers outrebounded the Panthers 38-26, and Indiana tallied 26 assists to only 12 turnovers.
Despite the final score, Sunday’s game was much closer than expected for the first 25 minutes of action. The Hoosiers entered the day as 26.5-point favorites. The Panthers lost by 45 points to Illinois six days prior. And still, Eastern Illinois led Indiana 37-36 at halftime.
The Panthers extended their advantage to 43-38, but the Hoosiers responded with a 38-5 run in just over 12 minutes to quell any doubts about the game’s outcome. Indiana made 15 of 24 field goals during its lengthy run.
Indiana returns to action at 3 p.m., Saturday against the University of South Carolina inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
This story will be updated.
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.
