A barrage of boos cascaded from the stands of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall after a turnover-turned-layup put Eastern Illinois University ahead of Indiana men’s basketball 43-38 early in the first half.
What happened next, though, was a 35-8 Indiana scoring run. That run provoked a 54-point second half as the Hoosiers sprinted across the finish line for a 90-55 win over EIU on Sunday afternoon in Bloomington.
“I thought our defense intensity was just lacking the first half,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “We adjusted the second half and guys came out and got after it. Couldn't ask for a better second half.”
The visiting Panthers caused Indiana problems out of the gate, shooting at a 59.3% clip from the field, contributing to a 37-36 lead at the half. Senior guard Nakyel Shelton piloted a quick EIU offense that scored early and often in transition, evident by its 11 fastbreak points in the first half.
Shelton finished with a team-high 17 points, but his overall stat line was a tale of two halves, echoing the overarching game’s story. He shot 6 for 9 in a 15-point first half but was held to a lone field goal in a 1 for 7 performance during an otherwise quiet second period.
Freshman forward Bryson Tucker was a key component of the Hoosiers’ second half dominance, scoring all 12 of his points after the break. On top of his offensive success, the Arlington, Virginia, native was part of an Indiana defense that held EIU to 16.7% from the field in the second half.
“Any team we play, you don't want to go down at halftime,” Tucker said postgame. “So, we just came out with a whole different level of intensity and we really locked in.”
Indiana tallied six steals, 11 blocks and consistently forced the Panthers to take poor quality shots deep into the shot clock. EIU ended the game shooting 7 for 20 from beyond the arc after scoring five 3-pointers in the first half.
“I felt like we started to play together, play as a unit,” junior foraward Malik Reneau said postgame. “We emphasized that going into halftime, but it really happened on the defensive end.”
The Hoosiers’ increased defensive intensity in the second half benefited its offense as they produced 31 fastbreak points. Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway and redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice led the Cream and Crimson with eight and five assists, respectively.
One of the loudest applauses of the afternoon stemmed from a transition pass from Galloway to Tucker, which resulted in a two-handed dunk midway through the second half that highlighted Indiana’s scoring burst.
“When we got the stops, we were able to rebound the ball,” Woodson said. “And get some of what we call ‘quick strikes’ up the floor.”
In the half-court offense, Indiana made its living inside the paint with junior forward Malik Reneau and sixth year senior center Oumar Ballo. The two physical members of a tough Indiana frontcourt had a clear size advantage on the Panthers, as both strung together 17-point outings.
Additionally, sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako rode the hot hand of a career-high 31-point performance against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Nov. 6, scoring a game-high 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting Sunday.
The Hoosiers’ second half improvements kept their record spotless in the early stages of the season, but an incomplete performance stuck out as a concern with higher caliber opponents looming.
“We just changed our mindset going into the second half,” Reneau said. “But we got to have that for all 40 minutes.”
Next up for the Hoosiers is their first Power conference matchup of the season as they host the University of South Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. with the game streaming on Peacock.
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.
