No. 5/6 Hoosiers Run Past UMass Lowell, 100-78

Wednesday, November 16

Bloomington, Ind.

7:00 PM

Indiana University

2-0

100

UMass Lowell

1-2

UMass Lowell

Indiana

100

11/16/2016 9:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The No. 5/6 ranked Indiana men's basketball team (2-0, 0-0) cruised past the UMass Lowell River Hawks (1-2) by score of 100-78 in the home opener in the newly renovated Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

James Blackmon Jr. paced the Hoosiers with 23 points, including a team-high 20 in the first frame. Blackmon scored 20 or more in consecutive halves, including 22 in the second half in the win over Kansas on Friday. For the game, Blackmon converted five 3-point attempts, nabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.

Indiana connected on 52.8 percent (40-of-71) of its shots from the floor, including 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from beyond the arc. IU's defense stifled a strong UMass Lowell attack, forcing 15 turnovers and blocking six shots.

IU used two big spurts to bury the River Hawks. Trailing 14-9 early in the first half, Indiana rattled off a 22-6 scoring run to take an 11-point lead. IU would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game and took a 53-36 lead into the locker room at the half.

In the second half, UMass Lowell trimmed the IU lead down to 61-47, Indiana went onto blow the game wide open with a 15-0 scoring run, propelling the lead to 76-47. The run was triggered by the sharpshooting of the Indiana offense, who connected on 11-of-27 3-point attempts for the game.

Sophomore Thomas Bryant tied a career high with three assists in the contest. Bryant also tallied nine points, five boards and three blocked shots. Junior Robert Johnson stuffed the stat sheet, contributing 16 points, five rebounds and five dimes.

Sophomore OG Anunoby poured in a career-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Anunoby showed quick hands all night, leading to three steals.

Highly-touted freshman De'Ron Davis provided a spark off the IU bench. In just 11 minutes of action Davis was able to net eight points and grab three rebounds. Fellow freshman Devonte Green electrified the crowd with a thunderous one-handed tomahawk slam in the first half. In the second half he recorded back-to-back steals leading to four quick points.

Indiana dominated the glass, grabbing 46 rebounds compared to just 24 for the River Hawks. IU hauled in 19 offensive rebounds, paving the way for 15 second-chance points. The Hoosiers were able to run on the River Hawks, leading to 22 fast break points.

Indiana will be back in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, November 19. The Hoosiers will host the Liberty Flames (1-1) in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The game is set for a 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff and will air on BTN+.