Hoosiers Show Potential During Big First Half in Win

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Early season games are about teams finding themselves, realizing what they are capable of, and building some confidence.

And when a team clicks, when the lights come on for everyone at the same time, basketball can be a thing of beauty. It doesn't always last for 40 minutes, but even an extended run can pay dividends.

The Hoosiers put together their best half of the season so far in scoring 52 points during the first half of their 88-75 win over Louisiana Tech in the Indiana Challenge. IU moved the ball well, destroyed the Bulldogs' attempts at a zone, and left the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall roaring with the way they played together.

It was a brand of basketball that was fun for everyone to watch.

"In the first half, I thought our guards did a nice job," head coach Archie Miller said. "We were attacking in transition. We shared the ball. They went zone. Our bigs did a good job of moving it. We were unselfish, and we made some really good looks."

Indiana's first half was a sight to behold.

Guard Aljami Durham scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and he handed out three assists. Center Joey Brunk was the hub of the zone offense and dished out three assists of his own. Senior guard Devonte Green came off the bench and score 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, drained 3-of-4 3-point attempts, and he handed out a pair of assists as well.

Indiana made 19-of-31 shots in the first 20 minutes, made 6-of-13 3-point attempts, and converted 8-of-10 shots from the line. The Hoosiers outrebounded Louisiana Tech 17-10, forced 10 turnovers while committing just six of their own, and built a 23-point lead in the first 12:30 of action.
All of this against a Louisiana Tech team that had been allowing an average of 57.4 points a game through its first five outings.

"We've got confidence in each other," Durham said. "We feel like if we pass the ball to one of our teammates, we feel he can either knock it out or make a great decision for someone else. And I feel like we have a very good bond and a good trust in each other to make the right play when we're passing it to each other, really."

The result was a team that was completely on the same page for the longest stretch of time during the young 2019-20 season. Sadly for the Hoosiers, the crisp play didn't last—they struggled after halftime to find their rhythm and were held to 36 second-half points—but the first is something to build upon.

"I think it's something that obviously we've worked very hard on in terms of the tempo of how we're playing, the emphasis on certain guys and their roles, what we're trying to get them to do," Miller said. "I clearly think our running game is better right now than it has been. I think guys are running hard. I think our guards are doing a good job pushing it, and our bigs are running pretty well especially early in the game. And we're getting fouled. That's obviously good.

"Ball movement is something we stress, and we move. We've been post trapped here recently. So sometimes they try and take us out of rhythm there. When we move the ball and share it and we screen and we've got a lot of guys working together, we can be pretty good on offense."

Indiana's offense may not have been executing at the same level after halftime, but the Hoosiers managed to find other ways to score, getting to the free-throw line 28 times and converting 20 of the attempts. The parade to the line, which included freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis going 11-of-13 from the stripe, continued a storyline for the year.

Indiana has already been to the line 185 times this season, and Jackson-Davis already has 45 attempts. Miller said getting to the line is critical for Jackson-Davis, and he wants to see his freshman do even more.

"I think we've got to get better at feeding the post, and I think we've got to get better at doing that," Miller said. "He's got to get better in general, I kind of say this, of demanding the ball, carving it out, finding different angles. We've got to be able to get him the ball when he's open.

The players certainly hear their coach loud and clear when it comes to the line.

"Coach Miller makes it a big emphasis for us to get to the line and get free throws," Durham said. "I feel like he emphasizes us on depth. So, we use our depth, and we want to get to the line and get it inside and foul the other team out basically."

Despite the up-and-down offense, Miller knows this is a win that will resonate for a while.

"Louisiana Tech really commanded a lot of our respect, and they have a good program," Miller said. "They win a ton of games. This is one, regardless of how you feel you played, we won the game, and a few months from now, this will be one that's more valuable than hopefully most people realize."

Indiana University Athletics

Hoosiers Show Potential During Big First Half in Win

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