Hoosiers Roll Past Northern Illinois, 85-49

Friday, November 12

Bloomington, Ind.

7:00 PM

Indiana University

2-0,0-0Big Ten

Northern Illinois

1-1,0-0MAC

Northern Ill.

Indiana

11/12/2021 9:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This time there was no second-half fizzle.

This time at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall there was ferocious defense and offense no matter who played.

The Friday night result -- Indiana's 85-49 victory over Northern Illinois, a 2-0 start and a team ready for next week's Gavitt Games challenge against the Big East's St. John's (1-0).

"It was a total team effort," coach Mike Woodson said. "Everybody did what we asked them to do, which was nice to see."

Facing a Husky team that had stunned Pac-12 Washington three days earlier, Indiana unleashed second-half dominance to follow up that of the first half, something that didn't happen in the season-opening win over Eastern Michigan.

"We talked about it, rest assured," Woodson said about the halftime message. "That was the main topic in terms of how we played in the first game. We can't have that letdown. We have to play the way we got the lead. We did that.

"We played 28 minutes the other night. Tonight, we sustained it all the way through."

The Hoosiers defended as if their next 10 meals depended on it. They harassed, disrupted, disoriented. They forced 23 turnovers and allowed 14 baskets.

Northern Illinois' first basket of the second half came after nearly eight minutes, and it was on a Hoosier goaltend. It shot just 30 percent.

"We were solid right from the start," Woodson said. "We kept them in front of us. We did it for 40 minutes."

Against Washington, Northern Illinois was 12-for-23 from three-point range. Against the Hoosiers, it was 2-for-11.

"We knew they could shoot it," guard Trey Galloway said. "They took a lot of threes in their first game. We were committed to collectively go out to the three-point line. We did a good job with that.

"It comes with preparation. Before the game, in practice, locking in and knowing our scout and knowing what we have to do to stop them. It's also communication. Talking to each other. That's one thing we're growing on."

Trayce Jackson-Davis was a do-it-all force of basketball nature with 19 points, seven rebounds and a career-high seven blocks in 26 minutes. It's the fourth-most blocks in Indiana history, behind Steve Downing's 10 in 1971 and Dean Garrett's eight in 1986 and '88.

The 6-9 junior forward got into Husky heads when he wasn't getting into their shots. After his sixth block, a frustrated Zool Kueth of Northern Illinois shoved Jackson-Davis in the back and was ejected.

"He has always played hard in practice and games," forward Jordan Geronimo said of Jackson-Davis. "He wants to prove that he's the player that he is. We know what kind of player he is. He works hard and it shows on the court."

Forward Race Thompson added his fourth career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Xavier Johnson had 13 points. They each added a block.

The nine blocks was one more IU had in any game last season.

"It's being active," Woodson said about the blocks. "We need that."

Geronimo said Woodson demands contested shots, challenged shots.

"He tells us no easy layups. Show effort. He emphasizes that a lot."

In all, 13 Hoosiers played at least four minutes, and 11 scored. That included 7-foot center Michael Durr, who missed the opener because of an injury.

Woodson wants to play a lot of guys, but it comes without guarantee.

"I can't promise minutes to anybody," he said, "but I tell them, whatever minutes you get, make it the most important minutes to help us win games. That's what they're doing."

IU was defensively dialed in right from the start. It forced three Northern Illinois turnovers in just over three minutes, got a three-pointer from Thompson and barely led 7-5.

The Hoosiers, as it turned out, were just warming up.

Johnson's three-pointer, Geronimo's power dunk and a pair of Rob Phinisee free throws helped push the Hoosiers to a 22-9 lead midway through the first half. Northern Illinois had three baskets and five turnovers.

A Johnson steal and dunk was a highlight in a 12-0 run that pushed the lead to 34-11.

IU ended the half ahead 47-20 lead behind Jackson-Davis's 17 points and Johnson's 13.

The Hoosiers kept up the defensive intensity. Northern Illinois missed its first nine shots of the second half. IU scored the first eight points and 16 of the first 17, to ensure there would be no Husky rally even when Woodson went with reserves for the final 10 minutes.

"It's staying prepared and knowing what we have to do," Galloway said.