Quick thoughts on the 71-60 win against Kent State:
How did this happen
It was a strong start for Race Thompson on Friday at the MVP Arena in Albany, New York. The sixth-year senior scored five of IU’s first seven points as the Hoosiers jumped out to a 7-2 lead. After Kent State took a 9-8 lead on Chris Payton’s bucket at the 15:14 mark, Indiana took the lead for the rest of the half. After the Golden Flashes pulled within three at 26-23 on a Sincere Carry three-pointer, Indiana closed the half with an 11-4 run for a 35-27 advantage at the break. Thompson had 13 points to lead Indiana in the first half, and Trayce Jackson-Davis added 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal. Despite being outscored 9-3 in the first 20 minutes in second-chance points, Indiana’s lead was comfortable as it held Kent State to just 10-for-38 shooting from the field.
The Hoosiers had a solid start to the second half and extended their lead to 11 at 40-29 on a quick dunk by Thompson. By the 16:10 mark, Indiana’s lead was 45-31 on a Jackson-Davis bucket. The lead was pushed to 15 points at 54-39 on Malik Reneau’s second chance layup with 11:57 remaining. The Golden Flashes got within 10 at 65-55 with 5:51 to play on VonCameron Davis’ 3-pointer, but Indiana responded with an alley-oop dunk by Jackson-Davis to take a 67-55 lead with 4:09 to go. Another Jackson-Davis dunk gave Indiana a 14-point lead with 3:27 left in the game. From there, the Hoosiers went on to make their first appearance in the 32nd NCAA Tournament since 2016. Indiana will play regular season ACC champion Miami (FL) in Albany on Sunday.
An outstanding performer
Jackson-Davis led Indiana with 24 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and a steal in 35 minutes. The five blocked shots set an IU NCAA Tournament record. Thompson added 20 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes. Miller Kopp had 13 points and five rebounds in 36 minutes.
Stats that stand out
Indiana had no trouble generating offense against Kent State’s defense. The Golden Flashes gave up 0.96 points per possession, but the Hoosiers scored 1.1. And Indiana handled the pressure from Kent State. The Hoosiers turned it over just seven times for a turnover percentage of 11.
Final IU individual statistics
Final stats without pace
Assembly call after the match
Recorded for: 2023 NCAA Tournament, Kent State Golden Flashes