Hoosiers bounce back at home against Delaware State
The Hoosiers continue their home winning streak as they fly past Delaware State 103-56. Indiana Basketball cruises thanks to the effort by O.G. Anunoby.
Just days following a loss in the Crossroad Classic, No. 16 Indiana returned to form with their win on Monday. O.G. Anunoby played a key role in the win, posting 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 massive blocks.
Anunoby was one of four players to reach double digit points on the night. Impressive showings from James Blackmon Jr. (18 points) and Thomas Bryant (14 points, 5-6 FG) led to a relatively easy win. Indiana knows that a healthy O.G. Anunoby makes their team an elite force in the Big Ten Conference.
The absence of Anunoby in the IPFW loss hurt. His time missed after an ankle injury following a nine point upset win against No. 3 North Carolina also hurt. A healthy Anunoby is exactly what Tom Crean is going to need heading into conference play.
Thomas Bryant threw down an electrifying dunk that will be looped on college basketball’s best plays. Once again an extremely efficient performance from freshman big man De’Ron Davis. Davis seems to be someone who the national media has forgotten about. His 9 points on Monday came on a perfect 4-4 from the field.
ICYMI: How pretty was this @nolimittb31 dunk?
More video » https://t.co/TlKioZb6LO https://t.co/Ggcpw8J5GE
— Indiana On BTN (@IndianaOnBTN) December 20, 2016
The only real concern seen from this game was the amount of three-point shots taken. 26 to be exact. If Indiana wants to continue the notion of being one of the best three-point shooting teams, they’ll have to stay above 45% from beyond the arch collectively. Robert Johnson had a difficult time from three but finished the game with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
The win on Monday night pushes the Hoosiers to 8-0 at Assembly Hall this season. The win is the 25th straight at home — tied for the fifth longest streak in school history. The last home loss dates back to March 7th, 2014 in a 74-72 loss to Michigan State. It goes without saying that Indiana will seemingly have no problem at home.
A Look Ahead…
At this point in the season, most teams are finishing up their non-conference schedule and looking ahead to conference play. Indiana still has a tough test left on their non-conference schedule. The Hoosiers will set to square off against No. 10 Louisville on New Year’s Eve. This will be the forth AP Top 25 team Indiana will face off against before the end of the year.
The nation’s poll was not particularly kind to Indiana after the loss to No. 18 Butler on Saturday. They drop seven spots in the poll even with two top five wins in November. A bit head scratching considering some of the other teams who rank ahead of Indiana. The IPFW loss will continue to loom until Indiana can find a way to separate themselves from it.
A win against No. 10 Louisville might just do that for them.
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