IU basketball: Indiana 100 Kennesaw State 87– Three keys, highlights, final stats

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana defeated Kennesaw State by a final score of 100-87 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday evening.

The Hoosiers led 50-46 at halftime and were led in the game by Malik Reneau with 34 points. The Hoosiers put a total of six players in double figures on the night.

The three keys to the game, highlights and final stats are below. To watch Mike Woodson, Kaleb Banks and Malik Reneau postgame, GO HERE.

Indiana (10-3, 2-0) will next travel to Nebraska on Wednesday as Big Ten play resumes.

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. A fast start…and a second half response. Indiana opened the game 8-of-8 from the field, and they’d go on to take a 13-point lead with 7:44 left in the first half. But their strong offensive start masked some defensive issues. And when the shots stopped falling, Kennesaw State rallied to take a 68-64 second half lead. IU found answers on the defensive end from there to pull away. KSU made just 1-of-9 shots during a decisive 19-3 run as the Hoosiers stormed back to a double-digit lead. Anthony Leal, Kaleb Banks and Anthony Walker all made important contributions during that stretch.

2. Reneau unstoppable. With Kel’el Ware out with an illness, it was Malik Reneau’s night to shine. The sophomore forward posted his second straight career high, with 34 points to go with 11 rebounds. One key to Reneau’s performance was his ability to stay on the floor and play 37 minutes with just one foul. The sophomore made 13-of-19 shots and added 11 rebounds.

3. Elite shooting from the field. In a possession heavy game, Indiana needed to score to win. And the shots were falling on this night. The Hoosiers posted impressive numbers from the field, connecting on 61 percent of their shots overall, including 46.7 percent from three. This helped IU overcome poor free throw shooting (21-of-33, 63.6 percent) and 18 turnovers.

HIGHLIGHTS