IU basketball: Indiana 72 Army 64 — Three keys, highlights, final stats

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana defeated Army by a final score of 72-64 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday evening.

The Hoosiers led 32-31 and halftime and were led in the game by Kel’el Ware with 20 points. Xavier Johnson added 19 points and five assists, and Malik Reneau chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds.

The three keys to the game are below, along with highlights and the final stats.

Indiana (2-0) will host Wright State on Thursday.

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Indiana relies on its size. Indiana didn’t have much going offensively throughout the game, and they leaned heavily on Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau in the post in the second half. They combined for 26 points after the break. Ware was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field in the second half, while Reneau was a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line.

2. Efficient shooting offsets turnovers. The Hoosiers had a rough night taking care of the basketball with 18 turnovers. The problems persisted, with nine miscues in each half. But they made 58.1 percent of their shots for the game, including 68.4 percent after the break. Ware was 9-of-11 for the game to lead the way.

3. IU takes advantage at the stripe. Indiana was also strong at the free throw line, where they made 18-of-22 (81.8 percent) for the game including 13-of-16 in the second half. Indiana outscored Army 18 to 3 at the foul line. That helped to offset a 39-12 advantage for the Black Knights from beyond the 3-point arc.

HIGHLIGHTS