Indiana put itself on the national radar on Monday afternoon with an impressive 79-58 win over Providence in a first round Maui Invitational contest.
The Hoosiers jumped out to an early 9-2 lead and never looked back as they advanced to the winners bracket at the event in Asheville, N.C.
Below are the three keys to the game, highlights and stats.
See also: Miller post-game | Durham and Thompson post-game
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Hoosiers start fast and never look back behind strong defense. IU led 19-9 midway through the first half and from that point forward never allowed the lead to slip back into single digits. The Hoosiers led by 17 in the first half, and Providence never got closer than 13 after the 16:26 mark of the second half. A strong defensive effort limited Providence to just 37 percent shooting from the field and only 7 assists. IU outrebounded the Friars 42-33. The only Providence lead was 2-0 to start the game.
2. Race Thompson with a career day. Redshirt junior Race Thompson had a breakout performance with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Both were career highs, and it was his first career double-double. Thompson played 35 minutes in the game and added 2 assists and a block while committing no turnovers. Often cleaning up his teammates misses, Thompson had 8 offensive rebounds and was a force on the defensive end too.
3. Indiana’s offense spread out and efficient. Indiana generally had 4 on the perimeter and utilized that spacing to create driving lanes and offensive rebound opportunities. The Hoosiers had 16 assists on 28 made baskets and only 9 turnovers. IU shot 45.2 percent from the field and scored 1.2 points per possession, fueled by a low 13.8 percent turnover rate. Indiana snared 15 offensive rebounds and scored 36 points in the paint.
UP NEXT: Indiana (2-0) will face No. 17 Texas (2-0) at 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday in second round action from Asheville. That game will be televised on ESPN.
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