CINCINNATI, Ohio — Indiana defeated Xavier by a final score of 81-79 on Friday night at the Cintas Center.
The Hoosiers trailed 40-38 at halftime, and were led in the game by Trayce Jackson-Davis with 30 points. Xavier Johnson added 23.
The Hoosiers (3-0) return to action on Sunday when they play Miami (Ohio) in Indianapolis.
See also: Mike Woodson post-game | Trayce Jackson-Davis and Malik Reneau post-game
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. TJD too athletic for Xavier, Reneau chips in. Trayce Jackson-Davis looked the part of an All-American. He ran circles around Xavier’s big men and scored 30 points on 13-of-16 shooting. He added six rebounds and three blocks while playing all but three minutes of the contest. Freshman Malik Reneau added 12 points as IU scored 50 points in the paint
2. Xavier Johnson plays at elite level. Indiana’s starting point guard got off to an erratic start to the season, but when the lights were bright he was on point against a good opponent in a difficult environment. Xavier Johnson was 7-of-8 from the field including 2-of-2 from three, with 23 points and seven rebounds. At plus-9, Johnson had the highest plus/minus on the team.
3. Hoosiers respond to adversity. Indiana trailed 28-19 in the first half in front of a raucous Cintas Center crowd. But they responded to pull to within two at halftime, and started the second half strong. In crunch time Indiana pulled through with a 13-4 run with just under six minutes left in the game to take a 78-70 lead, and held on from there. It was Indiana’s first non-conference true road win since N.C. State in 2011.
FINAL BOX SCORE
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