IU basketball: Indiana 90 Marshall 79 — Three keys | Highlights

IU basketball: Indiana 90 Marshall 79 — Three keys | Highlights | Final stats

Indiana defeated Marshall by a final score of 90-79 on Saturday evening at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.

Marshall led 42-41 at halftime. The Hoosiers were led by Trayce Jackson-Davis with 43 points, 5 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 assists. Xavier Johnson added 20 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals.

Indiana (6-0) will travel to Syracuse for a Tuesday evening contest as part of the Big Ten / ACC Challenge. The game will tip at 7 p.m.

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. No answer for Jackson-Davis. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a career high and Assembly Hall record 43 points on 18-of-24 shooting. Steve Alford had the previous record. Marshall appeared reluctant to double team the junior big man until he had exceeded the 30-point mark. At that point he was effective passing out of the post. Jackson-Davis also had 5 blocks on the other end and he is now averaging 3.8 per game.

2. Xavier Johnson changes the game. Indiana was struggling on both ends and needed a burst of energy after falling behind 34-22 in the first half. Johnson provided it after subbing back in and he ended up with 20 points and 5 steals. He checked back into the game with Indiana trailing 30-22, and quickly flipped the script with high-energy play on both ends of the floor. Johnson was an efficient 7-of-12 from the field including 2-of-3 from behind-the-arc. He is now 5-of-9 from three at Indiana.

3. Hoosiers slow the Herd attack. Marshall’s offense was expected to pose a challenge and they shot 57.6 percent from the field in the first half as Indiana struggled with ball screen coverages and getting back in transition. But the Thundering Herd made just 40.6 percent after the break. 28 of Marshall’s 44 points in the paint came in the first half, and they made just 3-of-11 three-pointers after the break as well.