NASSAU, Bahamas — In an impressive showing, Mackenzie Mgbako tallied 25 points while Malik Reneau contributed 21 points on an efficient 8-of-9 shooting, leading No. 14 Indiana to a decisive 89-73 victory over Providence on Friday. This win secured Indiana a seventh-place finish at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Mgbako was pivotal in the first half, scoring seven consecutive points for Indiana as they built a substantial lead. He went into halftime with 13 points, helping the Hoosiers establish a comfortable 19-point advantage in the second half, with Providence unable to come closer than a nine-point deficit after halftime.
For Indiana (5-2), Trey Galloway added 18 points, while Oumar Ballo collected 10 rebounds to go along with 8 points. The Hoosiers exhibited great shooting accuracy, hitting 53% of their attempts from the field and converting 17 of 20 free-throw attempts.
On the Providence side (5-3), Jayden Pierre was the standout performer with 22 points. Jabri Abdur-Rahim managed to register 14 points despite facing limitations after accruing his fourth foul early in the second half. Corey Floyd Jr. also contributed 14 points to the effort.
Key observations from the game include Galloway’s first start of the season, stepping in with teammate Kanaan Carlyle absent from the lineup. Galloway, who had only made two 3-pointers in the initial six games, successfully sank his second from beyond the arc against Providence. He ended the game with an impressive 3-for-4 performance from 3-point range, alongside five assists and just two turnovers across 30 minutes of play.
A crucial moment in the game occurred early in the second half when Indiana launched a 13-4 run, extending their lead to 57-38. During this stretch, Reneau executed back-to-back three-point plays, reinforcing Indiana’s dominance.
A significant statistical highlight was Indiana’s improvement from the 3-point line. Following a challenging outing against No. 3 Gonzaga, where they made just 4 of 18 attempts, the Hoosiers rebounded strongly with a successful 8 of 15 performance from beyond the arc against Providence, four of which came from Mgbako.
Looking ahead, Indiana will return to its home court to face Sam Houston on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Providence is set to compete against BYU as part of the upcoming Big 12-Big East Battle on the same day.